RetireJapan

How have you gone about educating your kids? Of course, if you grew up in Japan feel free to post your own experience.

I sent my sons abroad for a year of high school each, and the payoff has been pretty good when it came to entering uni.

Japanese schools thru to and including uni (public).

(there's a lot more to it than j vs intl tho)

Our plan is:

Hoikuen (Public) -> Elementary (Public) -> Junior High (Private) -> High School (Private)

Currently my eldest is in grade 1 in the local Japanese public school, and it's fine, but I'm leaning towards some sort of international option from Junior High onwards. Junior High is the level when the negative aspects of Japanese education (exam mentality, bukatsu culture, hammering the nail mindset, etc) take root, and I'd like to avoid that as much as possible.

The financial cost is the big mental hurdle I'm struggling with though, as international school is absolutely overpriced. So it becomes a cost-benefit analysis, where the cost is tangible and very large, and the potential benefit is vague and uncertain.

My stepkids went to Japanese public schools and a private university in Japan. One of them spent several summers in the UK, another one spent a full year studying in the UK. Both of them now live abroad (in Canada and Sweden)

The other one didn't study abroad, and she lives next door to us.


Lesson: only send your kids to study abroad if you are happy for them to then emigrate

Interesting stories. We have three sons, who incidentally now all live somewhere on the Kanto Plain.

Number 1: Born in England, playgroups and primary school 5-7; came to Japan 小中高 right through, then went to university in Auckland. He is completely bilingual.

Number 2: Born in England, playgroups and primary school just a couple of months; came to Japan 小中高 right through, then went to university in Utsunomiya. He is a native Japanese speaker, but not native English, despite being monolingual to the age of 5. As well as creating music (game soundtracks and the like) he helps with my puzzle business, and manages OK dealing with customers around the world.

Number 3: Born in Japan, 小中高 right through, then went to university in Utsunomiya, becoming a Japanese school teacher. He is a native Japanese speaker, and struggles a bit with English but has to deal with foreign English teaching helpers now in primary school, not to mention general expectations since he has a katakana family name.

It all seems to have worked out rather well, but we are all children of circumstance (have I got the wording wrong?) and who can say how things might have been different.

Anglo-Polish son and daughter, 9 and 12 years old at a state primary school in Japan. They have gone back for six months for nursery and one year to primary school both in the UK- I can't recommend this strongly enough. Also, they got to know their Grandparents and cousins a lot more. Planning on them going to Poland next year to an international school for a year and for them to brush up on their Polish and get to their know Polish family a bit more. And hopefully for them to get a Polish passport which might be helpful for them in the future.

No idea about universities.....

mighty58 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 6:13 am Currently my eldest is in grade 1 in the local Japanese public school, and it's fine, but I'm leaning towards some sort of international option from Junior High onwards. Junior High is the level when the negative aspects of Japanese education (exam mentality, bukatsu culture, hammering the nail mindset, etc) take root, and I'd like to avoid that as much as possible.

The financial cost is the big mental hurdle I'm struggling with though, as international school is absolutely overpriced. So it becomes a cost-benefit analysis, where the cost is tangible and very large, and the potential benefit is vague and uncertain.

Generally, international schools are not recommended if you plan to remain in Japan. These schools do not prepare students for Japanese universities, and the vast vast majority of pupils attend university abroad.

Public high schools are very competitive, and difficult to get into. Privates, high schools are all over the map, from best to worst.

It is a very difficult choice to make. However, I believe choosing an international school often decides your child's future for them. As it makes it very difficult for them to attend university in Japan.

EmaxisSlim Cultist wrote: ↑Sun Nov 14, 2021 1:09 am Public high schools are very competitive, and difficult to get into. Privates, high schools are all over the map, from best to worst.

At least in Sendai, public high schools are also all over the place. The best ones are the best schools, and the worst are pretty bad (and easy to get into). Private high schools up here are not as good/prestigious as the best public ones, but tend to be a solid option.

It's gotten much easier to get into public schools so the private ones are suffering (universities too).

Reminds me of this song https://youtu.be/2_2lGkEU4Xs

You could also argue the university determines the job prospects too. Job hunting season at Japanese universities looks very conformance based. Of course it depends on the individual and the university!