Covert

Hi everybody,

Great news from the Far Eastern front: An EXCELLENT article on home-based
learning appears today in a major Japanese newspaper!

You can see the Japan Times article on the paper's website at:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fl20000629a2.htm

However, the article is just too good to pass up sharing with others, so
I'll take the liberty of posting it here. The writer, Carol Hui, does a
superb job of framing the current conditions of Japan's homelearning
environment -- especially regarding the motivations of Japanese
homelearners vs. foreign-resident ones. This is one of the few stories on
homelearning that I've seen in Japan by the English-language press.

Kudos to Ms. Hui for a job well-done!

This article, while it stands solidly on its own merits, should be viewed
in the bigger picture of media coverage of homelearning issues in Japan:
The Japanese press, as I've been pointing out, is generally treating the
idea and practice of homelearning in Japan these days with a high degree
of seriousness and respect not ususally found in other areas of news
coverage in this country. This is a very good sign.

The homelearning community in Japan faces many struggles ahead,
obviously, but articles like this help tremendously in spreading the word
in a positive way.

Who said media coverage of homelearning couldn't be done well? Pass *this
one* around!

Brian Covert
(KnoK NEWS)
in Osaka, Japan

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[JAPAN TIMES - Thursday, 29 June 2000]


Making home a school away from school


By CAROL HUI


A typical day at school for 12-year-old Sophie Kimura could be a social
studies lesson which involves finding out what life is like in Illinois
where her "e-pal" Dawn lives.

Or it could be spent expanding her vocabulary skills by reading the
latest adventure of Harry Potter. It could also be used to write a review
of a Marc Chagall exhibit for Kidstown.global, a Web site produced by
children.

What Sophie ends up doing that day largely depends on herself. "I'm my
own teacher," she explains.

For the last two years, Sophie has been a homeschooler after attending a
public Japanese school until the third grade. Her mother, Katherine
Combs, felt that kids in the later elementary years do not have enough
time to spend with their families, due to mandatory participation in
clubs. After teaching English in Japan for over 14 years, Combs also
observed that the Japanese school system did not teach students,
especially girls, self-expression.

Honing Sophie's communication skills -- from being able to speak with
adults to writing down her opinions -- was a major educational
motivation. While these skills take time for students in any educational
system to develop, the more easily achievable goal of raising Sophie's
English reading and writing abilities to native fluency was reached
surprisingly quickly. Sophie has the answer why: "You get to study what
you want."

It is impossible to gauge the number of students being homeschooled in
Japan because of the various forms that type of schooling takes. Some
families simply supplement their children's school education with the
teaching of subjects such as language or religion, while others instruct
their children entirely at home.

Depending on the educational goals set by each family, the style of
homeschooling also differs radically. Some use a standardized curriculum
that corresponds to a particular school system. Materials based on
development, not age, are there to help parents individualize their
children's learning capabilities. Some, like Sophie, are "unschooled" --
she does not follow any particular curriculum but learns by going on
field trips and writing and reading about topics she finds interesting.

Homeschooling is not a new trend and has always been practiced by foreign
parents in Japan, particularly those on Christian missions. However, as
the foreign community grows and diversifies, parents are homeschooling
for a wider variety of reasons, and it is becoming an appealing
alternative to the expense and exclusivity of international schools.

Singaporean Aileen Kawagoe laments the price tag of a quality education
in Japan. "In Singapore, it would only cost a fraction of what
international schools do here," she says. To ensure that her son is
bilingual and has a global perspective on life, she supplements his
Japanese education with afterschooling at home.

Kawagoe shares her extensive research on homeschooling and other
educational issues in Japan in an informative newsletter, which covers
everything from comparisons of preschools using the Montessori and
Waldorf methods to bullying prevention tactics. The newsletter is
featured on a Web site Combs set up last October in an attempt to reach
out to other homeschooling practitioners in Japan. The site also includes
information on events, resources and suggested educational outings.

The majority of practitioners, both children and parents, seem to enjoy
the homeschooling experience. Joseph Jones, who homeschools the older
five of his seven children, is committed to this style of teaching. As a
missionary for 10 years, he often worked as a private tutor.

"This experience showed me the tremendous potential of being able to mold
children in a life that is free of peer pressure and more supportive of
their individual interests. I can instill in them a biblical attitude of
not living for yourself but helping one another and showing concern for
the disadvantaged by your actions." His children like not having to wake
up early in the morning.

For homeschooling parents, the biggest challenge is to provide
interesting material constantly to stimulate their children. The School
Support Service of the Christian Academy in Higashi Kurume has been an
essential resource in providing material and support for parents.

Homeschooling is also done by Japanese parents, but it is often a
reactive decision propelled by circumstances such as bullying or school
refusal. For many foreign parents who school at home, it is a proactive
choice intended to enhance their children's education.

A major difference is that many foreign universities recognize
alternative forms of education and base entrance on aptitude test scores,
not high school pedigrees. This remains a major advantage for
homeschooling in English. The stigma of homeschooling in Japanese means
that it is difficult (though not impossible) to enter Japanese
universities without the conventional credentials. As pressure increases
to develop more open policies, this is also changing.

Combs feels Japanese parents should have more confidence in teaching
their own children, especially if they have concerns about the Japanese
school system.

"I hear many mothers who say that they could not possibly teach," she
says. "It's much easier if you take the attitude of learning along with
your children. I feel no pressure to provide all the answers in every
subject myself, but I do present learning as fun. I believe all knowledge
is connected and one thing will lead to another, so I'm enjoying the
wonder of discovery along with my children."

For Kawagoe's newsletter and more information on homeschooling and other
educational issues in Japan, see the Web site at:

www2.gol.com/users/milkat/


[(C) The Japan Times: June 29, 2000]