EDU NEWS

• 2012 saw a spike (80%) in EIKEN primary school student test-takers
• 20% of school library budget redirected
• 3rd graders to have regular English classes
• 40 percent of al Yokohama city-run schools will be installed with solar panels this year
• 79% support 6-day school week
• 95% of edu boards opposed to revealing test scores nationwide
• Academic ability, poverty, dropouts all linked, high school study says
• Akita Pref. top exam performer / smaller classes, community
• American School scandal
• Benesse survey shows Tokyo mums not as ambitious or success-driven as other Asian capitals’ mums
• Board of education fines five Osaka teachers up to 500,000 yen each for sneaking off to smoke between lessons
• Boredom main reason for pte school exodus
• Bully news: Panel on bullying issues survey results, manual
• Bullying cases come to light due to new definitions of bullying
• Bullying news: 2 students sue classmates, local govt over bullying
• Bullying news: Courts are increasingly involved in bullying cases
• Bullying news: Court rulings used to study bullying
• Bullying news: Government calls school authorities to adopt a “resolute attitude” to putting an end to the bullying
• Bullying news: Govt to boost No. of school counselors
• Bullying news: High school suspends 9 over repeated bullying
• Bullying news: Measures taken by boards of education and schools to combat bullying
• Bullying news: New form of bullying by e-mail on rise
• Bullying news: No. of bullying cases on the rise
• Bullying news: Saga city has an anti-bullying policy
• Bullying news: Schools begin psychological testing and edu ministry plans to institute training program to counter school bullying
• Bullying news: School bullying cases dip 19% in 2007 school year
• Bullying news: The reality of bullying
• Bullying news: U.K. and Japan share notes on ways to curb bullying
• Bullying Reflects Problems in Adult Society
• Community schools gaining popularity
• COMPULSORY P.E. DANCE LESSONS present challenge for gym teachers
• Corporate world increasingly seeking graduates proficient in English
• Current concerns (1)
• Current concerns (2)
• Current concerns (3)
• Current concerns (4) – Debating patriotism in education
• Current concerns (5)
• Current concerns (6)
• Current concerns (7)
• Current concerns (8)
• Current concerns (9)
  • Current concerns (10)
    • Current concerns (19) Errors in entrance exam marking / School authorities jostle for better rankings in this year’s national achievement tests
    • Current concerns (11): Teachers slip up via Google Map use, school stabbing & cannabis crimes
    • Current concerns (12) Edu ministry proposes cell phone ban
    • Current concerns (13)
    • Current concerns (14) – high school cram-free no more, teachers’ workload to increase
    • Current concerns (15): When juku goes to school; would-be teachers from rural areas courted by metropolitan areas
    • Current concerns (16): The state of English language instruction
    • Current concerns (17)
    • Current concerns (18) Regulations on running pte nurseries to tighten in Tokyo; possible liberalization of nursery system
    • Current concerns (19): Children to receive justice lectures
    • Current Concerns (20): LEC uni, new child-care bill, no. of quake-proof schools up
    • Current Concerns (21): Senior teachers feel the strain
    • Current Concerns (22): The hidden costs of working abroad on returnee education
    • Current Concerns (23): Proposal to integrate kindergartens and daycare centers runs into opposition
    • Current Concerns (24): Yomiuri Shimbun Editorial – Election debates should take up education policy
• Deteriorating math skills of current batch of university students attributed to cram-free education (yutori hoiku)
• Drawing out hikikomori
• Efforts by various sectors are being made to produce and attract “rikejo,” an emerging breed of women seeking to acquire expertise in science, engineering and technology
• English language education in Japan
  • ‘Our teachers don’t know how to teach’
  • Boosting English education
  • Cash problem hinders English education in Japan, hitting local governments hardest
  • Gorsuch article on influences limiting EFL teachers’ ability to teach English communicative skills / Charles Jannuzi’s rebuttal follows
  • Helene J. Uchida’s comments on quality of Eigo Noto
  • Inability of students to communicate is a common failing of English education in Japan
  • Japan’s universities too diversified, too focused on abstractions … say critics
  • Limitations of English education in elementary schools
  • Most schools starting English – Jun. 30, 2009
  • Nearly half of primary schools in Tokyo area planning to begin English classes from April for 5th & 6th graders
  • Primary schools start move towards English
  • The fundamental flaws of English education in Japanese public schools
  • Triple-team teaching at primary school
• English on the go!
• Entrance exams more competitive this year, more parents want kids to go to better schools amidst economic downturn
• Fewer Japanese studying abroad
• Forestry curriculum for kids by Kochi U. agricultural department
• Fortress Japan chain of English language conversation schools ordered to close by gov. and Consumer Affairs Agency
• Freedom to choose textbooks vs. law on supplying free textbooks to public schools (Yaeyama district dispute)
• Gov. and local views on the need for / right to “compulsory education”
• Gov. eyes increasing IB schools
• Govts to pay juku tuition for kids in foster care
• Is the private school advantage real?
• IT and education: On how laptop, tablet computers and the Khan Academy are revolutionizing the way the young learn
• Japanese education spending lowest among 30 OECD countries
• Japanese education. Why the cultural element is key
• Japan’s teaching on war doesn’t deserve bad press
• Japanese higher education now out of reach for kids of single parent households says poll
• Japanese mathematician offers solution to important number theory
• Japanese school textbooks are being padded by 43%
• Job-hunters primp themselves to make a good impression in order to land jobs
• ‘JUKU BOOM’
• Juku news
  • Cram schools forced to change
  • In the news: “Route H” juku course from Benesse Corp.
  • Japanese children cram to boost achievement
  • ‘JUKU BOOM’
  • Juku: an unnecessary evil or vital stepping stone to success?
