The number of foreign students who go to public elementary, junior high and high schools in Japan and need to be taught Japanese rose to 20,692 as of last September, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier and topping 20,000 for the first time, the education ministry said Wednesday.
The figure reflects the increase in the number of people registered in Japan as foreign residents, officials of the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry said, adding that the ministry will make efforts to improve the situation for such children.
The breakdown of the number is 14,281 students at elementary schools, 5,076 students at junior high schools, 1,242 students at senior high schools, 70 students at schools for the blind, deaf, or disabled and 23 students at secondary education schools.
Among the 5,281 schools attended by the foreign students, 47.1 percent have only one person to teach them Japanese. The number of schools with 30 or more such students grew from 56 to 77 last year.
Aichi Prefecture had 3,620 foreign students who need to take Japanese lessons, the largest number among Japan's 47 prefectures. It was followed by 2,219 students in Kanagawa Prefecture and 2,044 in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Meanwhile, the number of Japanese pupils who need to take lessons in the Japanese language for such reasons as they have lived abroad or have a foreign parent also hit a record high of 3,214.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060426/kyodo/d8h7m67o0.html
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Mizuho, Tokyo Gakugei Univ. to help children in financial education
Mizuho Financial Group Inc. and Tokyo Gakugei University said Wednesday they will jointly study financial education for elementary and junior high school students, and will create textbooks and develop methods for such education.
Mizuho will dispatch financial experts to the university to cooperate in the study, it said.
Speaking at a news conference, Terunobu Maeda, president of Mizuho Financial Group, said, "There are lots of books in bookstores on money making but such a basic rule as 'borrowed money should be paid back' is only taught at home now."
He indicated that the three-year joint study will focus on teaching children about the rules and ethical education.
The study will also emphasize developing practical education methods and creating useful textbooks by reflecting opinions of teachers and schools, according to the university and the financial group.
The two entities intend to make use of the research achievements through the university's extension classes for teachers and others, they said, adding that the cost of study will be shouldered by the financial group.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060426/kyodo/d8h7ktb81.html
Mizuho will dispatch financial experts to the university to cooperate in the study, it said.
Speaking at a news conference, Terunobu Maeda, president of Mizuho Financial Group, said, "There are lots of books in bookstores on money making but such a basic rule as 'borrowed money should be paid back' is only taught at home now."
He indicated that the three-year joint study will focus on teaching children about the rules and ethical education.
The study will also emphasize developing practical education methods and creating useful textbooks by reflecting opinions of teachers and schools, according to the university and the financial group.
The two entities intend to make use of the research achievements through the university's extension classes for teachers and others, they said, adding that the cost of study will be shouldered by the financial group.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060426/kyodo/d8h7ktb81.html
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
New TOEIC nothing to fear
Beginning with the May 28 session, the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) will have its first major makeover since it was first administered in 1979. But the core quality of the test will be maintained, with the scale, the score range and degree of difficulty unchanged, according to its designer, Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The U.S. nonprofit organization has refined the TOEIC's tasks "to make them more authentic," according to ETS assessment specialist Trina Duke, who announced the revision at a press conference held in Japan last year.
The changes will allow the test to introduce new tasks "that more closely reflect what a person using the language in the real world would have to do," she said.
For example, the listening section will feature a variety of accents from English-speaking countries, not only from the United States. Meanwhile, test-takers will have to listen to longer sets of dialogues as well as longer talks, for which they will have to answer three questions each.
Previously, one or two questions each were set for most conversations and short talks. Also, questions asking test-takers to identify errors in sentences have been replaced by cloze passage (fill-in-the-blank) questions.
However, the he highlight of the changes in the reading section is to introduce "double passage" questions. Such questions require test-takers to refer to two passages and combine the information to find the right answers.
Facing such upcoming changes in the TOEIC, test-takers rushed to the examination's March session as it was their last chance to take the format they had become familiar with.
According to the Institute for International Business Communication, the test's Japan administrator, about 143,000 people took it in March, up 19.2 percent from a year earlier. The March 2005 session saw just a 3 percent increase in the number of test-takers from the previous year.
Will the revised TOEIC be easier, more difficult or about the same as the previous version?
When the Kinokuniya bookstore organized a workshop in Tokyo earlier this month, a choice of "becoming a little more difficult" was the most favored view in a poll of those who attended.
However, TOEIC trainers Robert Hilke and Hiro Maeda, who led the workshop, believe that the revised test "will be a little bit easier or about the same" in terms of difficulty.
Test-takers do not have to feel intimidated about the new TOEIC test, Hilke stressed, "if you understand the test and if you understand how to take the test."
In Part 3, for example, test-takers now will have to listen to 10 longer sets of conversations, while they previously listened to 30 shorter sets of dialogues. At the same time, the number of questions per conversation will increase to three to maintain the total number of Part 3 questions at 30. Maeda, who has achieved a perfect score of about 990 points on the TOEIC, calls this a welcome change.
"With 30 sets of conversations, Part 3 featured a wide variety of topics," he said. "So you had to switch gears 30 times, but from now on, you'll just be processing 10 different topics."
Hilke said that as test-makers will have to create three questions for just one dialogue, "Each question will surely become a little easier."
Throughout the workshop, the pair emphasized importance of "time management," which remains key regardless of the changes.
The first two parts of the reading section--Part 5 will present incomplete sentence questions, while Part 6 will set cloze passages--should be set to give more time to the final section. Each question in Part 5 should be answered at maximum 20 seconds, while no more than three minutes should be spent per passage in Part 6, the two trainers stressed.
This approach will leave 55 minutes to tackle the last section, Part 7, with its "double passage" questions. The workshop introduced a sample of these questions, presenting a leaflet on a restaurant and an e-mail inquiry from a customer.
The skill of skimming information is the key for processing double passages, Maeda said. By presenting sets of interrelated texts, the new TOEIC will be able to set questions requiring test-takers to refer to both texts to find out right answers.
One piece of advice the expert provided for these questions was: "You should briefly read at least the first passage to find out what kind of information is written in which part of the text."
"Also, it's also important for you to quickly grasp who appears in the passages and the relationships among the people," he added.
Time management is an important element even in the listening section, the two stressed. Hilke said the key to processing longer conversations and talks is to "read the [next] question before you listen."
To create time for this, the two suggested a technique by which test-takers just lightly indicate their choices on answer sheets during short pauses between questions so that they can go on check the next question. They can more fully black out the marks later, when the test moves on to the reading section.
"[We] cannot overemphasize that how you use your time is the most important skill for you in getting a good TOEIC score," Hilke said in concluding the workshop.
===
Major changes to TOEIC
-- Part 1, in which test-takers listen to descriptions of photographs, will see its number of questions reduced from 20 to 10. Instead, Part 4, the short talks part, will have 10 questions added, for a total of 30.
-- Conversations in Part 3 and talks in Part 4 will be spoken for a longer time. Previously, a single question was set for each dialogue, while two to three questions were offered per talk, but the revision will set three questions per conversation or talk.
-- In these two parts, test-takers will also be able to hear questions spoken, although they are already written on the sheet.
-- In addition to a U.S. accent, the new format will feature Canadian, British and Australian accents.
-- Part 6 used to be dedicated to identifying errors in sentences. The revision will eliminate this error-recognition task. Instead, the new Part 6 will set cloze passages, featuring three passages with four blanks each. As a result, the number of questions will be reduced from 20 to 12.
-- In addition to the traditional "single passage" approach, Part 7, the reading comprehension part, will see the debut of a "double passage" approach featuring pairs of related texts. Some questions will require referring to both texts for correct answers, thus assessing the ability to connect information across passages. The number of questions will be increased from 40 to 48.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060425TDY16001.htm
The U.S. nonprofit organization has refined the TOEIC's tasks "to make them more authentic," according to ETS assessment specialist Trina Duke, who announced the revision at a press conference held in Japan last year.
The changes will allow the test to introduce new tasks "that more closely reflect what a person using the language in the real world would have to do," she said.
For example, the listening section will feature a variety of accents from English-speaking countries, not only from the United States. Meanwhile, test-takers will have to listen to longer sets of dialogues as well as longer talks, for which they will have to answer three questions each.
Previously, one or two questions each were set for most conversations and short talks. Also, questions asking test-takers to identify errors in sentences have been replaced by cloze passage (fill-in-the-blank) questions.
However, the he highlight of the changes in the reading section is to introduce "double passage" questions. Such questions require test-takers to refer to two passages and combine the information to find the right answers.
Facing such upcoming changes in the TOEIC, test-takers rushed to the examination's March session as it was their last chance to take the format they had become familiar with.
