MAEBASHI — In response to the growing number of children of foreign origin, the government of this capital of Gunma Prefecture has begun offering a program to help non-Japanese children integrate into municipal primary and secondary schools.

The program, supervised by specialized instructors, Japanese teaching assistants and others, will provide introductory guidance for three to 14 days, imparting to students school rules, basic Japanese, standards of daily life and other things that will help them adapt to the Japanese classroom. These will be taught by instructors who know, among other things, the teaching of the Japanese language.

At the end of September, the city had 259 children of foreign origin, around fifty more than five years ago. Many come from the Philippines, Nepal and China, and others come from countries and regions like Bolivia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. About 100 students need Japanese language instruction.

Previously, Japanese language teaching in schools took the form of instructors visiting schools for one to two hours per week, but the new program was launched after it was determined that more support important was necessary, considering the students who were in class without knowing school rules, Japanese lifestyle habits and more.

Instructions will include methods for greeting and introducing yourself, rules for student participation in school cleaning and lunch serving duties, and how to contact the school in case of absence. Customs will also be taught, such as using traditional Japanese seatless toilets and using crosswalks, as well as playing tag.

Participation is to be decided after consultation between parents and schools and will take place mainly at the city’s Sogo Kyoiku Plaza center.

(Japanese original by Ryuko Tadokoro, Maebashi Bureau)