  • Sapix cram school in the news
  • Sapix, Daiichi Seminar and Trygroup tutors despatched to help Osaka schools
  • Yotsuya Otsuka cram school in the news
• Latest changes in English education
• Local govts tackle daycare waiting lists
• MEXT worried about non-school attendance of children of foreign nationals
• Miyake Islander-students move back to island and resume school
• Moral edn lessons to teach kids to be more law-abiding
• More critical thinking elements emphasized in new textbooks from 2012
• More moms teaching preschoolers: survey
• More schools focus on teaching Japanese traditional culture
• More universities creating sports-related faculties
• More universities offering majors in manga
• National achievement test being reinstituted again after 4-year lapse
• NPOs support children from disadvantaged households by sending tutors
• Number of Japanese researchers studying or conducting research abroad more than halved compared to a decade earlier
• OECD 2011, 9/13 report: Japanese teachers put in longer hours than their counterpart teachers elsewhere but they actually spend more time on office work than teaching
• Over 120 b. yen held in trust for donations for education
• Panel eyes new schools on vocational education
• Panel urges shift in emphasis from hensachi system(1999)
• PM Abe’s English language educational reforms
• Proposal to upgrade English to an official course at elementary schools and to extend the hours of study
• Public schools seek community support
• Quake preparedness
• Radiation testing in school lunches issues
• Record number of elementary school school violence incidents
• Researchers discover area of brain related to foreign language grammar proficiency
• Schools dropping kanji test over scandal
• Schools in Osaka Prefecture take ability-based approach
• Schools that emphasize calligraphy, form and manners
• Schoolteachers make efforts to help children improve their language writing skills
• Sophia University / Jochi University merger with Seibo in the news
• School sports festivals derailed / Meets moved, shortened or canceled because nuclear crisis
• Single-sex schools see dramatic decline in enrolment
• Special deregulation zones – Tokku Schools
• Students at prefectural Tsuruoka Chuo High School participate and assist in Keio U. lab’s cutting-edge research
• Students of the Kyoto Miyama High School correspondence course in the news
• Teachers learn to make students think
• Technology gives kids a window on world
• The poor are always with us … even more so now in our public schools
• Tokyo Board of Education to Offer “Insect Touching Classes” to Teachers Who Are Afraid of Bugs
• Top US universities launching edX platform to deliver online courses
• Tuition-free education plan to be studied by a gov. panel
• When a prince in Japan starts school
• When a princess in Japan attends school
• When politics affect the national curriculum

Updated: Through July 2013

News updates since the Tohoku 311 event: Fukushima disaster followup Apr 11, 2013: Radioactive cesium … May 9th news updates here; May 6th here; May 2nd here; Apr 30th here; Apr 29th here; Apr 28th here;  Apr 27th here;  Apr 26th see here;  25-26 Apr, 2011; Apr 25th here, Apr 24th here; Message from PM Kan for students the entering 2011 new school year FOR THE LATEST UPDATES PLEASE CHECK OUT EDU NEWS ARCHIVES: -- Impact of Covid-19 on education in Japan Update: School closures / switch to online learning due to covid-19 Sasumata; the samurai weapon of Japanese school administrators Field-trip-art-lesson-and-holiday-fun-all-in-one Navigating the Open Campus in the Heart of a Sweltering Summer Just another schoolday… Introducing two new international schools With Yuzawaya’s and nutte’s services, moms with kids in the Japanese schools no longer have to slog away their sewing machines Lakeland Lecture by Tom Blackwood: Bukatsu – An Essential Part of Japanese School Education Current concerns: Available places in Tokyo wards’ childcare facilities continue to be oversubscribed due to burgeoning demand Let children feel the power and richness of Japanese folktale and mythology through children’s picturebooks School toilets beginning to get makeovers Terms related to how the Japanese school organizes student activity and life Product Ping: Super Illustrated Kanji Learning Aid EDU WATCH: Recommendations-based admissions and AO exams to be introduced this fall for top universities; Gaishikei on the recruiting scene Putting my son through his paces for college entrance exams is more like purgatory, than hell New facility-packed U. student apartments in Hachioji set higher standards for the nation… EDU WATCH: School mergers bring longer commutes; On the REAL reason why Japanese students aren’t heading for a Harvard MBA any more 文武両道: What is Bunbu Ryodo? Japanese students’ stellar showings at International Olympiads The MARCH acronym and the Feb-Mar banking stampede for a shot at admission to one of the prestigious MARCH universities Inspired by Reggio Emilia education, the Geijutsushi program, now in its fifth year, sends artists to daycare centers and kindergartens EDU WATCH: Japan’s child kidnapping figures surpass those of the US; Panel wants revamp of U. entrance exams Watch the Nawatobi National Jump Rope championships on TV on NY’s Eve EDU WATCH: Status quo on the retaining class size and student numbers Finally! A gifted program for the square pegs of Japanese society Shokugyou taiken gakushu – Trial work experience program Time to stock up on stationery supplies before the 10 pct price hike EDU WATCH: The class size debate and what teachers are worth EDU WATCH: Is the world of Wall-E already here? EDU WATCH: Sporting accidents in schools on the rise Edu watch: ALTs to be placed in all primary schools In the news: 12% of the nation’s municipalities offer combined public primary and middle school education Japan ranks last in education spending Shouldn’t we be vigilant and preparing for an Ebola outbreak Home Sweet Home How much does your child’s schoolbag weigh? EDU WATCH: Back-to-school summer projects; nursery school services expand while Yoyogi Seminar juku closes, and other news The acting classes boom: The ‘star factor’ dazzles Japanese kids Genes may determine a child’s reading and math ability, but heritability isn’t the end of the story… EDU WATCH: Return of the trimester system; gruesome murder of a schoolgirl by her classmate, shocks nation during summer holls Film-making and animation summer courses increasingly popular with kids Sumo sport and tournaments in school Adapting and defining living and communal spaces for academics and