I only have one year before graduating junior high school, but I have to learn social studies and science which I've never learned before. I don't know what to do.
TodayWhat is the current situation today?
- While the enrollment rate of foreign children in public junior high schools in Tokyo is 44.7%, the enrollment rate of foreign children in public high schools is only 19.0%. In the first place, accurate statistics have never been made, and it is difficult to grasp the actual situation. （Quoted fromBenesse Educational Research and Development Institute ”School attendance problems international kids face” Tokyo Multicultural Center【part 1】 )
- In the Urban areas in Tokyo, the number of students joining the upper grades of elementary school and junior high school is increasing, which means that they have to take high school entrance exams in the first or second year of arrival in Japan. In just one or two years, they must master both Japanese and how to study in Japanese, and be able to solve entrance exam questions in Japanese.
- Most children choose three-subject entrance exams because they can't afford to study specialized science and social studies. The number of public high schools in Tokyo that offer three subjects has been gradually decreasing. In 2016, The Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education has announced that all of the public high schools will be switching over to the five subject entrance exams.
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The response of entrance exams to foreign students varies greatly depending on the local governments, and it is depending on the prefectural board of education.
"Measures", special admission "frames", and even examination qualifications are not unified nationwide.
Due to this situation, those vary greatly depending on the local governments,the course of foreign students is also greatly affected.
Also, with those who do not meet the special eligibility requirements for the exam, some children have to take the same exams as Japanese students do according to the same criteria.
For exampleFor example
- In Tokyo, 8 out of 171 schools have slots for interview exams and writing exams.
- The entrance exam for composition can be done in some foreign languages in Osaka, but in Tokyo, only in Japanese or English are available. （Quoted from The support and communication centers for people returning from China "2019 Survey: Special Measures for High School Entrance Examinations for 2020 for Foreign Students and students returning from China of Prefectural High Schools (including some Municipal High Schools)" ）
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To take the high school exam, international kids have to get qualified, but the method of getting qualified is complicated.
Because there are differences of the age of compulsory education between overseas and Japan, some students are not eligible to take the high school exam even after graduating from junior high school in Japan and need to attend night school (night class).
In that case, it will take them two years just to get qualified for the examination, which may be the disadvantage in university entrance and job hunting.
In many cases, they will be required to submit a transcript in their country of origin, but the description may differ from that in Japan, or it may be almost impossible to have it issued.
(When you tap on the image, the pop-up picture will be displayed)
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Not only the international children themselves but also their parents may not know the Japanese high school's entrance examination system.
Some parents don't know what to do and as a result they think their kids don't have to go to high school.
Some parents and children are exhausted due to inaccurate information and career support provided by people from their hometown or Japanese supporters (or junior high school teachers).
（Quoted from
Iki Tanaka "Three Changes in the 2016 Tokyo Metropolitan High School Entrance Examinations for Foreign Students" NPO Youth Independence Support Center / YSC Global School / Takanori Tanaka(IKI TANAKA), January 7, 2016
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I didn't know anything. Nobody and us. (Snip)
In fact, if I didn't meet the teachers (supporters), I may not go that far. Also, if there wasn't any school or someone to rely on, I won't go. Because I don't have any friends around me. （Quoted from Kanae Taguchi (2019) "Case Study of High School Examination Support for international children -Aiming for Collaboration with Local communities" p.8（Tokai University International Education Center） ) - Even if they enter, there are many children who drop out of school because the learning content is sophisticated and specialized. There are many schools that international children can enroll such as special measures or being able to enroll due to a lack of capacity but a lot of them cannot receive support. While the dropout rate of public high school students nationwide in 2016 was 1.27%, the number of public high school students who needed Japanese language instruction was 9.61%, and it is more than seven times that number, which is equivalent to about 1 in 10 people. (Quoted from Iki Tanaka "High school students who need Japanese language instruction with overseas roots, dropout rate exceeds 7 times the average-Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology takes measures" Yahoo! News, from October 3, 2018)
SolutionWhat kind of solutions do we have?
Career education by looking ahead to the future
As the first solution, of course, it is necessary to provide career education to international children.
As mentioned on another page, it was NPOs that provided learning support and exchange opportunities for international children,
but based on this fact, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is also related to the 2019 budget request.
As a measure, a new business "enhancement of career education for foreign high school students" (200 million yen) was included.
It is said that it will give support to dropout prevention and career security to about 10 organizations such as NPOs in cooperation with local organizations such as companies and volunteers.
Providing correct information to foreign students and parents
Also, as mentioned above, there are many children who cannot even set the starting line for studying for entrance exams.
In the first place, many international children don't understand what it means to go on to high school, or don't know that the entrance exam will decide which school to go to.
Even if they decide to take the high school exam, they may not know what to do.
What is needed is the correct information about high school entrance exams.
In order to resume the study of subjects as soon as possible, it is desirable to start studying Japanese as soon as they come to Japan.
It seems that some local governments actually hold High school entrance information session in multiple languages.
OpinionOur opinion
First of all, I think the government should investigate the high school enrollment rate. Even with this problem, children and parents tend to feel lonely, so at least once a week times several times we should open classrooms for children with international kids in the city or prefecture, and friends with similar circumstances are also able to do it. Information about high school entrance exams is also lacking, so the government should even entrust a summary site and to be created.
The high dropout rate is also serious. The contact point for discussing these issues should be on a regional basis, but it may not be used. I wish we could create an environment where they could feel free to consult.
First of all, I think it is necessary to get to know the high school examination system. If you are a junior high school graduated, it will affect your future, and if you do not know the system, you may destroy your precious life and dreams.
The fact that the high school enrollment rate and examination qualifications differ depending on the prefecture is that the government has not conducted a survey on high school enrollment of children with international kids. I think what we learn in high school will lead to the future, so it's important to teach the system to parents and students properly.
I was born and raised in Japan so I think knowing about an examination system is normal but I realized that some people did not know the necessity of taking an examination in the first place. I realized that we can't just push it for granted.
Back
I don't know who to talk to about entrance exam and I don't know if I can believe what my teacher had told me.