According to the Institute for International Business Communication, the test's Japan administrator, about 143,000 people took it in March, up 19.2 percent from a year earlier. The March 2005 session saw just a 3 percent increase in the number of test-takers from the previous year.
Will the revised TOEIC be easier, more difficult or about the same as the previous version?
When the Kinokuniya bookstore organized a workshop in Tokyo earlier this month, a choice of "becoming a little more difficult" was the most favored view in a poll of those who attended.
However, TOEIC trainers Robert Hilke and Hiro Maeda, who led the workshop, believe that the revised test "will be a little bit easier or about the same" in terms of difficulty.
Test-takers do not have to feel intimidated about the new TOEIC test, Hilke stressed, "if you understand the test and if you understand how to take the test."
In Part 3, for example, test-takers now will have to listen to 10 longer sets of conversations, while they previously listened to 30 shorter sets of dialogues. At the same time, the number of questions per conversation will increase to three to maintain the total number of Part 3 questions at 30. Maeda, who has achieved a perfect score of about 990 points on the TOEIC, calls this a welcome change.
"With 30 sets of conversations, Part 3 featured a wide variety of topics," he said. "So you had to switch gears 30 times, but from now on, you'll just be processing 10 different topics."
Hilke said that as test-makers will have to create three questions for just one dialogue, "Each question will surely become a little easier."
Throughout the workshop, the pair emphasized importance of "time management," which remains key regardless of the changes.
The first two parts of the reading section--Part 5 will present incomplete sentence questions, while Part 6 will set cloze passages--should be set to give more time to the final section. Each question in Part 5 should be answered at maximum 20 seconds, while no more than three minutes should be spent per passage in Part 6, the two trainers stressed.
This approach will leave 55 minutes to tackle the last section, Part 7, with its "double passage" questions. The workshop introduced a sample of these questions, presenting a leaflet on a restaurant and an e-mail inquiry from a customer.
The skill of skimming information is the key for processing double passages, Maeda said. By presenting sets of interrelated texts, the new TOEIC will be able to set questions requiring test-takers to refer to both texts to find out right answers.
One piece of advice the expert provided for these questions was: "You should briefly read at least the first passage to find out what kind of information is written in which part of the text."
"Also, it's also important for you to quickly grasp who appears in the passages and the relationships among the people," he added.
Time management is an important element even in the listening section, the two stressed. Hilke said the key to processing longer conversations and talks is to "read the [next] question before you listen."
To create time for this, the two suggested a technique by which test-takers just lightly indicate their choices on answer sheets during short pauses between questions so that they can go on check the next question. They can more fully black out the marks later, when the test moves on to the reading section.
"[We] cannot overemphasize that how you use your time is the most important skill for you in getting a good TOEIC score," Hilke said in concluding the workshop.
===
Major changes to TOEIC
-- Part 1, in which test-takers listen to descriptions of photographs, will see its number of questions reduced from 20 to 10. Instead, Part 4, the short talks part, will have 10 questions added, for a total of 30.
-- Conversations in Part 3 and talks in Part 4 will be spoken for a longer time. Previously, a single question was set for each dialogue, while two to three questions were offered per talk, but the revision will set three questions per conversation or talk.
-- In these two parts, test-takers will also be able to hear questions spoken, although they are already written on the sheet.
-- In addition to a U.S. accent, the new format will feature Canadian, British and Australian accents.
-- Part 6 used to be dedicated to identifying errors in sentences. The revision will eliminate this error-recognition task. Instead, the new Part 6 will set cloze passages, featuring three passages with four blanks each. As a result, the number of questions will be reduced from 20 to 12.
-- In addition to the traditional "single passage" approach, Part 7, the reading comprehension part, will see the debut of a "double passage" approach featuring pairs of related texts. Some questions will require referring to both texts for correct answers, thus assessing the ability to connect information across passages. The number of questions will be increased from 40 to 48.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060425TDY16001.htm
Universities focus on basics
As more students find it difficult to follow lectures due to a lack of academic fundamentals, universities have moved to help them with new curricula and sweeping campus reforms.
One such university, Chitose Institute of Science and Technology, has tapped into the initiative of its students to make its own bespoke educational software.
"Can you make the graph more detailed?"
"No, I think it's better like this because students can understand it more easily when it's simple. Why don't we add some animation as well?"
This may sound like the kind of exchange one would expect during a meeting at an education materials firm, but it is an example of student-teacher interaction at the university in Chitose, Hokkaido, which was founded in 1998.
The university runs an E-Learning System through which students can learn subjects such as mathematics, science and English using Internet-based supplemental study materials.
Under the system, which it is hoped will enhance students' basic learning ability, students have access to about 8,600 software titles. These applications provide unit learning and scholastic exercises from the middle school level up to those taught during the first year of university.
Sophomore students develop the software--with input from juniors and seniors--mainly using the teaching staff's lecture notes.
Hiroshi Komatsugawa, an associate professor of the university who heads software development, said: "New students can improve their basic learning ability, while sophomore students gain experience of software development. This system kills two birds with one stone."
More than 98 percent of the university's students who wished to work after graduation landed jobs this spring, many getting jobs at manufacturers and information technology firms in major cities.
In the wake of the system's success, educators from all over the nation have visited the university.
This spring, high school students who had been educated according to the Education, Science and Technology Ministry's new official teaching guidelines entered university.
Compared with the previous guidelines, some subjects have had their content cut by about 30 percent. As a result, observers are concerned that students may lack the ability to follow first-year university lectures, a situation known as the "2006 problem."
According to Prof. Akira Onodera of Hokkaido University's Graduate School of Science, half of the students who enter science and technology faculties have not mastered high school-level physics.
"The number of those who can't keep up with university lectures is increasing," he said.
Prof. Hiroshi Ono of the National Institute of Multimedia Education said, "The disparity in the academic ability of students has become a serious problem in those universities that have pared down the subjects students need to study for entrance examinations and increased the admission of students based on recommendations."
To support students who are not academically able, many universities offer remedial classes in which students learn subjects they have never studied or those in which they performed poorly while at high school.
According to Kanto Gakuin University's College of Engineering in Yokohama, 34 students, or 4 percent of all the freshmen who entered the college in spring 2003, later dropped out.
Many of them quit because they could not keep up with the lectures.
Alarmed at this, the following year teaching staff introduced a curriculum that included the teaching of primary mathematics and physics topics.
The college opened a counseling room where teaching staff tutor students on a one-on-one basis. The staff also began taking turns writing in notebooks as a way of exchanging messages with their students.
As a result, the number of students who drop out has halved.
Prof. Toru Kanada said, "It's important for students to gain self-confidence when they're in the first year."
Matsumoto Dental University in Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, introduced sweeping changes in April.
It built a students' dormitory on campus hoping that students would get into the habit of studying. Currently, the dormitory is home to 113 newly enrolled students.
The new students have dentistry classes in the morning, but in the afternoon, they take classes in Japanese expression, physics, biology and mathematics to ensure the basics are drummed into their heads.
The university has been suffering as its students increasingly fail to pass the national dentistry examination.
The college's hope of improving its pass rate is one reason behind the reforms, but Hidehiro Ozawa, the university president, said he did not want to adopt measures that would result in raising the pass rate solely because knowledge had been crammed into students' brains.
"We reviewed our curriculum with the idea of cultivating dentists who had both extensive knowledge and great compassion. Looking at our reforms, it's definitely the most effective way," he said.
The university's plan is to offer various kinds of lectures to trainee dentists, and not regard primary subject classes as remedial.
Some long-established universities also have been trying to come up with ways to deal with similar situations.
Tokyo University introduced a new curriculum this month, in which liberal arts students are required to take more credits.
Hokkaido University, meanwhile, examined the new high school teaching guidelines and overhauled its liberal arts program. As part of the changes, the university introduced English classes grouped by ability.
The number of universities taking part in examinations to evaluate the basic academic ability of their students is expected to rise to 115 this academic year. Two years ago it was 42.
Prof. Ono of the National Institute of Multimedia Education that holds the examination said, "The disparity between universities working on improving basic academic abilities and those that don't will become greater in the future."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/culture/20060424TDY03003.htm
One such university, Chitose Institute of Science and Technology, has tapped into the initiative of its students to make its own bespoke educational software.
"Can you make the graph more detailed?"
"No, I think it's better like this because students can understand it more easily when it's simple. Why don't we add some animation as well?"
This may sound like the kind of exchange one would expect during a meeting at an education materials firm, but it is an example of student-teacher interaction at the university in Chitose, Hokkaido, which was founded in 1998.