school life When you miss your exams, because the train doesn’t come… IT courses springing up to train new generation of app designer-developers who are in short supply Gohou doragu: ‘legal drug’ abuse proliferating among school students and young adults Spotlight on Kuroshiocho, Shikoku: the Mecca of whale-watching Where can you find the most academically robust children in all of Japan? Hint: it’s not Osaka… Forest schools catching on in Japan EDU WATCH: 700 high school science students to be nurtured by 8 universities in an unprecedented gifted kids project Murakami Suigun and the Seto Inland Sea: A blast from the past of Japanese pirate history In the news: Original text of 1890 Imperial Rescript on Education found Cool product buzz…study organizer extraordinaire! EDU WATCH: OECD survey debunks widespread perception that Japanese and Asian kids lack creative problem-solving skills? EDU WATCH: Papers sent to prosecutor’s office identifying seven youths in high school student suicide case Moral education to be introduced into the curriculum for elementary and junior high school students in 2015 Have snow will construct kamakura… Planned university fee hikes despite slide in disposable personal income Children’s textbooks of the Edo period EDU WATCH: National Center for University Entrance Examinations were held over the freezing weekend Field trip to farm: From farmer’s plant & labour to fruit to jam at the breakfast table Fun educational trivia: Did you know… Yomiuri Shimbun: Cloud computing to be used in schools from FY 14 EDU WATCH: MEXT and OECD attribute improvement in OECD test scores to the reversal of cram-free education When Japan’s best and brightest young minds fail to cope… EDU WATCH: Japanese gov. moves to allow private firms to operate public schools in special zones; more firms hiring foreign students … these and other news excerpts Court ruling that kindergarten is liable for the deaths of the four children bused away during 2011 tsunami, will impact on the standard of care of schools, and upon the way that they are run Help, encouragement and financial assistance for our young budding entrepreneurs EDU WATCH: New emergency disaster warning system implemented … 76 pct of Japan elementary school students like English … Saturday classes could be restarted … EDU WATCH: High School win Prime Minister’s Prize — for its 11-year-old program of raising ducks for its rice paddies… & other news The Wind Rises: Hayao Miyazaki is the wind beneath the wings of this generation of youths Summerbreak is here: Scheduled summer homework; Summer Learning Loss and YRE (Year Round Education) are non-existent terms in Japan Red Cross summer camp “The Frozen Woolly Mammoth ‘YUKA’ show” and “The excavated Japanese islands 2013” traveling exhibition EDU WATCH: Anti-bullying bill passed and University of Tokyo to introduce quarter system by the end of the 2015 academic year Are you an “ikumen”? EDU WATCH: Reforms towards ending the never-ending daycare waiting lists, criminalizing bullying; college rankings and more stories… EDU WATCH: Todai and Kyoto University, two Japanese top ranking universities announce their decision to carry out entrance exams reforms Summary look back at why Japanese see Margaret Thatcher as an icon, and what she did for education, among other things EDU WATCH: University of Tokyo introduces new seminar on teaching methods for prospective college lecturers. Are changes on the horizon for Japan’s entrance exam system with Todai’s announcement setting a national precedent for colleges to introduce recommendations and interviews? EDU WATCH: Anti-bullying and other school reforms; University of Tokyo comes in ninth in this year’s Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings … and other news Internship opening in Atlanta for Japanese college student Yakan gakko / Yakan gakkyu – Night Classes Some researchers find that TIMSS and PISA rankings are irrelevant predictors of a successful economy, instead a negative relationship exists: high test scores correlate with economic failure Historical discovery of Poseidon temple indicates the historical connection of the pagan deity to the veneration of Saint Nicholas, the pre-cursor to Santa Claus celebrations Why FUJITSU’s latest offering of the hybrid tablet vs. convertible notebook will be the college student’s best friend Edu Watch: Japanese children improving in the TIMSS rankings, reversing the previous declining trend Japan comes up fourth in newly launched Pearson education index-rankings EDU WATCH: Bullying cases in J-schools between April and September more than double whole of last year’s; Prospective university graduate hiring up 3.2% from year before Internet Addiction hospital program (in Kanagawa): over 70% patients were junior high or high school students, most of them boys …internet addiction fast-becoming the top problem of youths across wired Asia … Health advisory: The alien poisonous redback spider arrives in Kawasaki … creeping closer to the nation’s capital FOOD FOR THOUGHT: THE AGE OF EMPOWERMENT FOR CHILDREN – LISTEN TO CHILDREN NOT WHAT THE MEDIA SAY ABOUT THEM | CHARACTER & NON-COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT MATTERS MORE THAN IQ – PAUL TOUGH EDU WATCH: Nobel prize winner Shinya Yamanaka and Japanese mathematician Shinichi Mochizuki of Kyoto University…and 12-year-old Tomoki Kai share the educational spotlight; Todai ranked Asia’s best university; Bullies to face suspension in Osaka schools… International Education Fair October 14th, and October 16th in Tokyo and Osaka Resources and readings on the current flashpoint issue EDU WATCH: School bullying problem holds the media spotlight this summer The buzz on the Grand Izumo Exhibition at the Kyoto National Museum Space history exhibition now on at the Yokohama Japan Newspaper Museum The history and institution of the Kyushoku — Japanese School Lunch EDU WATCH: Fabrication of research data on the rise; Super Science High Schools nurture future talent; a third of college presidents say classes are boring …these and other news … Q&A: Why are Japanese uwabaki white? Tips #5 and #6 for Homeschool Educators – by Stan Lisle How to maintain your kids’ school shoes, tips for long-lasting, odor-free and pristine shiny shoes … at last! The passage of Venus in front of the sun, and its astronomical history and mythical symbolism How to read Japanese fiction and not be lost in translation… EDU WATCH: Two Japanese school students get to name an asteroid; UNESCO honors kids who created postquake newspaper; 17 yr old steals chemicals from school storeroom to make bomb …Health & Safety matters…Piranha alert! Tips for Homeschool Educators … by Stan Lisle EDU WATCH: A total of 1,046 people aged 19 or younger died due to March 11th quake-related causes, but 1,029 students committed suicide last year due to worries about underachievement or about their future Tips for Homeschool Educators EDU WATCH: Mediocre math skills of current U. students blamed on previous cram-free education policy; ballet lessons more popular than ever; JET teacher-vs.