KnoK NEWS for 30 March 2000
Covert
* * * * KnoK NEWS * * * *
-- Views from the world of learning in Japan --
Welcome to the 30 March 2000 edition of KnoK (pronounced "knock") NEWS,
an informal and periodic bulletin concerning issues of learning in Japan.
It is brought to you by the Covert family -- Kazumi, Kenya and Brian -- a
multicultural, homelearning family in Osaka, Japan.
KnoK stands for *Kodomo no Kokoro*, meaning "Heart of a Child" in
Japanese. It is our belief that the heart of any child is indeed at the
center of true learning, wherever and however such learning may take
place.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
[EDITOR'S WELCOME: Greetings all, in these final days of March! In this
edition of KnoK NEWS, we get down to some basics of homelearning in the
Land of the Rising Sun: What is learning at home like in Japan? What kind
of people are doing it? Why? And how many?
We hope to answer a few of these kinds of questions by way of a two-part
Q & A list compiled by a Japanese homelearning parent, Tomiko Kugai. The
beginning portion of this list was originally compiled in 1997 by Ms.
Kugai to introduce the homelearning environment to the slowly (but
steadily) rising number of Japanese families seeking alternatives to
school. With Ms. Kugai's cooperation, KnoK NEWS has recently expanded,
updated and translated that original Japanese Q & A list into English so
that families in and out of Japan may get a clearer idea of what's
happening -- and what's at stake -- in the world of Japanese homelearning
today.
Ms. Kugai, along with her partner, Mr. Junichi Ono, and their 14-year-old
daughter, Momo, have been doing homelearning for more than six years now.
Ms. Kugai also heads a support group called "Home Schooling Network -
Himeji" based in the city of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan. Her
family and homelearning activities have been reported on Japanese TV, as
well as in Japanese newspaper and magazine articles -- most recently in
the Kyoto Shimbun, a major metropolitan daily newspaper in the city of
Kyoto, which has carried a few articles over just the past week or so
that are supportive in tone of home-based learning in Japan.
For those who are interested, Ms. Kugai and her "HSN Himeji" support
group have a homepage up (in Japanese) at the following URL:
http://www2h.biglobe.ne.jp/~hsn-hime/
And now a mention about the Q & A's to follow: In Part 1, we start out by
introducing the "basic" questions Japanese families seem to be asking
about homelearning in general (sound familiar?), then we slide into
questions that are more specific to current conditions here in Japan. We
do hope to take a more comprehensive look at legal and other related
issues in Japan in the future. For now, however, we offer this Q & A
overview in the spirit of honest, open information-exchange and
networking. As always, we welcome any thoughts you have about this. Feel
free to pass it around. --BC]
* Q & A ON HOMESCHOOLING IN JAPAN -- Part 1 *
Q-1: WHAT EXACTLY IS HOMESCHOOLING?
A-1: It is a way of "shared upbringing" in which the home, libraries,
museums, parks and so forth are used as learning resources for children
along with the support of grownups -- without the children attending
school. In Europe and the United States, the number of households
choosing this path as a way to meet the requirements for compulsory
education, both legally and socially, are increasing.
Q-2: HOW DO YOU DO HOMESCHOOLING?
A-2: There are various ways, depending on the household, but
homeschooling methods can generally be put into two categories: (1)
School at home, in which a set of educational materials and curriculum is
prepared in advance by grownups, and (2) Unschooling, which places
importance on children's hobbies or interests as a way to "learn by
living."
Correspondence courses are also sometimes used, but even then at the
child's own pace. This is homeschooling's most favorable point. In
homeschooling, first and foremost, "The child plays the leading role."
Q-3: DON'T PARENTS NEED TO HAVE SOME SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE IN A SUBJECT?
ALSO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY EDUCATIONAL EQUIPMENT AT HOME.
A-3: Parents don't need any "specialized" knowledge. While parents
certainly do have a strong influence on their children, parents aren't
the only ones children learn from. It is enough that parents help their
children search for information, and broaden their experiences and human
relationships. That is to say, creating an environment is a vital role
for parents. Rather than parents leading the lessons, it is more
important that a shared learning take place, while moving forward in the
spirit of partnership.
And no particular educational equipment is necessary. A kitchen in the
home serves sufficiently as a fun-filled laboratory. Beyond that, you can
use public facilities and any resources that other households may have
for the offering.
