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10,000 foreign children in Japan may be absent from school

18 Comments

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Is something wrong in these Japanese public schools foreigner children do not want to attend? Many children fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine taking refuge in Poland were immediately welcomed in public schools. All the world’s children should take advantage of public education when and where it’s available.

9 ( +15 / -6 )

If one of the parents speaks or is a Japanese it is not much of a trouble to send the kids to school, but if both parents do not read, write, or even speak Japanese well then sending their kids to school could be a major task since they have no clue what the school wants from them in their daily and endless demands.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

My kids (American father, Japanese mother) loved school, from K-12. They not once were bullied for their heritage; in fact, they were often envied for it. My son was elected school body president in his last year of HS. Of course, this depends on where one lives; Kumamoto is not Saitama - thank God.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Liam, Japan is no more geographically culturally uniform than is the US. I've lived in multiple places in both countries before settling in Kumamoto, and I've noticed major differences. Attending college in Maine, I learned not to tell the locals that I was from Los Angeles - this info would almost invariably cause instant mistrust. I've lived in Nara, Kyoto, and Osaka, and worked in Kobe - all mutually geographically quite close but culturally quite far apart. Saitama has about as much in common with Kumamoto as it does with Okinawa. You'll learn that if you live here long enough and pay attention.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"Homeschooling is better."

That would depend upon the home, and upon the schooling...

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Elementary and junior high school education is not compulsory for foreigners, unlike for their Japanese peers.

This is grossly irresponsible and racist, IMO.

Children of a lesser god?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Butter to teach the kids at home in a familiar environment that to send them to school and put them through the endless orders and rules to conform.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Kumamoto is not Saitama - thank God.

Strange comment. My three nieces all went to Junior and Senior high in Saitama after moving from Osaka. They seemed to get on OK - various issues but none they wouldn't have faced in Osaka.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

No, they have only a slice of a chance if they fully expose to real Japanese schools and surrounding activities. Otherwise they will never master the language and other behavior or manners etc in all details and that will bring a massive loss of employment and career chances. In fact, they even have to become much better in all of those fields to just make it scoring a draw related to native Japanese kids. International schools are only an alternative if they want to leave Japan one day for an outside experience or career in foreign or their former home countries.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Home schooling is best or international school if you can afford it!?

when my Son was young I would reprogram him when he came home from school everyday.

ex: holding your hand up in the air and marching forward. I told him you look left and then right and run cause in most countries they don’t look for a kid walking slow with his hand up in the air they just run ya over!

up to elementary is ok but from JH

all the kids loose their MOJO here in Japan.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Some foreigners being predictable

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Elementary and junior high school education is not compulsory for foreigners, unlike for their Japanese peers.

Good thing is not compulsory, so no need for those foreign children to attend Japanese school doing rote learning all day, going to school everyday with those heavy expensive randoseru bag. Experiencing bullying, need to bow everyday, for to obey seniority

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/09/26/commentary/japan-commentary/education-japan-really-bad/

-5 ( +9 / -14 )

That's the parents fault, they could just go to their city hall to have them enrolled but I guess claiming 'RaCisM' and playing the victim card is easier than taking real action.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Homeschooling is better.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

Laguna what the hell has where someone lives got to do with it ( one lives is not your language being a yank) you think where you live is any better than where

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

I do

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

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