-BOE scandal … these and other news links MEXT: Eigo Note to be replaced by Hi, Friends! for 5th and 6th graders EDU WATCH: International school in Japan facing financial difficulty as enrollments drop following the Fukushima crisis … this and other story excerpts and links… Announcement: The launch of TOKYO JUNIOR PLAYHOUSE Preparing for the private school interview EDU WATCH: Increasing concern over the implementation new judo curriculum: mixed response to autumn college enrolment “Math Girls”: A book teen-girls can moon over, not moan over … MENSA – what is it, and where can I find MENSA educational resources? EDU WATCH: Will the new mandatory martial arts classes be taught in a safe manner? These and other educational news links, summaries, excerpts, etc… EDU WATCH: TODAI SEEN LEADING THE PACK ON AUTUMN ENROLLMENT PLAN Volunteer to give online afterschool lessons for Tohoku students! Heads up on the coming “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” exhibition Lunar rainbow with pots of gold at the end of it, and heads up on the upcoming solar eclipse 7 things I never knew about Physical Education in Japanese schools Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation (Dec 27, 2011) Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation (Dec 17): Gov. declares “cold shutdown” while undercover reporter says “absolutely no progress made” Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and the radiation contamination situation (Dec 11) After School Lessons for Tohoku Children Fieldtrip locator: Kochi’s great outdoor retreat Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and food contamination situation (Dec 6): Meiji Step formula powder used only raw milk from before 311, but contamination may have resulted from exposure to radioactive cesium from the Fukushima Daiichi plant when the processing facility was ventilated to dry the product, says Meiji Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation (Dec 5) Spot update on Fukushima nuclear crisis and the radiation contamination situation (Dec 3): Radioactive xenon-133 400,000 times normal levels in Chiba after crisis; Nearly 30,000 becquerels per square meter of cesium-137 fell on Tsukuba Spot update on Fukushima nuclear crisis and the radiation contamination situation (Dec 2, 2011): Gov. orders edu boards to slash limit on radioactive substances in school kyushoku meals to 40 bq – 1/5 of current limit Spot update on Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation (Dec 1, 2011): Simulation and speculation on extent of meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi / One Tokyo resident’s urine tested positive for strontium, zirconium and uranium Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation (Nov 30) Secrets of the Super Student: Speed Reading and Slow Reading Techniques in Japan Spot update on Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination crisis (Nov 27, 2011) Spot news update on Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation (Nov 26) Have your kids written to Santa yet? Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and the radiation contamination situation (Nov 25, 2011) : Strontium found in 3 Tokyo locations said to be from nuclear tests in atmosphere, not Fukushima; Greenpeace says seafood not safe, urges supermarket screening, labelling system Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and the radiation contamination situation (Nov 24, 2011) UTREK SKI CAMP 2012 / KODOMO ALPS / Fractured Fairy Tales: Winter Wonderland Camp for English speaking children between the ages of 7-12 Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation (Nov 16): Cesium levels of downstream rivers in Fukushima tripled, contamination at river mouths Spot update on Fukushima crisis and radiation contamination situation – Nov 15: Research team finds light contamination of soil by radioactive material from rain in Eastern Hokkaido and Western Japan due to rain Spot update on Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation (Nov 14): Radioactive cesium found to contaminate more prefectures; radium 226 found at Tokyo residence Spot update on Fukushima crisis and the radiation contamination situation (Nov 10, 2011) Spot update on the Fukushima crisis and the radiation contamination situation (Nov 8) Spot Update on Fukushima crisis and radiation contamination situation in Japan (Nov 4): Local govts introducing new emergency notification systems for alerting parents; the radiation risk exposure debate BREAKING NEWS: TEPCO retracts criticality call – xenon release due to fission of radioactive curium not uranium The Origami Effect: DIY Dollhouse Under Construction Spot update on Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation: Fukushima reactor no. 2 showing criticality again, boric acid solution being pumped in… Setagaya-ku supermarket hotspot attributed to radium, flash TV news showed glass being uncovered … Spot update on Fukushima nuclear crisis and the radiation contamination situation (Nov 1, 2011) Spot update on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination issue Oct 26 (Further updated Oct 28) In the news: Kashiwa hotspot news shows topography and other factors can concentrate radiation in hotspot; U of Tsukuba researchers find new type of algae better than zeolite at absorbing radioactive materials; thorium reactors not the solution? Spot news updates on Fukushima nuclear crisis and radioactive contamination situation Updates on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and contamination situation Oct 19 – Radioactive compost at Tochigi agricultural school & other news Need help with making a kyaraben? Updates on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and radiation contamination situation, Oct 18, 2011 EDUCATION & RADIATION: Updates on the Fukushima nuclear crisis and food radiation contamination situation Updates on the Fukushima nuclear crisis EDU WATCH: Todai slips in world rankings but still top among Asian universities; Chemistry-savvy, angry teen gasses classmates; judo instructor found guilty for child’s death during training; bus returning from school field trip goes over cliff … & more… New