Q-4: DOESN'T HOMESCHOOLING ISOLATE CHILDREN? AND WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION?
A-4: In Japan at present, the reality is that conditions exist under
which children may be isolated and face social pressure -- by a society
that largely does not recognize homeschooling and accepts school as the
only way. Therefore, homeschooling groups have been created at the local
levels, and by developing these networks they can exchange information
with homeschoolers from other areas, thus helping to avoid isolation.
Through the activities of such groups and networks, a variety of
acquaintances and friends may be made; this is sufficient, socially
speaking, for bringing up children. Children who homeschool are not
forced, as they are in school, to compete against others of their age
group; this, in turn, reduces social exclusion and aggressiveness on
their part.
Q-5: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOMESCHOOLING, AND *FU-TOKO* (AVOIDING
SCHOOL) OR *TOKO-KYOHI* (REFUSING SCHOOL)?
[The latter term, *toko-kyohi*, is usually associated with symptoms of
neuroses among schoolchildren. --Editor]
A-5: While there are many cases of families choosing homeschooling
through *fu-toko* or *toko-kyohi*, such conditions of "not going to
school" are definitely NOT representative of homeschooling. We cannot
call it homeschooling if both children and parents oppose school in the
meantime but believe they must return to it eventually, as with *fu-toko*
or *toko-kyohi*. When the idea of school is completely put aside and
learning proceeds in the home for the family's own constructive reasons
-- and when children and parents choose this way as a separate form of
alternative education in and of itself -- then we can call it
homeschooling.
Q-6: ISN'T THERE AN OBLIGATION FOR CHILDREN TO GO TO SCHOOL?
A-6: No, there is not. Under the Constitution of Japan, children have the
"right to receive an education" [*kyoiku o ukeru kenri*], and people are
"obliged to have" [*hosho-suru gimu*] children receive an education. If a
child does not suit a school or if a child dislikes going to school,
she/he still has the right to an education, even if it is outside of
school. But this is made especially hard for large numbers of children
and parents because no systematic procedures are in place at the
administrative levels in Japan to deal with such situations.
It becomes necessary, then, to stand up for the right "not to go to
school" -- and for society to recognize that right. Citizens groups in
Japan are already undertaking these very types of activities, and
homeschooling support groups are springing up in many areas.
[Editor's Note: The part of the Japanese Constitution pertaining to
education, Article 26, in two paragraphs, reads in its entirety as
follows: "All people shall have the right to receive an equal education
correspondent to their ability, as provided for by law. 2. All people
shall be obligated to have all boys and girls under their protection
receive ordinary education as provided for by law. Such compulsory
education shall be free."]
Q-7: BUT ISN'T HOMESCHOOLING ILLEGAL IN JAPAN? DON'T PEOPLE GET
PROSECUTED OR GO TO JAIL IF THEY HOMESCHOOL IN JAPAN?
A-7: Under Japan's compulsory education system, an ordinary education of
nine years is guaranteed for children between the ages of six and 15.
Parents or guardians do have an obligation under the School Education Law
[*Gakko Kyoiku-Ho*] in Japan to see that their children attend school.
But there is no provision of the law directed at children themselves,
stating that children must attend a school to get an education. In other
words, the School Education Law addresses parental responsibility only,
and not a child's own decision about where to learn. Therefore, if a
child does not fit in with a school or if a child does not like attending
school, other ways of learning outside of school can be done. So,
homeschooling is DEFINITELY NOT illegal in Japan. And people in Japan are
not being prosecuted or going to jail because of their decision to
homeschool.
[Editor's Note: While it is a fact that there is no law in Japan that
concretely provides *for* home-based learning, it is also a fact that
there is no provision under law at present that expressly prohibits it.
For those families in Japan who do pursue homelearning as an alternative
to school, the Ministry of Education generally does not stand in their
way. At this stage, the ministry neither discourages nor encourages
homelearning in Japan.]
Even so, there are lots of people in society who believe that children
are required to attend school and many cases where boards of education
possess no understanding of what homeschooling is about. Thus we still
see cases, depending on the local area or district, of interference by
boards of education in trying to make children go to school.
