Find out the timeline for choosing a kindergarten, or international preschool in Tokyo, for your kid, along with the steps you’ll need to take to get them started at the school of their dreams.
In Japan, when children are close to celebrating their third birthday, there are greater options of childcare for their parents. Infants and children up to 6 years old can be enrolled in a hoikuen (nursery school). But a youchien (usually translated as kindergarten begins when a child is three years old.
However, it covers what is termed the ‘preschool’ and kindergarten years in several Western educational systems. On reaching the age of 6, children can begin their elementary school education.
The objective of international preschool in Tokyo is to support working parents, whereas youchien helps a child prepare for elementary school and for better integration into Japanese society. The youchien helps a child learn the cultural and linguistic skills especially in the area of self-care and caring for others. They also help children adapt themselves to a group environment, which can be a boon for children regardless of their vocation in life.
The art of choosing the right kindergarten
When enrolling your child in a youchien, it is advisable for you to consider various factors.
Where is it located?
It would be very convenient for you and your child if the school is close to your home. Such a school will most probably have other children from the neighborhood too. So your child will be comfortable among friends and other familiar faces.
Should the youchien be public or private?
You could opt for a public youchien (which is generally free) or a private one (where you may need to pay tuition fees – which can be covered depending on your location). In some cities or districts, all youchien may be either only public or private. Some neighborhoods even have youchien that are classified as unlicensed hoikuen. Usually, they do not adhere to rules set by the government for running youchien—most bilingual or international schools employing foreign staff fall into this category.
What is the primary focus?
A youchien’s main focus is something that every parent should consider. Some of the common ones are academics (such as math or English), physical education and strength, socialization and manners, religion (for instance, Catholic kindergarten), or language learning (international preschools).
Ranking
A final aspect of finding the right international preschool in Tokyo is to consider the ranking. Even though preschool is usually a child’s first foray into the Japanese school system, it is also an introduction for parents into the world of schools. Some parents have the opinion that a good kindergarten will help with entrance into a “good” elementary school, and so on.
Summer/autumn
Like Japanese compulsory school, touching also starts in April. However, parents can’t wait until the winter to act. The summer and fall of the year are indeed the prime time to choose a school and prepare your applications before your child starts.
In the summer or fall, you can opt to visit for a private tour. You can also stop for a group information session, but you can get a better feel of the place by interacting face to face with the staff and students and touring the facilities.
Winter/spring
Before starting with the academic year in April, your first real foray into the school system begins with the new calendar year in the month of January.
Make space in your schedules for several informative and practical visits to the youchien. At these appointments, you will get to know about costs and reimbursements, which usually vary from city to city, and the opportunity to try out and order school uniforms and supplies if applicable.
In order to make payments to your youchien, you’ll be required to grant permission to the school to withdraw funds on a monthly basis from a selected bank account. Fortunately, the school should be able to provide all the necessary forms, and the bank staff might also be quite familiar with the process given the time of the year.
As far as selecting a uniform is concerned, expect to try on a bunch of articles of clothing, such as shorts or skirts, blazers, shirts, hats, smocks for arts and crafts, gym uniforms, and more. Most of these come in seasonal varieties that a person is expected to purchase.
In the weeks leading up to the start of school, in the month of March or early April, you can expect to receive your child’s uniform and supplies. Even though it may seem like a comprehensive set of “must-haves” for your child, it’s probably incomplete since there are plenty of items to purchase on your own. The school will give you a list of additional materials to purchase during this time
Final Thought
With this information in hand, you can easily jump into the world of international preschool in Tokyo, be it the early stages of finding nearby schools to purchasing supplies, labels, and more items in the lead up to your child’s start.