The university runs an E-Learning System through which students can learn subjects such as mathematics, science and English using Internet-based supplemental study materials.
Under the system, which it is hoped will enhance students' basic learning ability, students have access to about 8,600 software titles. These applications provide unit learning and scholastic exercises from the middle school level up to those taught during the first year of university.
Sophomore students develop the software--with input from juniors and seniors--mainly using the teaching staff's lecture notes.
Hiroshi Komatsugawa, an associate professor of the university who heads software development, said: "New students can improve their basic learning ability, while sophomore students gain experience of software development. This system kills two birds with one stone."
More than 98 percent of the university's students who wished to work after graduation landed jobs this spring, many getting jobs at manufacturers and information technology firms in major cities.
In the wake of the system's success, educators from all over the nation have visited the university.
This spring, high school students who had been educated according to the Education, Science and Technology Ministry's new official teaching guidelines entered university.
Compared with the previous guidelines, some subjects have had their content cut by about 30 percent. As a result, observers are concerned that students may lack the ability to follow first-year university lectures, a situation known as the "2006 problem."
According to Prof. Akira Onodera of Hokkaido University's Graduate School of Science, half of the students who enter science and technology faculties have not mastered high school-level physics.
"The number of those who can't keep up with university lectures is increasing," he said.
Prof. Hiroshi Ono of the National Institute of Multimedia Education said, "The disparity in the academic ability of students has become a serious problem in those universities that have pared down the subjects students need to study for entrance examinations and increased the admission of students based on recommendations."
To support students who are not academically able, many universities offer remedial classes in which students learn subjects they have never studied or those in which they performed poorly while at high school.
According to Kanto Gakuin University's College of Engineering in Yokohama, 34 students, or 4 percent of all the freshmen who entered the college in spring 2003, later dropped out.
Many of them quit because they could not keep up with the lectures.
Alarmed at this, the following year teaching staff introduced a curriculum that included the teaching of primary mathematics and physics topics.
The college opened a counseling room where teaching staff tutor students on a one-on-one basis. The staff also began taking turns writing in notebooks as a way of exchanging messages with their students.
As a result, the number of students who drop out has halved.
Prof. Toru Kanada said, "It's important for students to gain self-confidence when they're in the first year."
Matsumoto Dental University in Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, introduced sweeping changes in April.
It built a students' dormitory on campus hoping that students would get into the habit of studying. Currently, the dormitory is home to 113 newly enrolled students.
The new students have dentistry classes in the morning, but in the afternoon, they take classes in Japanese expression, physics, biology and mathematics to ensure the basics are drummed into their heads.
The university has been suffering as its students increasingly fail to pass the national dentistry examination.
The college's hope of improving its pass rate is one reason behind the reforms, but Hidehiro Ozawa, the university president, said he did not want to adopt measures that would result in raising the pass rate solely because knowledge had been crammed into students' brains.
"We reviewed our curriculum with the idea of cultivating dentists who had both extensive knowledge and great compassion. Looking at our reforms, it's definitely the most effective way," he said.
The university's plan is to offer various kinds of lectures to trainee dentists, and not regard primary subject classes as remedial.
Some long-established universities also have been trying to come up with ways to deal with similar situations.
Tokyo University introduced a new curriculum this month, in which liberal arts students are required to take more credits.
Hokkaido University, meanwhile, examined the new high school teaching guidelines and overhauled its liberal arts program. As part of the changes, the university introduced English classes grouped by ability.
The number of universities taking part in examinations to evaluate the basic academic ability of their students is expected to rise to 115 this academic year. Two years ago it was 42.
Prof. Ono of the National Institute of Multimedia Education that holds the examination said, "The disparity between universities working on improving basic academic abilities and those that don't will become greater in the future."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/culture/20060424TDY03003.htm
Japanese students enjoy freedom, burgers
MURRIETA ---- When a group of exchange students returned home to Japan from Murrieta last month, they likely told their friends all about their visits to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and In-N-Out Burger.Those were among the favorite things mentioned by some of the 38 students and two teachers from Sasebo Minami High School in Nagasaki who visited the area from March 4 to 19.
They were at Vista Murrieta High from March 13 to 17, and five students and two teachers from Vista Murrieta are visiting Sasebo Minami now.
Teachers Okunuki Fukuko and Ishibashi Shuichiro accompanied the freshman students to Murrieta. They pupils were part of a Global Course on their campus and paid for the trip by themselves.The teachers took advantage of the trip to learn about the difference in how students are educated in the two countries.The educators and students all noticed how much freedom American students have compared to those in Japan.
"The students in America are much more open to say their opinions," Shuichiro said. "In Japan, the teachers require quiet all the time.""This class is very free" said Oshima Airi, 16. "There is much freedom in class. Our school is very strict."Kuwahara Hiro, who spent some time in Oregon when his father worked there, echoed the comments of the others."Here students have freedom, but (that comes with) responsibility," he said. "It looks free, but there are still rules."The Japanese students wear uniforms to school, and the girls are not allowed to wear makeup.
The students also have to clean their classroom at the end of the day.Vista Murrieta is a larger school than Sasebo Minami, which has about 800 students. Shuichiro also marvelled at the sizes of the homes in Murrieta and the fact some have swimming pools.
"It was fun just watching the students compared to Japan," Fukuko said. "Maybe I can bring some good parts (from Murrieta) to Japan."Mike Pattison, the activities director at Vista Murrieta who has made four trips to Japan, said students are pretty much the same everywhere.
"While they're from different schools, many times they're very alike," Pattison said.And they like the same things. The Japanese students said they would miss Mexican food, pizza and hamburgers.Michizoe Yuka, who said she enjoys studying languages, even picked up some American colloquialisms."Kind of" and "okey-dokey" were two of her favorites.
The students lived with host families in Murrieta and in a true exchange, the Vista Murrieta pupils are living in homes in Japan."I had a very good time. I want to stay here for good," Hiro said.Garrett Estrada is one of the Vista Murrieta students visiting Japan, and he was looking forward to the trip."Japan has always been a country I wanted to go to," said Estrada, who has been traveling the world since he was 10 and has visited Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. "When I heard the Japanese kids were coming, I wanted to go to their school to visit there."He said he was especially anxious to learn about Japanese pop culture.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/04/17/news/californian/41606193022.txt
They were at Vista Murrieta High from March 13 to 17, and five students and two teachers from Vista Murrieta are visiting Sasebo Minami now.
Teachers Okunuki Fukuko and Ishibashi Shuichiro accompanied the freshman students to Murrieta. They pupils were part of a Global Course on their campus and paid for the trip by themselves.The teachers took advantage of the trip to learn about the difference in how students are educated in the two countries.The educators and students all noticed how much freedom American students have compared to those in Japan.
"The students in America are much more open to say their opinions," Shuichiro said. "In Japan, the teachers require quiet all the time.""This class is very free" said Oshima Airi, 16. "There is much freedom in class. Our school is very strict."Kuwahara Hiro, who spent some time in Oregon when his father worked there, echoed the comments of the others."Here students have freedom, but (that comes with) responsibility," he said. "It looks free, but there are still rules."The Japanese students wear uniforms to school, and the girls are not allowed to wear makeup.
The students also have to clean their classroom at the end of the day.Vista Murrieta is a larger school than Sasebo Minami, which has about 800 students. Shuichiro also marvelled at the sizes of the homes in Murrieta and the fact some have swimming pools.
"It was fun just watching the students compared to Japan," Fukuko said. "Maybe I can bring some good parts (from Murrieta) to Japan."Mike Pattison, the activities director at Vista Murrieta who has made four trips to Japan, said students are pretty much the same everywhere.
"While they're from different schools, many times they're very alike," Pattison said.And they like the same things. The Japanese students said they would miss Mexican food, pizza and hamburgers.Michizoe Yuka, who said she enjoys studying languages, even picked up some American colloquialisms."Kind of" and "okey-dokey" were two of her favorites.
The students lived with host families in Murrieta and in a true exchange, the Vista Murrieta pupils are living in homes in Japan."I had a very good time. I want to stay here for good," Hiro said.Garrett Estrada is one of the Vista Murrieta students visiting Japan, and he was looking forward to the trip."Japan has always been a country I wanted to go to," said Estrada, who has been traveling the world since he was 10 and has visited Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. "When I heard the Japanese kids were coming, I wanted to go to their school to visit there."He said he was especially anxious to learn about Japanese pop culture.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/04/17/news/californian/41606193022.txt
Friday, April 14, 2006
China-Japan student exchange programme to help improve ties
China and Japan have agreed to strengthen educational co-operation and cultural exchanges by sending more young people to visit each other's nation.