US report on single-sex education vs. older UK research reviewed Updates on the Fukushima nuclear crisis situation EDU WATCH: MEXT to push for budget to fund programs to send more J. students abroad; radiation protection expert says place simple measurement devices at public health centers, hospitals, schools and supermarkets for public to conduct measurements … more stories follow EDU WATCH: Autumn equinox day; many job offers to school graduates canceled; new websites with stories on Great East Japan Earthquake and messages by Hiroshima and Nagasaki a-bomb survivors; U. rankings reliance debates; these and other news Where do you kids go in Japan to learn PC ICT skills? EDU WATCH: J. teachers work longest hours, inundated by admin. work; 47 damaged schools unable to rebuild; displaced students want a school of their own; improved acid method may help remove cesium; continued spraying on No. 2 and 3 reactors … and other news EDU WATCH: Back to school disaster drills, more quake prep; Sakurajima’s 600th eruption; Cambridge named world’s top university; UK’s free school to be staffed with ex-soldiers…these stories and much more… EDU WATCH: Beef meat of 1 radioactive cow inadvertently served in Kanagawa’s elementary school lunches; new Fukuoka Yakuza-awareness curriculum; declining cesium and radioactive water levels due to working Kurion and Sarry systems; food safety and contaminated incinerator ash issues and more EDU WATCH: Science teachers to cover radiation in schools; Parents sue kindergarten for alleged wrong action during tsunami-quake; Chiba rice declared free of radioactivity; TEPCO to try new Japanese-made decontamination system and also desalinating filtering devices in spent fuel pools EDU WATCH: Summer museum exhibitions; school bullying cases increase for the 1st time in 4 years; Panic rice hoarding by public … and other news EDU WATCH: Fukushima’s students with special needs give back to community through story-reading club; Most parents think Science can wait until Junior High; MyCloud for “seamless” learning of science, and other stories EDU WATCH: Home for the holidays! 4 Japanese wins at the Chemistry Olympiad, these and more news roundups … Countering radiation damage and contamination: Anticancer cures, quick detoxes or quackeries? “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2″ World Premiere and release date in Japan EDU WATCH: Shugaku ryoko season; Tokyo parents demand safe schoollunches; U. of Tokyo considering fall admissions; summer heat and setsuden; Fukushima’s nuclear decontamination & cooling system now working… Grand display of 900 fossils on at Osaka Museum of Natural History July through August 28 EDU WATCH: Tokyo elementary school’s new “Manabukku” method shows positive scholastic gains in critical thinking skills as well as academic scores; Irradiated food concerns and many more stories below… EDU WATCH: Art therapy aid for disaster-hit kids; Japan nabs supercomputer title; Teachers pin down knife-wielding school-intruder with forked sasumata device; Daycare hours to expand; TEPCO completes stage 1 work of reinforcing No. 4 reactor/spent pool fuel building EDU WATCH: U. of Tsukuba’s research discoveries on black holes; Shiga U. president on why Japanese corporatization of national universities is failing; New Harry Potter II trailer and other news… EDU WATCH: Yokohama and Tokyo municipalities start radiation testing of veggies in school lunches; Kiss yucky frog dissections goodbye with iPad Apps; these & other stories…… EDU WATCH: Global study puts Japanese teenagers at the top of the league for best classroom behavior; university in Kyoto to offer ph.D course on ‘manga’ & other news… EDU WATCH: Indoor swimming and emergency measures for Fukushima students; spotlight on the Finnish education (again); J. govt revises radioactivity release estimates; antioxidants could help repair radiation damage EDU WATCH: Disaster shelter kids cram for exams under difficult conditions; New UK university gathers top academics to teach £18,000-a-year degree EDU WATCH: WHO’s E.coli advice; importance of school disaster drills beginning to show; UK institutions’ excellence in medicine, the maverickness of MIT; and other news EDU WATCH: 10,000 children fled Fukushima; School radiation cleanup slammed; Radiative snow found on Fukushima peaks, Twilight saga clips’ leak, and more EDU WATCH: Supreme court settles the long-fought battle over the issue of whether teachers can be made to stand and sing ‘Kimigayo”; record nos. competing for UK’s university places; followup news on Fukushima disaster aftermath and ongoing crisis Tracking down the origins of the teru teru bozu (てるてる坊主) tradition EDU WATCH: strong typhoon approaches, Fukushima Pref teachers get dosimeters, Iwate gets temporary prefab new school and cooling systems restored to spent fuel pools for Fukushima reactors EDU WATCH: New updates – record low of new graduates secured jobs post 311; hot summer may endanger kids on long train commutes; on the history of US graduate schools and Chinese education EDU WATCH: News updates for May 19, 2011 – Boys don’t read past 100th page; Cambridge edges out Oxford in university league table EDU WATCH: Tokyo U. is ranked 8th top university beating Yale in the Times latest ranking based on reputation; 169 schools in the north close; US college education not value for money says results of 2 surveys EDU WATCH: news updates for May 16, 2011 and why Japan hasn’t introduced robots on the Fukushima scene yet… Study of an ancient Castle Town: Kawagoe City in Saitama Prefecture EDU WATCH May 12, 2011 – 1st study results on effectiveness of IB education, & other news Is a nuclear-free Japan possible? The future path and potential of renewable energy sources for Japan Japan’s road to recovery and rebirth Evacuees have been asked to leave school shelters for alternative shelters to enable new school year to begin Rumors and rumblings of an imminent Supermoon-caused Tonankai earthquake – causing skittish shoppers? Education Watch: Post Tohoku-tsunami-quake school news and education-related article links NISA raises crisis level to 7 – how bad is the Fukushima fallout? Q & A: What communications system can we rely on during an earthquake or other disasters? Educating ourselves in the aftermath of 311: Plutonium, Health Risks, Risk Assessment 670,000 schoolbooks lost or rendered unusable (Daily Yomiuri) Message from New Hope School Educating ourselves: Becquerels and base figures what do they all mean? Debate: ‘Duck or Cover’ or ‘Triangle of Life’ – which will save our children’s lives? Information for students and researchers in Japan (re-entry permits, visas and other matters) Where to send donations and relief items AND volunteer services for the Tohoku-Kanto disaster victims without being scammed Where to go if you are in need of housing refuge from the Tohoku-Kanto earthquake-tsunami disaster Send your supplies to the Emergency Supply Center at Tokyo International School to be trucked to Tohoku quake-shelters Quake-hit Sendai’s Tohoku International School’s headmaster: “I am 100 percent sure that all students are accounted for and safe.” Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant nuclear crisis – links to news updates and analysis Messages from Tohoku International School, following last week’s devastating earthquake and tsunami Guardians of Ga’Hoole, owls of Japan, owl tales and talismans Lessons and resources for learning about clocks and calendars and the birthplace of astronomy Considering the benefits of Digital Music Grammar in a music educational program Terrific books of 2010 to hook our boys onto reading Easily accessible and popular family-friendly ski resorts from out of Kanto Japan Edu Watch: Japanese students improve in PISA rankings & other news; New Bilinga Science International School opening in Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo Newly established EtonHouse International Preschool is open for enrolment EDU WATCH: Japanese gov. plans to introduce integrated day-care system and tie scholarships to volunteer work, this & other news… The Common Sense of Copying: a look at the early influence of U.S. educational methods on the Japanese math curriculum Edu Watch: Gov tries to tackle nursery school wait lists, J. universities’ world rankings drop further, and other news Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy Recommended Readalouds & Readings for a Happy Halloween What is Sanson-Ryugaku (lit. mountain village education)? Jomon Village Fieldtrip and Halloween at Tama Center: Combine Halloween and archaeological fieldtrip Edu Watch: Spotlight on top ‘juku’ or cram schools, gifted kids not more likely to succeed in life, and other news Edu Watch: Japanese universities feel the squeeze, global rankings slip and other news Family Art Workshops/English Through Art with Liane Wakabayashi Why schools visit the Nikaryo yosui canals – a trip back to Edo bakufu’s foundations Edu Watch: Why Japanese students don’t know history; more tree houses being built for schoolyards; school judo deaths at highest rate ever … and other news What’s in my book trolley? Edu Watch: Call for smaller class size in J. schools; edu-globes make for brisk sales; Chinese students ace Todai entrance exams & other stories School’s Out: Theme Parks for Summer Escapades Theme-parks and other school’s out summer attractions part II Schoolkids’ cell phones – to ban or not to ban Edu Watch: Soroban ‘brain-training’ regains popularity in Japan, 5 year old sets record in math olympiad after 11 months at Taiwanese abacus math institute Escaping Tokyo’s summer heat and humidity: Mountain resorts to run away to Go on fossil-hunting, geological fieldtrips, hiking or river-rafting activities at Nagatoro in Saitama Edu Watch: Irony in that cram-free policy has upped numbers of students going to cramschools; grad school boom sweeping Japan; new definition of critical thinking…these & other stories Saint Annie’s International Kindergarten & Preschool’s Open House for new students on May 23rd! Edu Watch: Surprising study findings on what Japanese would-be teachers value in a character education for students & other stories; IB curriculum billed as anti-American – New international boarding and IB school in Karuizawa opens: International School of Asia, Karuizawa Sports Camp of America (SCOA) Performing Arts Camp by Camp Roadless Summer Edu Watch: More schools switching to semester system in Japan; what are GCSEs for? asks UK education expert, these & other news… Expose your kids to the best of European art with two exciting art exhibition events in Japan Edu watch: Updates on status and impact of GEOS bankruptcy Event: Kids-tech Camp – introduces the wonderful world of electricity Edu Watch: It’s official …mega-chain school GEOs files for bankruptcy; Magic Garden in the Sky product launch; hundreds of thousands of US teachers losing their jobs … and other news Edu Watch: The national achievement tests took place this week; more on J. “monster parents”; tsunami prep advice; colleges are holding pens or vacations for J. college kids … these and more stories Edu Watch: Japanese students love textbooks but are slacking off in studies; teachers prefer less creative students; why top US colleges squeeze you dry and other news Two parenting workshops: Parenting from the Heart class / TELL Exceptional Parenting Program Edu Watch: Fast-track education in Japan still a pipe-dream / 50 of the most stressful US college ranked / Textbooks expanding content / Univ. English programs “schizophrenic” Fuji Kindergarten: Japan’s most beautiful kindergarten St. Andrew’s to offer sample English lessons for kids Edu Watch: Two maverick schools achieve astonishing results with disadvantaged and deprived kids, Nishimachi Intl School student wins Japan’s first Spelling Bee, and other news … Edu Watch: Experts blame educational failures on “overentertained, distracted students”, Gen Y culture of ‘instant gratification’ Percy Jackson in Japanese cinemas now! EDU WATCH: Princess Aiko returns to school; studies on bringing up bilingual babies, on how music and physical fitness make the brain academically fit too…and other news Was it just “boys being boys”, or had royal Princess Aiko really “suffered violent” things from boys in her class – as royal family spokesman claimed? … Gakushin Primary School denies princess was bullying target The use of technology in Project Based Learning (PBL) and Expeditionary Learning (checking out Edutopia’s pages)s) Edu Watch: Astronaut reads to J. schoolchildren from Intl. Space Station; 14 year old jumps off bldg possibly due to bullying; By childproofing the world, are taking the childhood out of the child? Edu Watch: Teachers fired over corporal punishment; more school counselors and night schools meeting student needs; cases of GID recognized … and other news About Language Tree: Web support for bilingual and international families and a meeting place to help them find, connect, and inspire each other Edu Watch: Yet another English conversation school chain in trouble; computer usage rewire student brains reduce learning capacities say latest research, and why autistic children don’t like being touched, and other news Edu Watch: Japanese