How are International Schools in Japan evolving at pre primary level ?
Japan is the third largest economy in the world and has quickly become a country with millions of expatriates from around the world. With major billion dollar company set ups and rising standard of living , Japan is seen as an ideal place for employment opportunities.
Millions of expatriates are relocating to Japan and the high focus on studies by the country has driven the growth of international schools in Japan.
International schools in Japan have state of art technology as their key feature. One can also see the prevalence of japanese culture in the day to day working of the schools as students are taught to be polite and take part in activities that serve the common good. The academic session is conducted from April to March.
Kindergarten in Japan
Kindergartens in Japanese are locally known as Yochien. Kindergartens in Japan are for children from ages three till grade 1. They are responsible for nurturing and preparing students for grade 1 and beyond through subjects like english, music,and physical education. Many kindergartens have country based education systems like Indian, American, British, French and many more. Even if your child is going to an international kindergarten in Japan there might still be a language issue as many of the fellow classmates might be native Japanese speakers.International kindergartens try their best to proportion students and make the school more multicultural and diverse.
Daycare / Nurseries
There are various state run and private run nurseries where play and social skills are given more importance than education.These nurseries have a long waiting list and first preference are given to parents who work full time.
If you want to enroll in these nurseries, do keep in mind to have a residential address in Japan.
Kindergarten Admissions
Almost all kindergarten offering schools have the same admission process, it involves going to the individual school’s website and reading through their general information section. In the same section, you can also find the specific date on which you have to submit your application form. After submission of the application form, the school will conduct an interview session before granting admission.
After the interview is cleared parents need to submit the necessary documents and fees before the school year begins
International Schools in Japan offering Kindergarten
Global Indian International School
Global Indian International school offers the award winning Montessori Plus Program at the pre primary or kindergarten level. The program is a blend of Montessori approach with best practices of modern pre primary education. The bridge program offered at GIIS makes it very easy for any child to take admission anytime during the school year and also adjust quickly with the help of guided assistance. GIIS also has primary and high school and so your child can continue their education without any interruptions.
Cosmo Global Kids International School
The school offers full time child care like a nursery school with a rigorous 5 day week education program to nurture students into leaders of tomorrow.
The school follows a project based learning approach to encourage curiosity and independent learning in the student’s mind. It also follows a Job training program where developing thinking ability and an inquiring mind are the main objectives.
Eton House
Eton House believes in shaping the future through imparting quality education in children.They believe that every student is capable,curious , and competent. individual. The education approach focuses on creativity, collaboration, community, global , and nature. The school also conducts regular meditation and yoga sessions to highlight the importance of healthy living.
Ayla International School
The school follows its known educational method known as the Ayla method which states that from birth to three years a child has an absorbent mind and from three to six it is shifted towards a conscious mind, all the activities and learning should be conducted based on this factor.
The learning approach is dominated by music,art , and nature.
Moomin International Kindergarten
Moomin International Kindergarten aims to provide world class education at an early age which will encourage self confidence, deep love for learning and also the belief that anyone can achieve anything and change the world for good.
The school focuses on hands-on inquiry based learning with equal importance given to emotional and communicative skills.
Conclusion
For any child, it is very crucial that the foundation of their educational journey is very strong and relevant to the industry standards. Japan International School have very high reputations and are known for their unique style of teaching.
The most important aspect for parents while choosing a kindergarten school should be the level of comfort they have with the school and the approach to learning it offers.
