Waseda University Professor Tomochika, an expert in educational sociology. Thousands of Japanese children in Tokyo are skipping the traditional school system — and heading instead to international classrooms where lessons are in foreign languages and curriculums are flexible.
© NHKVoices
in
Japan
quote of the day
The increasing popularity of international schools is a sign of a weakening of Japanese public education, as dissatisfied parents seek alternatives they perceive as higher quality.
©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
Video promotion
2 Comments
Login to comment
sakurasuki
Many public schools in Japan have not only hardworking teacher but also overworked without pay. Why expect those public schools teachers will spend more time for well being of students?
https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01666/
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180421/p2a/00m/0na/005000c
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230311/p2a/00m/0na/012000c
kaimycahl
I think there is some truth here saying that the growing popularity of international schools in Japan may reflect some dissatisfaction with public education, I think it’s not necessarily a sign of its weakening but there are some other factors that may contribute to this trend. The rise in international school enrollment reflects not just dissatisfaction, but also diversification of educational needs among Japanese families. Perhaps the parents seek a more global, flexible, and less rigid academic path for their children. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean Japanese public education is failing rather, what appears to me is it may need to adapt to a more globalized, student-centered world.