Q-8: IF WE CHOOSE TO DO HOMESCHOOLING, WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP SHOULD
WE HAVE WITH SCHOOL?
A-8: For now, your child's *gaku-seki* [school register] will remain at
the school. You should nevertheless clearly inform the principal and
teacher in charge that: (1) You will assume the responsibility of
homeschooling in placing priority on your child's own wishes, and (2) You
do not want their excessive interference in this matter. It is also
important for you to add that if your child does happen to *want* to
return to school later on, you'll expect their official cooperation then
too.
Q-9: ABOUT HOW MANY HOMESCHOOLERS ARE THERE IN JAPAN?
A-9: More than 120,000 children are reportedly avoiding school or
refusing school at the primary and middle school levels, according to
research by the Ministry of Education. It is hard to say how many of
these are homeschoolers, however, since the research is not divided into
cases of those actively learning outside of school versus otherwise. No
research anywhere has yet been done on how many homeschoolers are in
Japan, so the exact numbers are unknown. [Unofficial estimates place the
number of homeschooled children in Japan at around 2,000 to 3,000
nationwide. --Editor] In any case, the numbers of households that are
choosing homeschooling due to school not suiting their children are
slowly increasing.
Q-10: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING HOMESCHOOLERS IN JAPAN, AS A
WHOLE?
A-10: The biggest problem is that homeschooling remains unknown by many
people in this country. Also, as homeschoolers in Japan are still few in
number, they may be isolated and find it hard to discover new friends,
even if they do create support groups. In cases when children do stay at
home specifically to avoid or refuse school, this is usually with the
idea that their parents will be sending them back to school again
eventually. Few parents are inclined to pursue learning at home.
Q-11: AMONG THOSE FAMILIES IN JAPAN THAT ARE CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES,
WHY ARE MORE AND MORE TURNING TO HOMESCHOOLING?
A-11: For one thing, confidence in schools is beginning to falter because
of physical punishment inflicted on students by teachers, bullying among
children themselves, and a host of other problems. Japanese education is
carried out in an environment where the concept of "doing something
together" is strong, and where there is a strong tendency to reject
differences rather than acknowledge them. At the same time, though, there
are also many parents who criticize such education and, in fact, many
children who are starting to stand up and say "NO!" to school.
Moreover, resources outside of school (such as libraries, art galleries
and museums) have become more abundant. It is also easier to get
information through television, the Internet and whatnot. Lots of
teaching materials are being published these days. Such conditions make
it easier to do homeschooling.
This, of course, speaks to the motivations of those households that have
actually *chosen* to do homeschooling. As mentioned before, while the
numbers of households that choose homeschooling are known to be rising in
Japan, they still are relatively few in this country.
* * * *
<<<< LINKING UP:
In this edition of KnoK NEWS, we introduce you to some English-language
websites in Japan. Info on Japanese-language homelearning websites to
come in the near future!
HOMESCHOOLING IN JAPAN
(a) Homeschooling in Japan Home Page:
---> http://www2.gol.com/users/milkat/index.html
This is the main page of the website, which is put together by Katherine
Combs in Tokyo. A great website and gathering place that is long overdue
for homelearners in this country.
(b) Homeschooling in Japan Newsletter Directory:
---> http://www2.gol.com/users/milkat/directory.html
Here are just some of the people on the frontlines who are making
home-based learning and alternative education happen in Japan. Newsletter
editor Aileen Kawagoe is doing a tremendous job of keeping us
homelearners here up to date with literally tons of resource info and
solid contacts, which you too can find at the resources and newsletter
sections of this website.
TOKYO WITH KIDS
---> http://www.tokyowithkids.com/
A fun site for families in the Tokyo area of Japan. TWK is supportive of
homelearners in Japan, of course, and is just an excellent resource all
the way around. Whether you happen to be in Tokyo or somewhere else with
kids, check it out!
JAPAN INFORMATION NETWORK
---> http://jin.jcic.or.jp/stat/category_16.html
For those who like their websites with "just the facts," we offer you
statistics galore. This is a mostly "official" listing of academic stats
about Japan, including educational problems.
* * * *
WISH I'D SAID THAT (Quote of the Day):
*Sixty-six years ago today....
"Real education consists in drawing the best out of yourself. What better
book can there be than the book of humanity?"
--Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi, in *Harijan*, 30 March 1934
-- Views from the world of learning in Japan --
Welcome to the 30 March 2000 edition of KnoK (pronounced "knock") NEWS,
an informal and periodic bulletin concerning issues of learning in Japan.
It is brought to you by the Covert family -- Kazumi, Kenya and Brian -- a
multicultural, homelearning family in Osaka, Japan.
KnoK stands for *Kodomo no Kokoro*, meaning "Heart of a Child" in
Japanese. It is our belief that the heart of any child is indeed at the
center of true learning, wherever and however such learning may take
place.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
[EDITOR'S WELCOME: Greetings all, in these final days of March! In this
edition of KnoK NEWS, we get down to some basics of homelearning in the
Land of the Rising Sun: What is learning at home like in Japan? What kind
of people are doing it? Why? And how many?
We hope to answer a few of these kinds of questions by way of a two-part
Q & A list compiled by a Japanese homelearning parent, Tomiko Kugai. The
beginning portion of this list was originally compiled in 1997 by Ms.
Kugai to introduce the homelearning environment to the slowly (but
steadily) rising number of Japanese families seeking alternatives to
school. With Ms. Kugai's cooperation, KnoK NEWS has recently expanded,
updated and translated that original Japanese Q & A list into English so
that families in and out of Japan may get a clearer idea of what's
happening -- and what's at stake -- in the world of Japanese homelearning
today.
Ms. Kugai, along with her partner, Mr. Junichi Ono, and their 14-year-old
daughter, Momo, have been doing homelearning for more than six years now.
Ms. Kugai also heads a support group called "Home Schooling Network -
Himeji" based in the city of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan. Her
family and homelearning activities have been reported on Japanese TV, as
well as in Japanese newspaper and magazine articles -- most recently in
the Kyoto Shimbun, a major metropolitan daily newspaper in the city of
Kyoto, which has carried a few articles over just the past week or so
that are supportive in tone of home-based learning in Japan.
For those who are interested, Ms. Kugai and her "HSN Himeji" support
group have a homepage up (in Japanese) at the following URL:
http://www2h.biglobe.ne.jp/~hsn-hime/
And now a mention about the Q & A's to follow: In Part 1, we start out by
introducing the "basic" questions Japanese families seem to be asking
about homelearning in general (sound familiar?), then we slide into
questions that are more specific to current conditions here in Japan. We
do hope to take a more comprehensive look at legal and other related
issues in Japan in the future. For now, however, we offer this Q & A
overview in the spirit of honest, open information-exchange and
networking. As always, we welcome any thoughts you have about this. Feel
free to pass it around. --BC]
* Q & A ON HOMESCHOOLING IN JAPAN -- Part 1 *
Q-1: WHAT EXACTLY IS HOMESCHOOLING?
A-1: It is a way of "shared upbringing" in which the home, libraries,
museums, parks and so forth are used as learning resources for children
along with the support of grownups -- without the children attending
school. In Europe and the United States, the number of households
choosing this path as a way to meet the requirements for compulsory
education, both legally and socially, are increasing.
Q-2: HOW DO YOU DO HOMESCHOOLING?
A-2: There are various ways, depending on the household, but
homeschooling methods can generally be put into two categories: (1)
School at home, in which a set of educational materials and curriculum is
prepared in advance by grownups, and (2) Unschooling, which places
importance on children's hobbies or interests as a way to "learn by
living."
Correspondence courses are also sometimes used, but even then at the
child's own pace. This is homeschooling's most favorable point. In
homeschooling, first and foremost, "The child plays the leading role."
Q-3: DON'T PARENTS NEED TO HAVE SOME SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE IN A SUBJECT?
ALSO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY EDUCATIONAL EQUIPMENT AT HOME.
A-3: Parents don't need any "specialized" knowledge. While parents
certainly do have a strong influence on their children, parents aren't
the only ones children learn from. It is enough that parents help their
children search for information, and broaden their experiences and human
relationships. That is to say, creating an environment is a vital role
for parents. Rather than parents leading the lessons, it is more
important that a shared learning take place, while moving forward in the
spirit of partnership.
And no particular educational equipment is necessary. A kitchen in the
home serves sufficiently as a fun-filled laboratory. Beyond that, you can
use public facilities and any resources that other households may have
for the offering.
