Getting an education in Tokyo; from kindergarten to college, the opportunities for an English-language education in Tokyo have never been better. But how do you make the right choice? - International Education

Japan, Inc., Jan, 2004 by John Dodd

The British School in Japan

As the name implies, The British School in Tokyo recreates the English schooling system in Tokyo and was originally set up in 1989 to service the British expat community. Although some other schools have experienced a downturn in the last three years, the British School has been going from strength to strength. As Head Teacher Michael Farley says, "A British style education has caught the imagination of parents of both expatriates and Japanese returnees and has become very popular. As a result, we are seeing little of the current drop-off in demand."

Based in Shibuya, the British School serves children from pre-K to grade nine and follows the National Curriculum of England for students aged 3- to 13-years-old. Therefore, children get an early years education that allows them to make a seamless transition back into the UK schooling system.

International Secondary School (ISS) In contrast to ASIJ, ISS' stated vision is to be a school with a "small school philosophy." ISS was founded in 2001 and is a non-denominational institution serving students from grades 6 to 12--allowing it to dovetail in with international schools specializing in students in their elementary to junior high years.

ISS differentiates itself by being very focused on the special needs of students adjusting to an international education. Classes are small, typically one to six students, and thus each student

has a personalized academic program. As Director Allan Tsuda says, "We create a positive, supportive environment for students by building self-confidence, independent thinking, self-empowerment, mutual respect for others and responsible citizenship--including community service."

Since a number of students are from non-native English speaking countries, ISS also provides an excellent ESL program--something that would be of value to kids from Japanese international marriages as well. All students receive a minimum of 225 minutes of ESL training, and this, coupled with the overall English-speaking environment, helps them come up to fluency within a short time.

ISS will be moving to larger and more modern premises in Mita, Minato-ku (10 minutes from Shirokane-Takanawa station) in the spring of 2004.

K. International School (KIST)

K. International School is a Pre-K to Grade 10 school based in Koto-ku in eastern Tokyo that was formally established in September 1997.

KIST has chosen to adopt the Primary Years and Middle Years Program of the International Baccalaureate Organization and is currently the only authorized IB school to offer both the PYP and MYP in Japan. Implementation of the Diploma Program is currently underway and KIST will seek authorization for this in the near future. The IBO program are based on the latest educational research and this approach is proving to be increasingly popular, with 1,300 schools worldwide.

The program focuses on the total growth of the child, affecting hearts as well as minds and addressing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic welfare.