ASIA PACIFIC
...Education and schools in Japan
There are quite a few international kindergarten and pre-schools in Japan, but many of them do not take children under three years old. One exception is Yoyogi International School, in Tokyo, which caters for children from 18 months to 11 years old. The school, a member of the Council of International Schools (CIS), has built its own curriculum, taking principles from the IB, the UK and the US curricula, and is a popular choice with expatriates.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION The majority of International schools in the country offer a US or a bilingual curriculum. The British School in Tokyo (BST) is one of just six per cent of schools that offer the UK curriculum.
The BST was founded in 1989, and has grown from 63 students to over 1,000, building a strong reputation among Tokyo’s international community. As a result, there are waiting lists in most year groups.
There are now over 63 different nationalities at the school, but, as principal Brian Christian explains, families on short-term assignments are no longer the main demographic. “Our biggest demographic now is probably the more long-term stayers in Japan, often dual-nationality, where one of the parents is Japanese. Therefore, they see themselves as being a part of the school community for some considerable amount of time, perhaps all the way through from three to 18 in some cases,” Mr Christian says. The school is a COBIS member, and Mr Christian is quick to highlight the importance of this accreditation for relocating parents. “I would always say, look at the membership group of the school that you’re applying to. Particularly if you’re a first-time parent going overseas, it must be tremendously reassuring to have that. “Tokyo is such an amazing place to be, and our networks – through parents, through the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and through the Embassy – are incredible.” It is through these networks that students from the British
School in Tokyo were able to watch a Team GB wheelchair basketball match attended by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, on her trade visit to Japan in August 2017.
OTHER INTERNATIONAL-SCHOOL OPTIONS Founded in 1902, The American School in Japan follows the American school system and – at high-school level – offers over 22 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, as well as the AP Capstone Diploma. The school caters for students from kindergarten through to Grade 12. With over 1,650 students, it is one of the largest international schools in Tokyo.
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relocateglobal.com | Keep Informed Another popular school is The Montessori School of
Tokyo, which was Japan’s first Montessori elementary school. It caters for 150 students of 33 nationalities up to the age of 14. Seisen International, a Catholic girls’ school, has been in existence for over 50 years. At kindergarten level, the school follows the Montessori curriculum. At elementary and high- school level, it offers the International Baccalaureate. While academic achievement is central to life at Seisen, there is also a strong focus on social action. The school partners with several schools in developing countries, and supports local charities while educating the students about those in need. “In Tokyo it is easy to find a ‘good’ school,” explains head of school, Colette Rogers. “All twelve schools in Tokyo that are members of the Japan Council of International Schools provide an internationally recognised education. The focus should be on finding the right school for your families needs.”
UK-JAPAN TRADING RELATIONSHIP On her visit, Theresa May led a business delegation that aimed to showcase the strength of British business and continue to build the UK-Japan economic relationship as the UK prepares to leave the EU.
Japan is one of the largest global markets for UK goods and services, and the fourth-largest provider of overseas investment into the UK. Automotive manufacturing is a prime example: both Nissan and Toyota manufacture cars in the UK, the vast majority going to the EU. Mrs May is keen to maintain this relationship post-Brexit.
The Japanese government is equally keen to attract foreign talent to its shores, owing to the rapid decline in the working-age population. Recent initiatives, such as a points- based immigration system that actively encourages visa applications from skilled foreign nationals, have resulted in an influx of foreign workers in the past five years.
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