The Ministry of Education told China Daily yesterday that starting this year, China would send 1,250 senior middle school students to Japan each year.
The same number of Japanese students will also come to China annually, to gain a better understanding of the country.
About 1,100 of the total 1,250 students will stay in Japan for 10 days, and others will undertake yearly or half-yearly study programmes, said Xue Yanqing, director of the Asian and African Affairs division with the ministry's international co-operation and exchanges department.
"We hope young people from both countries can gain a true understanding of modern China and Japan, so that misunderstandings and prejudice brought about from history can be cleared up," he said.
The first group of 200 students to visit Japan will set out in May and are being hosted by the Tokyo-based Japan-China Friendship Centre.
Students will visit three to four cities in 10 days and visit houses of local residents to experience a day in the life of an average Japanese person.
The ministry said all 200 students had been chosen from senior high schools nationwide.
Preferential policies will be given to remote areas in recommending students.
Besides the programme, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing also announced yesterday that Japan would provide free TV programmes, worth 35.4 million yen (US$300,000), to China Education TV.
Most of the programmes will be science and technology documentaries, said the embassy.
This project comes at a time when Sino-Japanese relations are facing difficulties. Beijing has repeatedly pledged it will continue to actively promote Sino-Japanese ties in diversified fields.
President Hu Jintao told seven visiting Japan-China friendship organizations in late March that he hoped mutual understanding and friendship between the two sides would improve, especially among the young.
Visiting Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Kaneda Katsutoshi held talks with Chinese Vice-Minister of Education Wu Qidi yesterday.
He said in the meeting that besides close economic ties between the two countries, "we should also strengthen co-operation in education and culture."
Source:China Daily
http://english.people.com.cn/200604/13/eng20060413_258073.html
The Ministry of Education told China Daily yesterday that starting this year, China would send 1,250 senior middle school students to Japan each year.
The same number of Japanese students will also come to China annually, to gain a better understanding of the country.
About 1,100 of the total 1,250 students will stay in Japan for 10 days, and others will undertake yearly or half-yearly study programmes, said Xue Yanqing, director of the Asian and African Affairs division with the ministry's international co-operation and exchanges department.
"We hope young people from both countries can gain a true understanding of modern China and Japan, so that misunderstandings and prejudice brought about from history can be cleared up," he said.
The first group of 200 students to visit Japan will set out in May and are being hosted by the Tokyo-based Japan-China Friendship Centre.
Students will visit three to four cities in 10 days and visit houses of local residents to experience a day in the life of an average Japanese person.
The ministry said all 200 students had been chosen from senior high schools nationwide.
Preferential policies will be given to remote areas in recommending students.
Besides the programme, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing also announced yesterday that Japan would provide free TV programmes, worth 35.4 million yen (US$300,000), to China Education TV.
Most of the programmes will be science and technology documentaries, said the embassy.
This project comes at a time when Sino-Japanese relations are facing difficulties. Beijing has repeatedly pledged it will continue to actively promote Sino-Japanese ties in diversified fields.
President Hu Jintao told seven visiting Japan-China friendship organizations in late March that he hoped mutual understanding and friendship between the two sides would improve, especially among the young.
Visiting Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Kaneda Katsutoshi held talks with Chinese Vice-Minister of Education Wu Qidi yesterday.
He said in the meeting that besides close economic ties between the two countries, "we should also strengthen co-operation in education and culture."
Source:China Daily
http://english.people.com.cn/200604/13/eng20060413_258073.html
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Race for new 2007 students heats up
Competition is heating up among universities trying to secure students for the 2007 school year, when the number of those who want to enter universities equals the number of spaces available, approaches.
Tadaaki Inano, a 19-year-old who hopes to enter Hiroshima University's faculty of medicine was received by then dean of the faculty, Koki Inai, at the university's admissions seminar held in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on March 18.
"I want to visit the campus in April," Inano said. In response, Inai said, "I'll have one of our students take you around, so when you know the date, e-mail me."
About 30 high school students and graduates from the Kanto region who are preparing for next year's university entrance examinations attended the seminar.
Although the university hosted the seminar, it included a short lecture given by an instructor from major correspondence study company Z-kai. Inano said: "It was useful that they told us what were the key things to study. I feel up to studying now."
The earliest of the seminars, held in 11 cities, was on March 2, before the results of the entrance examinations for 2006 enrollment had been announced, and was unusually early for a national university.
"Our university isn't located in a densely-populated area, such as the Kanto or the Kansai regions. The university has to be noticed by students and taken into consideration early as a possible choice," said Takeshi Nagasawa, deputy director of the university's admission center.
National universities outside major centers are not the only ones to hold admission seminars nationwide. Tokyo University held admission seminars in six locations last year. The seminars, jointly held with other prestigious national universities, were the first ones the university had held in its history.
An admissions department spokesman for Tokyo University said: "We held seminars for the first time because we wanted to get students who have clear purposes in studying here. As a result, more students from public high schools in rural areas passed the exams for 2006 entry."
===
Autumn admissions on increase
In an effort to attract exceptional students, other universities are changing the style or the schedule of their entrance exams.
Toho University's biology department started admission in autumn 2001 for those who had graduated from high schools but failed in the latest exams. As exams for autumn admission are held earlier than the next regular exams in winter and spring, the department has the privilege to secure students with a strong desire to study there.
In this case, students who enter the university in autumn can graduate after 3-1/2 years, with those who had entered in spring of the same year, if they do well enough. This will eliminate the disadvantage for them in looking for a job after graduation.
Toshitaka Suzuki was one of the students who got into the university through the system. The 22-year-old student graduated in March, and advanced to the graduate school in April.
"I chose to take the exams for autumn admission, as I wanted to start studying biology at the university as soon as possible. After I got in, I studied hard to catch up with the ones that had started half a year ahead of me," said Suzuki. His experience shows how the system can encourage students to study.
Such a system has been adopted for teenagers who had spent time abroad, but it is rare for general examinees. When Waseda University's School of Commerce introduced autumn admission in 2005, drawing upon the university admission systems in foreign countries, 1,379 high school graduates applied for 50 places.
Meijo University was the first private university in 2001 to accept high school students who excelled at math after completing their second year at high school. In 2008, Osaka University will also accept high school students who are chosen to attend the International Physics Olympiad to its physics department without qualifications.
===
Competition never been higher
Koichi Nakai, who runs a private cram school and is an expert on university reforms, said: "With the decrease in the number of children, there is competition for good students among universities, with each promoting a campaign on admission or reforming its admissions system."
He added, "There's no doubt that all universities will have to try harder to attract exceptional students."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060413TDY04004.htm
Tadaaki Inano, a 19-year-old who hopes to enter Hiroshima University's faculty of medicine was received by then dean of the faculty, Koki Inai, at the university's admissions seminar held in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on March 18.
"I want to visit the campus in April," Inano said. In response, Inai said, "I'll have one of our students take you around, so when you know the date, e-mail me."
About 30 high school students and graduates from the Kanto region who are preparing for next year's university entrance examinations attended the seminar.
Although the university hosted the seminar, it included a short lecture given by an instructor from major correspondence study company Z-kai. Inano said: "It was useful that they told us what were the key things to study. I feel up to studying now."
The earliest of the seminars, held in 11 cities, was on March 2, before the results of the entrance examinations for 2006 enrollment had been announced, and was unusually early for a national university.
"Our university isn't located in a densely-populated area, such as the Kanto or the Kansai regions. The university has to be noticed by students and taken into consideration early as a possible choice," said Takeshi Nagasawa, deputy director of the university's admission center.
National universities outside major centers are not the only ones to hold admission seminars nationwide. Tokyo University held admission seminars in six locations last year. The seminars, jointly held with other prestigious national universities, were the first ones the university had held in its history.
An admissions department spokesman for Tokyo University said: "We held seminars for the first time because we wanted to get students who have clear purposes in studying here. As a result, more students from public high schools in rural areas passed the exams for 2006 entry."
===
Autumn admissions on increase
In an effort to attract exceptional students, other universities are changing the style or the schedule of their entrance exams.
Toho University's biology department started admission in autumn 2001 for those who had graduated from high schools but failed in the latest exams. As exams for autumn admission are held earlier than the next regular exams in winter and spring, the department has the privilege to secure students with a strong desire to study there.
In this case, students who enter the university in autumn can graduate after 3-1/2 years, with those who had entered in spring of the same year, if they do well enough. This will eliminate the disadvantage for them in looking for a job after graduation.
Toshitaka Suzuki was one of the students who got into the university through the system. The 22-year-old student graduated in March, and advanced to the graduate school in April.
