As the number of high school students with foreign roots increases, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Council of Experts has put together a proposal calling for the institutionalization of Japanese language instruction in high schools so that students can receive credits for instruction according to their Japanese proficiency.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is planning to proceed with preparations aiming for operation from the next fiscal year.
According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of high school students who need Japanese language instruction due to their roots in foreign countries increased 2.7 times in 10 years to 4172 in the 2018 survey, but due to language barriers etc. Nearly 10% of students drop out, well above 1% of all high school students.
On the 22nd, a meeting of experts from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), which has been considering the enhancement of Japanese language instruction in high schools, was held to summarize the recommendations.
The proposal calls for the prompt institutionalization of a "special curriculum" organized in high schools such as elementary and junior high schools so that individual guidance according to the Japanese language ability of the students can be accepted as a unit.
At the same time, for Japanese language instruction, collaborate with NPOs whose instructors have specialized knowledge, promote initiatives such as career education and multicultural coexistence, and establish a guidance system and create guidelines for the national government. It includes support.
In response to the proposal, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has decided to institutionalize Japanese language instruction at high schools by the end of this year, aiming for operation from the next year.