5/3/2007

Say your family is moving to Japan. You have two school going children, choosing the right school for your child may be a daunting thing when you’re in a culture that is different from your own. But fear not, the education system in Japan offers many choices for you.

I wouldn’t call this a guide, just an attempt to let you know about the choices your children have in Japan for schooling. There are basically two choices; Japanese Schools and International Schools.

Sending them to International schools would of course incur a higher school fee and a selection of curriculum (American, British, Internationa Baccalaureate, etc) for your child. And also the fact that your child will also be exposed to various cultures and ethnicity from other students. Of course, if you send your child to a Japanese school, s/he will be able to blend into and understand the japanese culture more.

After thinking abotu what school to send your child into, you should also take into consideration the location of the school. How far or how close it is should be a factor of deciding because a futher school would also mean more traveling time and if there should be an emergency, you need to ask yourself if you could get there in time. So, location, location, location.

You also have to remember that you need to do research on the schools you want your kids to be in because there are entrance exams and deadlines of applications.

Read more about the Japanese school structure here.