"I chose to take the exams for autumn admission, as I wanted to start studying biology at the university as soon as possible. After I got in, I studied hard to catch up with the ones that had started half a year ahead of me," said Suzuki. His experience shows how the system can encourage students to study.
Such a system has been adopted for teenagers who had spent time abroad, but it is rare for general examinees. When Waseda University's School of Commerce introduced autumn admission in 2005, drawing upon the university admission systems in foreign countries, 1,379 high school graduates applied for 50 places.
Meijo University was the first private university in 2001 to accept high school students who excelled at math after completing their second year at high school. In 2008, Osaka University will also accept high school students who are chosen to attend the International Physics Olympiad to its physics department without qualifications.
===
Competition never been higher
Koichi Nakai, who runs a private cram school and is an expert on university reforms, said: "With the decrease in the number of children, there is competition for good students among universities, with each promoting a campaign on admission or reforming its admissions system."
He added, "There's no doubt that all universities will have to try harder to attract exceptional students."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060413TDY04004.htm
Kyoto, Waseda universities toast new cooperation agreement
Kyoto University and Waseda University have agreed to cooperate in research, education and international exchanges, according to university officials.
It is the first time Kyoto University has entered into an arrangement with a private university.
Monday's agreement was prompted by the universities' codevelopment of a type of beer made by following a method used in ancient Egypt.
After completing the signing ceremony, Kyoto University President Kazuo Oike and Waseda University President Katsuhiko Shirai unveiled the beer, called White Nile. Oike said, "We'd like to introduce a credit-transfer system [between the universities] in the future, and to share knowledge."
"We'd want to use this opportunity to learn from Kyoto University," Shirai said, adding that his university was hoping to enter into further exchanges with universities in the Kansai region.
The two universities will jointly run seminars, and will collaborate on environmental and disaster-prevention research.
The proposal to make ancient Egyptian beer was put forward by Oike. Kyoto University then offered the type of wheat required for making the mild-tasting Egyptian brew.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060413TDY03004.htm
It is the first time Kyoto University has entered into an arrangement with a private university.
Monday's agreement was prompted by the universities' codevelopment of a type of beer made by following a method used in ancient Egypt.
After completing the signing ceremony, Kyoto University President Kazuo Oike and Waseda University President Katsuhiko Shirai unveiled the beer, called White Nile. Oike said, "We'd like to introduce a credit-transfer system [between the universities] in the future, and to share knowledge."
"We'd want to use this opportunity to learn from Kyoto University," Shirai said, adding that his university was hoping to enter into further exchanges with universities in the Kansai region.
The two universities will jointly run seminars, and will collaborate on environmental and disaster-prevention research.
The proposal to make ancient Egyptian beer was put forward by Oike. Kyoto University then offered the type of wheat required for making the mild-tasting Egyptian brew.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060413TDY03004.htm
Foreign students' goal of career proves elusive
In line with the government's campaign launched in 1983 to boost the number of foreign students in Japan to the 100,000 mark, the figure came to some 117,000 in 2004.
Foreign students attend a seminar held by Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward in February.
However, the number who switched from a student visa to a work visa that same year amounted to only 5,264, indicating only a negligible percentage of foreign human resources opt, or are allowed, to stay and work in the country.
The situation is largely due to the fact that despite government efforts to welcome students, the immigration and refugee law in principle denies visas to non-Japanese who lack special skills.
Isao Nakagawa, a professor of politics and economics at Takushoku University who specializes in movements of international labor, said Japan should aggressively accept foreigners who are highly capable in special subjects if it is to maintain domestic technologies.
He said Japanese firms will probably accelerate moves to shift production bases offshore as the nation's manpower shortage becomes more serious as a result of the falling birthrate. This trend, he added, will have a serious effect on employment of Japanese.
Work visas are currently issued to applicants in 17 fields. Foreigners wishing to work in technical fields must be graduates of special colleges or have experience working in specialized areas for more than 10 years.
Dancers and other entertainers can acquire "entertainer" visas if they have engaged in the career for more than two years in their home countries. More than 80 percent of about 158,000 foreigners coming to Japan on work visas in fiscal 2004 were in the entertainment category.
Kentaro Iemoto, who at 24 is president of Tokyo-based information technology venture Clara Online Inc., recalled his frustration in 2004 when the Immigration Bureau refused to issue a visa to a South Korean engineer he wanted to hire.
Officials said the applicant did not fit into the IT business because he was not a science graduate. He majored in literature at a university in his country but became a specialist in communications while serving in the military.
Iemoto said the man could have immediately proved useful to his firm, which has 38 employees, including 15 foreigners.
The director of Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo, 41-year-old Kazuyo Nozawa, said foreign students virtually have to seek part-time work in order to live in Japan, where prices are higher than in their home countries.
"They're pretty much forced into going to school, working (part-time) and returning to their quarters," Nozawa said. "Some of them grow tired (of that life) and go home."
She also said many Japanese employers prevent foreigners from signing up for the social insurance system because they do not want to shoulder part of the cost of the insurance. They have not shed their tendency to pay low wages to foreigners, she added.
Tempstaff held a seminar for foreign students in Tokyo in February to teach them about Japanese "work customs."
"If you arrive at work at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.," one speaker told them, "Your Japanese colleagues will think you have no will to work."
Iemoto said a business can grow fast if employees from various countries put their efforts together.
He said he does not pay particular attention to nationality when he hires employees, since his company has business transactions with many countries. He called the government's rigid traditional view about foreign workers and specialized skill sets anachronistic.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060407f1.html
Foreign students attend a seminar held by Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward in February.
However, the number who switched from a student visa to a work visa that same year amounted to only 5,264, indicating only a negligible percentage of foreign human resources opt, or are allowed, to stay and work in the country.
The situation is largely due to the fact that despite government efforts to welcome students, the immigration and refugee law in principle denies visas to non-Japanese who lack special skills.
Isao Nakagawa, a professor of politics and economics at Takushoku University who specializes in movements of international labor, said Japan should aggressively accept foreigners who are highly capable in special subjects if it is to maintain domestic technologies.
He said Japanese firms will probably accelerate moves to shift production bases offshore as the nation's manpower shortage becomes more serious as a result of the falling birthrate. This trend, he added, will have a serious effect on employment of Japanese.
Work visas are currently issued to applicants in 17 fields. Foreigners wishing to work in technical fields must be graduates of special colleges or have experience working in specialized areas for more than 10 years.
Dancers and other entertainers can acquire "entertainer" visas if they have engaged in the career for more than two years in their home countries. More than 80 percent of about 158,000 foreigners coming to Japan on work visas in fiscal 2004 were in the entertainment category.
Kentaro Iemoto, who at 24 is president of Tokyo-based information technology venture Clara Online Inc., recalled his frustration in 2004 when the Immigration Bureau refused to issue a visa to a South Korean engineer he wanted to hire.
Officials said the applicant did not fit into the IT business because he was not a science graduate. He majored in literature at a university in his country but became a specialist in communications while serving in the military.
Iemoto said the man could have immediately proved useful to his firm, which has 38 employees, including 15 foreigners.
The director of Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo, 41-year-old Kazuyo Nozawa, said foreign students virtually have to seek part-time work in order to live in Japan, where prices are higher than in their home countries.
"They're pretty much forced into going to school, working (part-time) and returning to their quarters," Nozawa said. "Some of them grow tired (of that life) and go home."
She also said many Japanese employers prevent foreigners from signing up for the social insurance system because they do not want to shoulder part of the cost of the insurance. They have not shed their tendency to pay low wages to foreigners, she added.
Tempstaff held a seminar for foreign students in Tokyo in February to teach them about Japanese "work customs."
"If you arrive at work at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.," one speaker told them, "Your Japanese colleagues will think you have no will to work."
Iemoto said a business can grow fast if employees from various countries put their efforts together.
He said he does not pay particular attention to nationality when he hires employees, since his company has business transactions with many countries. He called the government's rigid traditional view about foreign workers and specialized skill sets anachronistic.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060407f1.html
NHK to offer educational videos to schools via Internet
The Yomiuri Shimbun
NHK will distribute on the Internet high-definition educational video clips and programs free of charge to primary and middle schools for three years from September for use in classes, sources said.
The video clips and programs will be made available for educational purposes by reediting NHK programs.
The Foundation for MultiMedia Communications, a body that promotes use of the Internet, will buy the content from NHK and distribute it to schools. NTT Corp., NEC Corp. and Microsoft Corp. also will pay part of the costs for buying the programs and clips.
About 3,000 video clips running several minutes each on science, social studies, language and integrated study topics, and 400 educational programs of about 15 minutes are expected to be available for distribution.