Q-4: DOESN'T HOMESCHOOLING ISOLATE CHILDREN? AND WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION?
A-4: In Japan at present, the reality is that conditions exist under
which children may be isolated and face social pressure -- by a society
that largely does not recognize homeschooling and accepts school as the
only way. Therefore, homeschooling groups have been created at the local
levels, and by developing these networks they can exchange information
with homeschoolers from other areas, thus helping to avoid isolation.
Through the activities of such groups and networks, a variety of
acquaintances and friends may be made; this is sufficient, socially
speaking, for bringing up children. Children who homeschool are not
forced, as they are in school, to compete against others of their age
group; this, in turn, reduces social exclusion and aggressiveness on
their part.
Q-5: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOMESCHOOLING, AND *FU-TOKO* (AVOIDING
SCHOOL) OR *TOKO-KYOHI* (REFUSING SCHOOL)?
[The latter term, *toko-kyohi*, is usually associated with symptoms of
neuroses among schoolchildren. --Editor]
A-5: While there are many cases of families choosing homeschooling
through *fu-toko* or *toko-kyohi*, such conditions of "not going to
school" are definitely NOT representative of homeschooling. We cannot
call it homeschooling if both children and parents oppose school in the
meantime but believe they must return to it eventually, as with *fu-toko*
or *toko-kyohi*. When the idea of school is completely put aside and
learning proceeds in the home for the family's own constructive reasons
-- and when children and parents choose this way as a separate form of
alternative education in and of itself -- then we can call it
homeschooling.
Q-6: ISN'T THERE AN OBLIGATION FOR CHILDREN TO GO TO SCHOOL?
A-6: No, there is not. Under the Constitution of Japan, children have the
"right to receive an education" [*kyoiku o ukeru kenri*], and people are
"obliged to have" [*hosho-suru gimu*] children receive an education. If a
child does not suit a school or if a child dislikes going to school,
she/he still has the right to an education, even if it is outside of
school. But this is made especially hard for large numbers of children
and parents because no systematic procedures are in place at the
administrative levels in Japan to deal with such situations.
It becomes necessary, then, to stand up for the right "not to go to
school" -- and for society to recognize that right. Citizens groups in
Japan are already undertaking these very types of activities, and
homeschooling support groups are springing up in many areas.
[Editor's Note: The part of the Japanese Constitution pertaining to
education, Article 26, in two paragraphs, reads in its entirety as
follows: "All people shall have the right to receive an equal education
correspondent to their ability, as provided for by law. 2. All people
shall be obligated to have all boys and girls under their protection
receive ordinary education as provided for by law. Such compulsory
education shall be free."]
Q-7: BUT ISN'T HOMESCHOOLING ILLEGAL IN JAPAN? DON'T PEOPLE GET
PROSECUTED OR GO TO JAIL IF THEY HOMESCHOOL IN JAPAN?
A-7: Under Japan's compulsory education system, an ordinary education of
nine years is guaranteed for children between the ages of six and 15.
Parents or guardians do have an obligation under the School Education Law
[*Gakko Kyoiku-Ho*] in Japan to see that their children attend school.
But there is no provision of the law directed at children themselves,
stating that children must attend a school to get an education. In other
words, the School Education Law addresses parental responsibility only,
and not a child's own decision about where to learn. Therefore, if a
child does not fit in with a school or if a child does not like attending
school, other ways of learning outside of school can be done. So,
homeschooling is DEFINITELY NOT illegal in Japan. And people in Japan are
not being prosecuted or going to jail because of their decision to
homeschool.
[Editor's Note: While it is a fact that there is no law in Japan that
concretely provides *for* home-based learning, it is also a fact that
there is no provision under law at present that expressly prohibits it.
For those families in Japan who do pursue homelearning as an alternative
to school, the Ministry of Education generally does not stand in their
way. At this stage, the ministry neither discourages nor encourages
homelearning in Japan.]
Even so, there are lots of people in society who believe that children
are required to attend school and many cases where boards of education
possess no understanding of what homeschooling is about. Thus we still
see cases, depending on the local area or district, of interference by
boards of education in trying to make children go to school.
Q-8: IF WE CHOOSE TO DO HOMESCHOOLING, WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP SHOULD
WE HAVE WITH SCHOOL?
