Education for Foreign-Born Students at Japanese Public Schools

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the number of foreign-born students registered in Japanese public schools, as well as the number of these students who require Japanese language instruction, have been increasing. However, foreign-born students who need language instruction vary by nationality and live throughout the nation, not necessarily in school zones in which experienced language teachers serve. This makes it difficult to provide extra teachers for only a few students, particularly considering that the Japanese Constitution does not obligate schools to provide basic education for these non-Japanese students. Consequently, an official scheme for Japanese language learning at public schools in Japan was not provided until 2014. The main objective of this study is to explore the dynamics of education for foreign-born students who study at Japanese public schools to examine whether the special language instruction course (tokubetsuno kyoiku katei) given to these students provides a scaffold for cultural diversity and enshrines incisive social development for all children at the school. More concretely, by conducting local teacher interviews at primary and lower secondary public schools, as well as with affiliated language class teachers, and by exploring policies and practices for foreign-born students at Japanese schools, this study delineates the dynamics and challenges of social inclusiveness. The results indicate that Japanese language special instruction classes not only have enabled foreign-born students to become accustomed to the language and the school culture, but the classes have also encouraged mutual personal understanding between Japanese and foreign-born students.

Keywords: Foreign-Born Students, Japanese Public Schools, Immigration Policy, Multicultural Understanding

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-18-22

Publication date:June 30th 2020