NHK already makes some educational content available on the Internet, but the image quality is less than satisfactory and they are not widely used in classrooms.
Under the new plan, images will be of digital quality and can be enlarged to fill an entire personal computer screen, provided schools have an optical-fiber connection and a local area network.
DVD-quality images also can be viewed on large flat-screen televisions connected to a PC.
The video content includes images of growing plants, shots of nature, and the plan reportedly presents almost no copyright problems.
The center expects 5,000 primary and middle schools to use the content by the end of fiscal 2006, and 17,000 schools--about half of the nation's schools--by September 2009. NHK says the project will be available only to primary and middle schools.
Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Heizo Takenaka's private advisory panel on communications and broadcasting is discussing how to effectively use NHK's abundant content. The plan is expected to attract attention as a step toward the integration of communications and broadcasting.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060406TDY08005.htm
NHK will distribute on the Internet high-definition educational video clips and programs free of charge to primary and middle schools for three years from September for use in classes, sources said.
The video clips and programs will be made available for educational purposes by reediting NHK programs.
The Foundation for MultiMedia Communications, a body that promotes use of the Internet, will buy the content from NHK and distribute it to schools. NTT Corp., NEC Corp. and Microsoft Corp. also will pay part of the costs for buying the programs and clips.
About 3,000 video clips running several minutes each on science, social studies, language and integrated study topics, and 400 educational programs of about 15 minutes are expected to be available for distribution.
NHK already makes some educational content available on the Internet, but the image quality is less than satisfactory and they are not widely used in classrooms.
Under the new plan, images will be of digital quality and can be enlarged to fill an entire personal computer screen, provided schools have an optical-fiber connection and a local area network.
DVD-quality images also can be viewed on large flat-screen televisions connected to a PC.
The video content includes images of growing plants, shots of nature, and the plan reportedly presents almost no copyright problems.
The center expects 5,000 primary and middle schools to use the content by the end of fiscal 2006, and 17,000 schools--about half of the nation's schools--by September 2009. NHK says the project will be available only to primary and middle schools.
Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Heizo Takenaka's private advisory panel on communications and broadcasting is discussing how to effectively use NHK's abundant content. The plan is expected to attract attention as a step toward the integration of communications and broadcasting.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060406TDY08005.htm
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Japan lets foreign students drain away due to immigration law
The number of foreign students in Japan totaled 117,000 in 2004 but the figure for those who obtained work visas amounted to only 5,264, showing that the percentage of foreign human resources staying in the country remains negligible.
The rise to 117,000 resulted largely from a plan the government drafted in 1983 to increase the number of foreign students to 100,000. However, Japan's immigration and refugee law in principle denies visas to non-Japanese workers without special skills.
Isao Nakagawa, a professor of politics and economics at Takushoku University who specializes in movements of international manpower, said Japan should aggressively accept foreigners who are highly capable in special subjects, to maintain domestic technologies.
He said Japanese companies will accelerate moves to shift production bases to other nations as a shortage of manpower becomes more serious due to the trend toward fewer children, adding that the trend will have a serious effect on employment for Japanese people.
Work visas are issued to applicants in 17 fields. Foreigners wishing to work in technical fields must be graduates of special colleges or have experience working in specialized areas for more than 10 years.
Dancers and other entertainers can acquire work visas if they have been working for more than two years in their home countries. More than 80 percent of about 158,000 foreigners coming to Japan on work visas in fiscal 2004 were those in the entertainment sector.
Kentaro Iemoto, who at 24 is president of Tokyo-based information technology venture company Clara Online Inc., said he remembers the frustration he felt in 2004 when the Immigration Bureau refused to issue a visa to a South Korean engineer he wanted to hire.
Officials said the applicant did not fit into the IT business because he was not a graduate in the field of science.
The Korean graduated in literature from a university in his country but became a specialist in communications while serving in the military.
Iemoto said the Korean could have immediately proved useful to his company, which has 38 employees including 15 foreigners.
The director of Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo, 41-year-old Kazuyo Nozawa, said foreign students virtually have to seek part-time work in order to live in Japan, where prices are higher than in their home countries.
"They're pretty much forced into going to school, working (part-time) and returning to their quarters," Nozawa said. "Some of them grow tired (of that kind of life in Japan) and go home."
She also said many Japanese employers prevent foreigners from signing up for the social insurance system because they do not want to shoulder part of the cost of the insurance. They have not extricated themselves from the idea of paying low wages to foreigners, she added.
Tempstaff held a seminar for foreign students in Tokyo in February to teach them about Japanese "customs."
"If you arrive at work at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.," a speaker told them, "Japanese think you have no will to work."
While taking notes, a Chinese graduate school student aspiring to become an engineer said, "I'd like to live in Japan for the rest of my life if I get a job either at Toyota Motor Corp. or Honda Motor Co."
Iemoto said that a business can grow fast if employees from various countries put their efforts together.
He said he does not pay any particular attention to nationalities when he hires employees since his company has business transactions with many foreign countries, expressing belief that the government's strict traditional view about foreign workers and specialized skill sets is not in sync with the times.
Nozawa said she thinks the government is wasting human resources that could be assets for Japan, including foreigners equipped with knowledge that they acquired in their home countries.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060404/kyodo/d8gpg3qo0.html
The rise to 117,000 resulted largely from a plan the government drafted in 1983 to increase the number of foreign students to 100,000. However, Japan's immigration and refugee law in principle denies visas to non-Japanese workers without special skills.
Isao Nakagawa, a professor of politics and economics at Takushoku University who specializes in movements of international manpower, said Japan should aggressively accept foreigners who are highly capable in special subjects, to maintain domestic technologies.
He said Japanese companies will accelerate moves to shift production bases to other nations as a shortage of manpower becomes more serious due to the trend toward fewer children, adding that the trend will have a serious effect on employment for Japanese people.
Work visas are issued to applicants in 17 fields. Foreigners wishing to work in technical fields must be graduates of special colleges or have experience working in specialized areas for more than 10 years.
Dancers and other entertainers can acquire work visas if they have been working for more than two years in their home countries. More than 80 percent of about 158,000 foreigners coming to Japan on work visas in fiscal 2004 were those in the entertainment sector.
Kentaro Iemoto, who at 24 is president of Tokyo-based information technology venture company Clara Online Inc., said he remembers the frustration he felt in 2004 when the Immigration Bureau refused to issue a visa to a South Korean engineer he wanted to hire.
Officials said the applicant did not fit into the IT business because he was not a graduate in the field of science.
The Korean graduated in literature from a university in his country but became a specialist in communications while serving in the military.
Iemoto said the Korean could have immediately proved useful to his company, which has 38 employees including 15 foreigners.
The director of Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo, 41-year-old Kazuyo Nozawa, said foreign students virtually have to seek part-time work in order to live in Japan, where prices are higher than in their home countries.
"They're pretty much forced into going to school, working (part-time) and returning to their quarters," Nozawa said. "Some of them grow tired (of that kind of life in Japan) and go home."
She also said many Japanese employers prevent foreigners from signing up for the social insurance system because they do not want to shoulder part of the cost of the insurance. They have not extricated themselves from the idea of paying low wages to foreigners, she added.
Tempstaff held a seminar for foreign students in Tokyo in February to teach them about Japanese "customs."
"If you arrive at work at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.," a speaker told them, "Japanese think you have no will to work."
While taking notes, a Chinese graduate school student aspiring to become an engineer said, "I'd like to live in Japan for the rest of my life if I get a job either at Toyota Motor Corp. or Honda Motor Co."
Iemoto said that a business can grow fast if employees from various countries put their efforts together.
He said he does not pay any particular attention to nationalities when he hires employees since his company has business transactions with many foreign countries, expressing belief that the government's strict traditional view about foreign workers and specialized skill sets is not in sync with the times.
Nozawa said she thinks the government is wasting human resources that could be assets for Japan, including foreigners equipped with knowledge that they acquired in their home countries.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060404/kyodo/d8gpg3qo0.html
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Ministry pushes for all-English approach
When teachers see how students from other schools can speak English so fluently and confidently in front of a large audience, some may think it would be difficult for them to help their own students reach a similar level. That appeared to be the situation at a recent English-language education forum when about 1,000 teachers, education officials and others watched an impressive demonstration class from Osaka Prefectural Nagano High School.
Nonetheless, the 40 third-year students were "intimidated and unable to speak English well" when they enrolled at the high school, according to their teacher, Yasuhiro Higashitani.