A-8: For now, your child's *gaku-seki* [school register] will remain at
the school. You should nevertheless clearly inform the principal and
teacher in charge that: (1) You will assume the responsibility of
homeschooling in placing priority on your child's own wishes, and (2) You
do not want their excessive interference in this matter. It is also
important for you to add that if your child does happen to *want* to
return to school later on, you'll expect their official cooperation then
too.
Q-9: ABOUT HOW MANY HOMESCHOOLERS ARE THERE IN JAPAN?
A-9: More than 120,000 children are reportedly avoiding school or
refusing school at the primary and middle school levels, according to
research by the Ministry of Education. It is hard to say how many of
these are homeschoolers, however, since the research is not divided into
cases of those actively learning outside of school versus otherwise. No
research anywhere has yet been done on how many homeschoolers are in
Japan, so the exact numbers are unknown. [Unofficial estimates place the
number of homeschooled children in Japan at around 2,000 to 3,000
nationwide. --Editor] In any case, the numbers of households that are
choosing homeschooling due to school not suiting their children are
slowly increasing.
Q-10: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING HOMESCHOOLERS IN JAPAN, AS A
WHOLE?
A-10: The biggest problem is that homeschooling remains unknown by many
people in this country. Also, as homeschoolers in Japan are still few in
number, they may be isolated and find it hard to discover new friends,
even if they do create support groups. In cases when children do stay at
home specifically to avoid or refuse school, this is usually with the
idea that their parents will be sending them back to school again
eventually. Few parents are inclined to pursue learning at home.
Q-11: AMONG THOSE FAMILIES IN JAPAN THAT ARE CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES,
WHY ARE MORE AND MORE TURNING TO HOMESCHOOLING?
A-11: For one thing, confidence in schools is beginning to falter because
of physical punishment inflicted on students by teachers, bullying among
children themselves, and a host of other problems. Japanese education is
carried out in an environment where the concept of "doing something
together" is strong, and where there is a strong tendency to reject
differences rather than acknowledge them. At the same time, though, there
are also many parents who criticize such education and, in fact, many
children who are starting to stand up and say "NO!" to school.
Moreover, resources outside of school (such as libraries, art galleries
and museums) have become more abundant. It is also easier to get
information through television, the Internet and whatnot. Lots of
teaching materials are being published these days. Such conditions make
it easier to do homeschooling.
This, of course, speaks to the motivations of those households that have
actually *chosen* to do homeschooling. As mentioned before, while the
numbers of households that choose homeschooling are known to be rising in
Japan, they still are relatively few in this country.
* * * *
> NEXT TIME: Q & A on Homeschooling in Japan -- Part 2* * * *
<<<< LINKING UP:
In this edition of KnoK NEWS, we introduce you to some English-language
websites in Japan. Info on Japanese-language homelearning websites to
come in the near future!
HOMESCHOOLING IN JAPAN
(a) Homeschooling in Japan Home Page:
---> http://www2.gol.com/users/milkat/index.html
This is the main page of the website, which is put together by Katherine
Combs in Tokyo. A great website and gathering place that is long overdue
for homelearners in this country.
(b) Homeschooling in Japan Newsletter Directory:
---> http://www2.gol.com/users/milkat/directory.html
Here are just some of the people on the frontlines who are making
home-based learning and alternative education happen in Japan. Newsletter
editor Aileen Kawagoe is doing a tremendous job of keeping us
homelearners here up to date with literally tons of resource info and
solid contacts, which you too can find at the resources and newsletter
sections of this website.
TOKYO WITH KIDS
---> http://www.tokyowithkids.com/
A fun site for families in the Tokyo area of Japan. TWK is supportive of
homelearners in Japan, of course, and is just an excellent resource all
the way around. Whether you happen to be in Tokyo or somewhere else with
kids, check it out!
JAPAN INFORMATION NETWORK
---> http://jin.jcic.or.jp/stat/category_16.html
For those who like their websites with "just the facts," we offer you
statistics galore. This is a mostly "official" listing of academic stats
about Japan, including educational problems.
* * * *
WISH I'D SAID THAT (Quote of the Day):
*Sixty-six years ago today....
"Real education consists in drawing the best out of yourself. What better
book can there be than the book of humanity?"
--Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi, in *Harijan*, 30 March 1934