PART Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture
Chapter 9 Internationalization of Education, Culture and Sports
6 Enrichment of Educational Programs for Japanese Children Staying Overseas, as well as for Those Who Have Returned Home after Long Stays Overseas
Along with the expansion of international activities of Japanese
people, the number of Japanese people staying abroad for a long period is rapidly
increasing. Approximately 51,000 Japanese children of compulsory school age were
staying abroad in 1992. More than 13,000 Japanese children of elementary and
secondary school age returned to Japan during the period from April 1990 through
March 1991. The enrichment of educational programs for these two groups of children,
i.e., those who are staying abroad and those who have returned from extended
stays abroad, has become an important task for the Government. The Government
undertakes this with the aim of providing the former group of children with an
education appropriate for their development as both Japanese citizens and internationally
minded persons. It alms to provide the latter group with appropriate educational
opportunities to enable them to make the best use of the special qualities acquired
during their stay overseas.
In order to promote educational programs for Japanese children
staying overseas, the Ministry has taken a number of measures, including dispatching
teachers to Japanese schools overseas (both full-time and part-time) and providing
free textbooks to all Japanese children of compulsory school age who are staying
abroad. The Ministry is placing directors in charge of school activities for
international exchange with local residents in Japanese schools abroad. These
directors contribute to the promotion of education for international understanding
at the Japanese school which he or she serves, and also to the development of
more activities for educational, cultural and sports exchanges between children
enrolled in the school and people in the community where they are living. The
Ministry operates a system which registers all candidates for teachers serving
Japanese schools overseas and provides adequate training in Japan before their
appointment. The Ministry also began a study for developing information systems
whereby Japanese schools overseas can be connected on-line (through personal
computer communications) with various institutions within Japan which provide
these schools with relevant educational information. Further, in order to promote
educational programs for children who have returned from overseas (including
the children of Japanese orphans who have come back to Japan from China), the
Ministry has taken various measures, including the creation of special classes
for these children at some schools attached to national universities, the designation
of pilot schools for conducting studies on the content and methods of teaching
these children, and the designation of some localities which are to pay special
attention to accepting and taking care of these children.