kindergartens that incorporate math and science elements into play; Chinese universities to rival Oxbridge says Yale professor; a new creativity curriculum for the classroom, and other articles Edu Watch: Rumours and fears that GEOS the third-largest eikawa chain of schools might fold on the heels of the NOVA debacle Dual N-Back Brain Games: What if a simple exercise could really improve your intelligence? Edu Watch: Education ministry survey shows private schooling expenses are triple that of a public education; Education boards increasingly look at English ability in their teacher recruitment drives; & other news Edu Watch: Gifted children support and schooling stress topics … these and other news What to do if your child is bullied in Japanese school Edu Watch: Strategies for “un-fogging” our boys, new book out addressing the mismatch between school approach and boys Ski gashuku, ski camps for kids and skiing in Hokkaido Edu Watch: Japanese education system and its new working class; top 10 MBA school rankings; and other articles Fast ForWord software help for dyslexic students … and for non-learning impaired students as well. Edu Watch: Universities offering more English teaching programs for primary schoolteachers; neuroscience study shows kids can learn math earlier & other newsthan thought Edu Watch: 200 kanji characters to be added to National Curriculum – Keisetsu Gijuku cram school established to help underprivileged families and other news… Edu Watch: Vicious cycle of poverty tightens grip on high school students from financially-strapped families; content vs. 21st century debate and more Edu Watch: Top universities move to establish “escalator system”; provincial cramschools reduce tuition fees and other news Edu Watch: Free tuition proposal doesn’t go far enough for single-parent kids & other news Edu Watch – J. teachers expect gov. to support Eigo Noto while US psychologist says state should not micromanage education system / the Tottonia problem educational method/Aggressive or misbehavior in children at younger and younger ages in the UK and in Japan Edu Watch …horned dinosaur fossils found in Hyogo Pref… education budget screening team decides to raise central gov. spending on teachers’ salaries to avoid backlash from Japan Teachers Union??? Edu Watch: News on integrated schools and IT use in schools, the plight of reform schools and returnee education Edu Watch: Govt considering excluding families with relatively high incomes from receiving proposed child-rearing allowance handout … this & other edu-related links Edu Watch: 8 students in Okinawa arrested allegedly for beating classmate to death / Yokohama City U has USBs with vital student and exam data stolen Edu Watch: OECD sec-gen. says J. taxpayer money better spent on preschool edu & childcare; Insights on plights of returnee & English teachers in public primary school; new flu jabs to begin earlier & other news Bilingualism panel discussion & presentations at the JALT conference in Shizuoka on Nov. 21st-23rd Edu Watch: Juntendo U. research team finds cure for Kawasaki disease …Girls discriminated against in college applications …Oxbridge’s new entrance tests in face of rising numbers of straight-A applicants … & other news Edu Watch: babies with involved fathers have fewer accidents according to survey & other news Edu Watch: Primary schools start move towards English; spotlight on Narita Pr. School & other news Edu Watch: Experiential education in Japan and other news Edu Watch: Bulls eye! A teen student of pte high school shoots fellow archery club member between the eyes What are the elements of a “great school”? Edu Watch: English language education, objectivity vs emotional states in J. thinking & other news Multicultural mothering event / YTG’s new acting workshop – scene study class for young people Edu Watch: A peek at International Christian U. and Osaka Jogakuin College Playing an instrument can make your child brainier, boost IQ, audio hearing and motor control … and other news and articles [Education newswatch] Gov. trying to make pte high school education free too Check out our education newswatch links today About Hikikomori – do you have an urban hermit teenager cloistered at home? TOEIC is fast becoming a staple of the university curriculum & JALT conference & other news This week’s links to articles on education New species of Japanese dinosaur featured on this week’s roundup on educational news … Intl school principal arrested over pot and other news Edu Watch: Featuring Hoppen brain-based classes from Gakken … and other news Executive function – is the new buzzword in education, and play may be coming back into fashion Educational newswatch Heavy schoolbags to be banned in the Philippines as detrimental to child’s growth … & other educational news Brain scientists debunk myths and finally tell us what classroom curriculum of the future will feature – based on the “new” brain science of learning The Power of Ritual for developing effective students Concerns and public debate over the new free high school gov. plan … The new gov. changes mind on directly paying families high school fees – it will do so via local governments Japan spends the 2nd least on education & least on higher education among OECD countries … BUT parents have to offset the spending slack In the news … queues to get into daycare grow longer in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Okinawa, Osaka and Saitama Jungle Memory braingame “clinically proven” to improve grades… researcher says improving working memory is the only “great equaliser” and “the best predictor of academic success” Recommended links on educational matters Educational news roundup Akita, Fukui and Toyama prefectures’ students are top again… Schools reopening as new flu epidemic spreads …& other news Rounding up this week’s news on education Who’s getting paid a premium for information on educational matters BOOK REVIEW: WHY THE JAPANESE ARE A SUPERIOR PEOPLE! – The Advantages of Using Both Sides of Your Brain Inequality in Japan’s educational system increasing … says Japan Times report Seeking 12 year old penpals from Japan Izu Peninsula is a fieldtripper’s paradise What’s the big deal with today’s 5:07 am quake? Japan shines at Science Olympiads Roundup on educational news Dinosaurs don’t disappoint kids! Education news roundup URGENT WARNING! CHECK YOUR SOLAR ECLIPSE GLASSES FOR DEFECTS! Watch the July 22 solar eclipse with your children … you may not get another chance! In the news …job scene for foreign students improves for 6th straight year Japan to host international biology Olympiad for 1st