The 50-minute demonstration at the "English Forum 2006," which took place on March 17 at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center, was conducted entirely in English, with "family and peace" as the main theme. The forum was organized by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
Higashitani began the class by having students read out a passage from their textbook about the life of Beatles member John Lennon, followed by a discussion activity in which pairs of students played the roles of husband and wife. The students then reported on research they had done about war, before making speeches on what they would do to bring about a peaceful world.
Most of the students spoke with confidence, making presentations in front of their classmates, and inviting comments. Some of them were even able to make their classmates and audience laugh with their humorous presentations.
Nagano High School in Kawachi Nagano, Osaka Prefecture, was chosen to give the demonstration because it is one of the nation's Super English Language High Schools (SELHis).
The Osaka school was designated as one of the pilot institutions by the ministry two years ago.
The 40 students on stage--who graduated from high school last month--had taken one of the school's two courses that focus on foreign-language education.
Following the demonstration, some members of the audience asked how it was possible to help the students speak grammatically correct English with such excellent pronunciation.
Higashitani said he and other teachers often imposed quite a "burden" on students in the form of research projects, skits, discussions and debates so that eventually they would feel less reluctant about speaking in public.
"Of course, this was a really big burden on my students," he said. "But they were able to improve their skills through hard work, eventually managing to follow the tasks we set without giving up."
The students' answers indicated that another key was the fact the classes were held almost entirely in English.
"Since we were in the second year, our teachers have spoken almost always in English in class," one girl said. "They created an environment that forced us to speak in English. In the beginning, I was only able to make one-word responses."
Another student, who said she used to be shy, also appreciated such an environment.
"I realized that if I remained shy while my classmates spoke out, there was nothing left for me to talk about in the end," the student said. "I thought it'd be easier for me to get a head start by saying something, and eventually I found that I wasn't shy anymore."
An audience member said children often feel reluctant to speak out if another student has already shown he or she has a better pronunciation.
A male student recalled that when he was at middle school, those who spoke English with good pronunciation would often be laughed at.
"But in this class, we felt instead ashamed about having poor pronunciation," the boy said. "I believe we could enjoy an atmosphere of working hard by competing against each other."
The ministry has been organizing this kind of annual forum since it compiled the action plan to cultivate "Japanese citizens with a good command of English" in March 2003, which outlines measures the central government should implement for five years until fiscal 2008 to bring about "fundamental reforms" in the nation's English-language education.
The action plan urges teachers to offer English classes mostly in that language. A survey the ministry conducted in February this year, however, showed that the reality was still far from the target, according to Yoshimasa Tezuka, head of the ministry's International Education Division, who spoke prior to the demonstration class.
About 65 percent of surveyed middle schools said the ratio of English was "half or less than half" of the content of each class during the 2005 school year, which ended last month. Fewer than 4 percent of the schools said they offered classes "mostly in English."
At the high school level, on the other hand, survey results tended to depend on whether classes were conducted for English-oriented courses or regular ones.
Tezuka said 46.9 percent of schools with specialized English-oriented courses said they conducted Oral Communication I classes "mostly in English." However, a majority of those schools, 60.5 percent, gave a response of "half or less than half" for English I, a more general course in English.
As for regular courses, the majority of schools used English for just a "half or less than half" ratio in both subjects. The percentages were 42.2 percent for Oral Communication I and 76.7 percent for English I.
"High schools that focus on listening comprehension, as SELHis do, have proved that their students can achieve good results on university entrance exams," Tezuka said. "Therefore, we'd like teachers to work harder on this matter."
===
Support for teachers
When it comes to English education at the primary school level, about 94 percent of public primary schools had introduced some form of such lessons as of the last school year.
Last week, a panel under the Central Council on Education--an advisory council to the education minister--compiled an interim report recommending that English be made compulsory for fifth- and sixth-year primary school students, with classes held about once a week.
Regarding who would teach those primary school students, the report says "for the time being," it is appropriate to take a team-teaching approach between regular classroom teachers and assistant language teachers, or experts in local communities.
Regarding this point, Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, may be a good example on how a local government can support inexperienced primary school teachers in offering English lessons. The city was featured in one of the special-interest meetings at English Forum 2006.
All the city's 24 primary schools offer English lessons as part of their general studies classes. Although native speakers sometimes join in those lessons, the city urges regular teachers to play a central role.
"We think children can learn best under the instruction of regular teachers, who know best their students' interests and how they understand things," said Kazuo Nishikawa, a teacher at the city's Hirabaru Primary School.
For primary school teachers who are usually worried about their English skills and teaching techniques, the city organizes occasional meetings to learn about lesson plans, as well as offer them lessons to improve their speaking skills. Some of the teachers have formed clubs on their own to practice speaking and share information.
"Through these activities, the teachers came up with many practical ideas, so we have compiled a book for schools to refer to for their lessons," Nishikawa said. "As we've received many inquiries about this book, we've sent copies to primary schools, universities and local boards of education nationwide."
Because all the city's public schools are connected by a local area network, the city has also created online materials for primary school teachers and their students, through which they can learn lesson plans and practice useful phrases and words. These materials can be used for classes using computers installed in classrooms.
(Apr. 4, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060404TDY16001.htm
Nonetheless, the 40 third-year students were "intimidated and unable to speak English well" when they enrolled at the high school, according to their teacher, Yasuhiro Higashitani.
The 50-minute demonstration at the "English Forum 2006," which took place on March 17 at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center, was conducted entirely in English, with "family and peace" as the main theme. The forum was organized by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
Higashitani began the class by having students read out a passage from their textbook about the life of Beatles member John Lennon, followed by a discussion activity in which pairs of students played the roles of husband and wife. The students then reported on research they had done about war, before making speeches on what they would do to bring about a peaceful world.
Most of the students spoke with confidence, making presentations in front of their classmates, and inviting comments. Some of them were even able to make their classmates and audience laugh with their humorous presentations.
Nagano High School in Kawachi Nagano, Osaka Prefecture, was chosen to give the demonstration because it is one of the nation's Super English Language High Schools (SELHis).
The Osaka school was designated as one of the pilot institutions by the ministry two years ago.
The 40 students on stage--who graduated from high school last month--had taken one of the school's two courses that focus on foreign-language education.
Following the demonstration, some members of the audience asked how it was possible to help the students speak grammatically correct English with such excellent pronunciation.
Higashitani said he and other teachers often imposed quite a "burden" on students in the form of research projects, skits, discussions and debates so that eventually they would feel less reluctant about speaking in public.
"Of course, this was a really big burden on my students," he said. "But they were able to improve their skills through hard work, eventually managing to follow the tasks we set without giving up."
The students' answers indicated that another key was the fact the classes were held almost entirely in English.
"Since we were in the second year, our teachers have spoken almost always in English in class," one girl said. "They created an environment that forced us to speak in English. In the beginning, I was only able to make one-word responses."
Another student, who said she used to be shy, also appreciated such an environment.
"I realized that if I remained shy while my classmates spoke out, there was nothing left for me to talk about in the end," the student said. "I thought it'd be easier for me to get a head start by saying something, and eventually I found that I wasn't shy anymore."
An audience member said children often feel reluctant to speak out if another student has already shown he or she has a better pronunciation.
A male student recalled that when he was at middle school, those who spoke English with good pronunciation would often be laughed at.
"But in this class, we felt instead ashamed about having poor pronunciation," the boy said. "I believe we could enjoy an atmosphere of working hard by competing against each other."
The ministry has been organizing this kind of annual forum since it compiled the action plan to cultivate "Japanese citizens with a good command of English" in March 2003, which outlines measures the central government should implement for five years until fiscal 2008 to bring about "fundamental reforms" in the nation's English-language education.
The action plan urges teachers to offer English classes mostly in that language. A survey the ministry conducted in February this year, however, showed that the reality was still far from the target, according to Yoshimasa Tezuka, head of the ministry's International Education Division, who spoke prior to the demonstration class.
About 65 percent of surveyed middle schools said the ratio of English was "half or less than half" of the content of each class during the 2005 school year, which ended last month. Fewer than 4 percent of the schools said they offered classes "mostly in English."
At the high school level, on the other hand, survey results tended to depend on whether classes were conducted for English-oriented courses or regular ones.
Tezuka said 46.9 percent of schools with specialized English-oriented courses said they conducted Oral Communication I classes "mostly in English." However, a majority of those schools, 60.5 percent, gave a response of "half or less than half" for English I, a more general course in English.
As for regular courses, the majority of schools used English for just a "half or less than half" ratio in both subjects. The percentages were 42.2 percent for Oral Communication I and 76.7 percent for English I.
"High schools that focus on listening comprehension, as SELHis do, have proved that their students can achieve good results on university entrance exams," Tezuka said. "Therefore, we'd like teachers to work harder on this matter."
