The Importance of Parental Support for Childrens’ Education

2013年1月19日(土)に鈴鹿市で「キャリアガイド出前セミナー」が開催されました。

2013/02/21 Thursday Education, Education

Many parents, guardians and their children gathered in Suzuka City for an information session on academic and career planning sponsored by the Mie Prefectural Government. Those who attended viewed portions of the “Career Guide DVD” and learned more about the school application process. Parents who have successfully navigated the school application process were also available to provide advice for parents and guardians with questions and concerns.

During group discussions, participants shared ideas about issues related to education and the challenges that parents and guardians face.

Here are some of the topics that came up during group discussion:

*The language barrier

Many non-Japanese parents and guardians are conflicted about whether they should have their children prioritize learning Japanese or their native language. Presenters advised encouraging children to learn both languages, as doing provide children with advantages in the future.

*The cost of education

Non-Japanese residents who are unfamiliar with the Japanese education system may be unaware that they need to save money to pay for their children’s high school and university tuition. Those attending the information session were encouraged to save for their children’s education. There are also education loans available for families that are unable to save enough money to pay their children’s tuition. More information on these loans is available at schools and organizations that support non-Japanese residents.

*The influence of conversations at home

In order to help children maintain their motivation, it is important to be aware of what is discussed in their presence. For example, non-Japanese children who overhear their parents talking about returning to their home country may come to view Japanese as something that isn’t worth learning.

*Building a support network

It is important to gather information about high school and university application procedures by expanding your circle of friends and networking. Advice from parents and guardians who have already secured a high school or university education for their children can be very useful for individuals who are unfamiliar with the necessary procedures. Information about high school and university admissions are also available at local governments and organizations that support non-Japanese residents.

 

Many of those attending the information session had concerns about their children’s future, but this seminar allowed them to hear other parents’ experiences and obtain information that is hard to come by. Participants were also reminded of the important role that parents must play in supporting their children’s education.

Ms. Noriko Yoshihara, a foreign resident of Japanese descent, has a son that graduated from a Japanese university. She had the following advice for non-Japanese parents living in Japan.

Foreign Worker Employment Seminar

2013/02/21 Thursday Education, Education

平成25年1月30日(水)に 四日市市で「外国人の雇用を考えるセミナー」が開催されました

The Yokkaichi City Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a seminar for businesses on employing foreign workers in Mie Prefecture. The keynote speaker was Taro Tamura, a long term foreign resident of Japan with a wealth of experience who spoke on ‘Building Regional Workplaces Together with Foreign Workers’.

Multiculturalism in Japan is defined as Japanese and foreign residents working and living together in harmony for mutual benefit. Tamura emphasized that it was important for Japan’s future that workplaces were built together with foreign workers and that there was a need for Japan to adapt to the problems and challenges that it faces in this new era.

Foreigners who live and work in Japan tackle many different issues in their day to day lives, of these the biggest difficulty for many is the language barrier. Japanese language education is still lacking when it comes to foreigners residing in Japan.

In addition, Japan itself is likely to face many problems caused by changes in its population and climate change. There is also expected to be a pension crisis caused by Japan’s aging population.

Tamura argued that without the resources of the foreign community, there is a possibility that Japan will go into decline.

He cited the example of fire services in different regions struggling to find new, young recruits. Without more cooperation between local services and foreign residents, women and older citizens, local communities will be left without the resources to protect themselves.

Countermeasures once deemed effective in the past are no longer adequate, new measures should be drawn up which combine the resources of both the Japanese and foreign resident community.

Already a variety of ideas have been put forward to deal with the major population changes Japan is experiencing and one of those is to focus on building a multicultural society.

Currently, Japan is home to some two million foreign residents. Many returned to their home countries after the 2008 Lehman Shock and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake but a large number have either stayed in Japan or returned to Japan after a period abroad.

The number of foreign residents obtaining permanent residency has also increased in recent years. In 2002, there were around 224,000 permanent residents in Japan but today there are more than 600,000. Foreign residents who have obtained permanent residency are now part of Japanese society and one benefit is that as this number increases so do levels of consumer spending throughout Japan.

In countries where multicultural societies are already established, foreign residents are active in many different fields and find acceptance in society.

Some have voiced fears that if the number of foreign workers in Japan increases then Japanese unemployment figures will rise as a result. However, the seminar cited research in Europe and the USA which has shown that workers coming from abroad do not take jobs from locals and in fact create new jobs regionally and contribute to an overall increase in wages.

Tamura also spoke during the lecture about addressing the differences in how Japanese and foreign workers are treated in the same workplace. His belief is that by solving the following issues facing workers of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, all will be able to coexist in Japanese corporations and society:

Important Issues facing Foreign Residents

*Communication

- Few opportunities to acquire Japanese language skills

- Few Interpretation and Translation Services

*Daily Life

-Low uptake of health insurance and pension schemes

-Children and students unaware of school entry requirements (minor employment rules)

-Unstable employment conditions mean daily life in Japan is insecure

-No experience of disasters and unfamiliar with evacuation proceedures

*Community Participation

-Few opportunities to interact with local people

-Friction from different cultures colliding, discrimination from prejudice

Despite large numbers of foreign residents living in Japan, perceptions have not changed meaning the legislation system is still ill-prepared and society suffers from a lack of resources.

Tamura also emphasized that it’s not just the responsibility of businesses and individuals to bring about a multicultural society, but that of society as a whole.

Finally, Tamura offered the conclusion that multiculturalism is not simply being kind during daily interactions with foreign residents but Japanese and foreign residents working together to build a better society.