time; and other news The intangible curriculum of a Japanese education “Ununbium” – new element 112 has been added to the Periodic Table Singapore maths in the news Yotsuya-otsuka juku offers up new right brained “Little School+Algo Club” programme Cool off this summer in one of Japan’s 16 trick art museums! OECD calls for reforms of Japanese universities — but are they the right reforms? Humble abacus makes the news today Movie on Hachiko starring Richard Gere to be released in August …plus movie-and-books-review links F is for firefly fun Is your kid thinking of a career in anime/manga? Update: New flu scare – outbreak at Tokyo school How public schools in Japan need to implement real change …where it can Manchester United Soccer School in the UK seeking participants for its summer soccer-English camp! The Genius Cube is the “In” thing New! National Geographic’s summer expedition programs New flu virus continues to spread New flu to be regarded as seasonal flu in Japan The new flu virus makes its entrance into Tokyo Q&A: Getting into baseball high schools New flu cases on the rise … spread possibly at high school volleyball match Schools in Osaka, Kobe and nearby Ashiya city shut down as high school students are found to have new flu. KICS: A new church-international school which burns with an old missionary spirit Japan now boasts of its first and only school for the gifted: Tokyo Children’s Academy (a.k.a. Tokyo Gifted Academy) Upcoming SWET Reading and Panel Discussion Help on the way for students under ‘new flu’ quarantine to catch up with studies Japan gets fourth flu case Are we spoiling our kids with too many college options? Nobel laureate says we should put physics first Rational thinking more important than intelligence: IQ tests miss predicting rational thinking ability for the most part Suspected swine flu case turns out to be NOT swine flu but Influenza A Secure your job prospects by targeting your studies in one of the recession-proof fields 17 year old high school student suspected to have contracted swine flu after trip to Canada Green surroundings improve your child’s concentration at studies … say several studies “Future School”: 2 experts Alvin Toffler and Sir Ken Robinson suggest reforming the public school system from scratch and rethinking educational fundamentals Sweden’s school system going the way of Japan’s? DaVinci Method: Treat ADD/DaVinci personality not as a medical disorder but a genetic personality strength Raising literate kids the kamishibai way Let the Miraikan educate your little humans about robotoids, humanoids and robots! Upcoming national achievement tests / marking errors of high school entrance exam papers Have you heard of the “spaced learning” concept? It’s that time of the year … New supplementary textbooks issued to students due to the increased content for learning in the new school year Marsha Rosenberg’s presentation “Raising Bilingual Children” (TELL workshop) Learning Intervention Center NPO Skill Camp The Mindset of Monozukuri: From mechanical dolls to vending machines and house-bots Professor Tago Akira? Who’s that? Ban on riding bicycles with two kids to lift … but with provisos Are you a strict parent? Comparing US, UK and Japanese parenting standards Japan is light-years behind Asia in nurturing English education in its schools Yokohama Science Frontier High School public high school, freshly inaugurated today, is this year’s most competitive high school Support Group of Children with Learning Differences / CPR and 1st aid in English / New outdoor programs Springtime in the satoyama Fujitsu’s FLEPia trumps Kindle (or Kindle2) e-reader Will possessing the Nspire necessarily boost math scores? New study says doing a crossword or playing Tetris has same effects as expensive “brain trainers” games A letter to Microsoft: Can we return the world of computers back to education? Tama Tech’s Motopia to close in September Kindle2: some bookworms will like the coolest digital book ever, but will you cuddle up with a Kindle? MPIJ – The new school in town What’s wrong with the way English is taught in Japan? Life after Harry Potter … the 39 Clues series by Scholastics Yes, there’s a whole new world after Harry Potter In the face of entrance exam heat, energize your way with lucky charm snacks! DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS? IF SO READ ON … The latest in edu news Young Astronomer’s Club Neuroscience and “Train Your Brain” by Dr Kawashima Skating enthusiasts take note! Edu news: College entrance exams begin; Cannabis use spreading among highschoolers A Happy New Year to all our readers … Government panel is proposing that the number of school textbook pages be doubled Japan receives highest score for education, nutrition and child health: Save the Children survey on child development Audition for “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten musical” ALTS SnowPark & Resort opens in Fukushima on 19th Dec 2008! Japan’s rankings in TIMSS math and science tests improve Current concerns (12): Subcommittee of exernal experts to be allowed to advise textbook screening panel Record number of incidents of school violence in 2007, particularly in elementary schools Osaka Prefecture bans use of cell phones in schools Tokyo Mineral Show YTG is holding Richard III auditions for children’s roles In the news!!! Ijime Zero campaign: new antibullying forum for foreign children Shinkenzemi JHS Course+i: New home-based learning online course from Benesse Coming up: DISCOVER JAPAN Winter Ski Camps What’s new…the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince The Truth About College Admissions New feature out: Ichi-ryu daigaku: Top Rankings of Universities in Japan History behind the X’mas gift-giving tradition in Japan English Adventure holds Fall Foliage Walk & Winter Ski Camp in Nasu-kogen Stanford U best classroom experience; American U most political, beautiful campus … surveyed by Princeton Review Tough times ahead for this year’s graduates, parents of private school students Christmas traditions Powder snow, snow camps & other snow-filled thoughts Let’s go acorn hunting! What do you mean there isn’t a youth drug problem in Japan? The Great Books Program: great books …great ideas … great minds Tainted Lotte Koala biscuits and Nissin cup noodles in the news Health advisory: Japan digs in its heels for virulent flu outbreak this winter season Health advisory: Strep infections hitting Japan Back to the books HALLOWEEN IN JAPAN Students’ tiny satellite project set to take off Enrolment in private kindergartens open now! Welcome to the Education in Japan Community Blog!