===
Support for teachers
When it comes to English education at the primary school level, about 94 percent of public primary schools had introduced some form of such lessons as of the last school year.
Last week, a panel under the Central Council on Education--an advisory council to the education minister--compiled an interim report recommending that English be made compulsory for fifth- and sixth-year primary school students, with classes held about once a week.
Regarding who would teach those primary school students, the report says "for the time being," it is appropriate to take a team-teaching approach between regular classroom teachers and assistant language teachers, or experts in local communities.
Regarding this point, Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, may be a good example on how a local government can support inexperienced primary school teachers in offering English lessons. The city was featured in one of the special-interest meetings at English Forum 2006.
All the city's 24 primary schools offer English lessons as part of their general studies classes. Although native speakers sometimes join in those lessons, the city urges regular teachers to play a central role.
"We think children can learn best under the instruction of regular teachers, who know best their students' interests and how they understand things," said Kazuo Nishikawa, a teacher at the city's Hirabaru Primary School.
For primary school teachers who are usually worried about their English skills and teaching techniques, the city organizes occasional meetings to learn about lesson plans, as well as offer them lessons to improve their speaking skills. Some of the teachers have formed clubs on their own to practice speaking and share information.
"Through these activities, the teachers came up with many practical ideas, so we have compiled a book for schools to refer to for their lessons," Nishikawa said. "As we've received many inquiries about this book, we've sent copies to primary schools, universities and local boards of education nationwide."
Because all the city's public schools are connected by a local area network, the city has also created online materials for primary school teachers and their students, through which they can learn lesson plans and practice useful phrases and words. These materials can be used for classes using computers installed in classrooms.
(Apr. 4, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060404TDY16001.htm
More institutes designated as specialized high schools
Japan's education ministry designated 31 more high schools Monday as institutes specializing in science and mathematics and also designated 34 high schools as focusing on English education, its officials said.
In the fiscal 2006 designation of Super Science High School, one state-run school, 24 public schools and six private schools were added to the current 68, making the total 99.
Twenty-five public schools and nine private schools were also chosen as Super English Language High School, pushing up the total to 100.
Under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology designations, schools will develop new curricula focused on science and math subjects or the English language and research ways to tie up with universities and other institutes for better education.
A designated school in Saitama Prefecture, for example, aims at raising female researchers in the field of science and a Kanagawa Prefecture school makes students teach English to elementary school children.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060403/kyodo/d8goghm84.html
In the fiscal 2006 designation of Super Science High School, one state-run school, 24 public schools and six private schools were added to the current 68, making the total 99.
Twenty-five public schools and nine private schools were also chosen as Super English Language High School, pushing up the total to 100.
Under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology designations, schools will develop new curricula focused on science and math subjects or the English language and research ways to tie up with universities and other institutes for better education.
A designated school in Saitama Prefecture, for example, aims at raising female researchers in the field of science and a Kanagawa Prefecture school makes students teach English to elementary school children.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060403/kyodo/d8goghm84.html
Monday, April 03, 2006
The right to education gives the right to choose
Katsumi Noguchi's commentary on The Asahi Shimbun's opinion page March 4 (Herald Tribune/Asahi on March 16) is critical of the school-choice system.
He argued that the system would do three things: aggravate divisions within local communities and thus dilute the quality of education; lead to school rankings; and shake the very foundation of compulsory education.
I disagree, and hope to refute his argument by addressing the philosophy behind, and significance of, the school-choice system.
The Council for the Promotion of Regulatory Reform, a government panel of which I am a member, submitted its second report in December.
In preparing the report, we repeatedly discussed what measures would be needed to enhance the competence of teachers and improve the quality of schools.
We agreed that education reform should be undertaken from the point of view of students and their guardians, from start to finish. If I may quote Takao Kusakari, a council member in charge of educational problems, reform should be advanced "not as an administrative measure, but as the right of learners."
What elementary, junior and senior high school students and their guardians want more than anything else is for students to be able to study at "good schools" that have "good teachers."
If the system is changed to allow students and their guardians to choose their own schools and evaluate the teachers there, it would encourage both schools and teachers to compete against each other, and grow as a result--better schools, better teachers.
With that in mind, the report asked local boards of education "to establish systems to evaluate teachers and schools that reflect the views of students and guardians" and urged the government to provide guidelines for establishing those kinds of systems.
We are also studying the merits of a school-choice system based on budgetary allocation to schools in proportion to the number of pupils.
These systems are aimed at putting into practice the right to education, one element of the basic social rights guaranteed by Article 26 of the Constitution.
Under the compulsory education system, public elementary and junior high schools are required to provide "good educational service at a low cost" to all Japanese children.
Currently, however, children from high-income families tend to opt for private schools. As a result, the division of schools by income is becoming more distinct.
This is the very "division within local communities" and "school ranking" that Noguchi warned against.
To fix this, the school-choice system can be a decisive factor, helping to improve the quality of public schools and their teaching staff. It would also help schools win the trust of students and guardians.
Some people are concerned about giving students and guardians a certain degree of choice, and the power to evaluate schools.
But not trusting the public to use their rights appropriately is undemocratic.
The government sets teaching guidelines to ensure minimum learning standards. It also needs a set of guidelines to guarantee students' and guardians' right to choose schools.
For example, disadvantaged students with disabilities or from poor families should be given priority in a variety of areas. This can easily be implemented with the combination of the school-choice system and the enrollment-proportional budgetary allocation.
It is also unreasonable to require that all families, regardless of their circumstances, make "contributions" to schools in the name of strengthening "community educational power."
Properly speaking, such matters are the responsibility of schools. Forcing families to play a role is like putting the cart before the horse.
These are parts of the national minimum standards of education. The government's role should be restricted to providing them.
The Council for Regulatory Reform is studying exactly how to base education on the rights of students, as befitting a mature, democratic society. An active citizens' debate on this issue is vital.
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200604010208.html
He argued that the system would do three things: aggravate divisions within local communities and thus dilute the quality of education; lead to school rankings; and shake the very foundation of compulsory education.
I disagree, and hope to refute his argument by addressing the philosophy behind, and significance of, the school-choice system.
The Council for the Promotion of Regulatory Reform, a government panel of which I am a member, submitted its second report in December.
In preparing the report, we repeatedly discussed what measures would be needed to enhance the competence of teachers and improve the quality of schools.
We agreed that education reform should be undertaken from the point of view of students and their guardians, from start to finish. If I may quote Takao Kusakari, a council member in charge of educational problems, reform should be advanced "not as an administrative measure, but as the right of learners."
What elementary, junior and senior high school students and their guardians want more than anything else is for students to be able to study at "good schools" that have "good teachers."
If the system is changed to allow students and their guardians to choose their own schools and evaluate the teachers there, it would encourage both schools and teachers to compete against each other, and grow as a result--better schools, better teachers.
With that in mind, the report asked local boards of education "to establish systems to evaluate teachers and schools that reflect the views of students and guardians" and urged the government to provide guidelines for establishing those kinds of systems.
We are also studying the merits of a school-choice system based on budgetary allocation to schools in proportion to the number of pupils.
These systems are aimed at putting into practice the right to education, one element of the basic social rights guaranteed by Article 26 of the Constitution.
Under the compulsory education system, public elementary and junior high schools are required to provide "good educational service at a low cost" to all Japanese children.
Currently, however, children from high-income families tend to opt for private schools. As a result, the division of schools by income is becoming more distinct.
This is the very "division within local communities" and "school ranking" that Noguchi warned against.
To fix this, the school-choice system can be a decisive factor, helping to improve the quality of public schools and their teaching staff. It would also help schools win the trust of students and guardians.
Some people are concerned about giving students and guardians a certain degree of choice, and the power to evaluate schools.
But not trusting the public to use their rights appropriately is undemocratic.
The government sets teaching guidelines to ensure minimum learning standards. It also needs a set of guidelines to guarantee students' and guardians' right to choose schools.
For example, disadvantaged students with disabilities or from poor families should be given priority in a variety of areas. This can easily be implemented with the combination of the school-choice system and the enrollment-proportional budgetary allocation.
It is also unreasonable to require that all families, regardless of their circumstances, make "contributions" to schools in the name of strengthening "community educational power."
Properly speaking, such matters are the responsibility of schools. Forcing families to play a role is like putting the cart before the horse.
These are parts of the national minimum standards of education. The government's role should be restricted to providing them.
The Council for Regulatory Reform is studying exactly how to base education on the rights of students, as befitting a mature, democratic society. An active citizens' debate on this issue is vital.
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200604010208.html
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