Page 5 - ELG1601 Oct Issue 440

elAsia Pacific 2016

An EL Gazette supplement with the British Council: English language and international education

Japan sees enrol 30 per cent of their students

from among Hong Kong citizens.
Increasingly, residents want to
rise in visa raise their children in an English-
speaking environment, and ESF
has seen a 5 per cent rise in the
total number of applications.
factories Parents are disgruntled not only by
the financial cost of attempting to
get into an ESF institution but also
by the difficulty of its exams.
This has fuelled the growing
market for international schools,
MELANIE BUTLER life savings to send them to school especially those run by British
writes in Japan, have turned to working independent schools – and Hong
longer hours. a nepalese student Courtesy Jason Powers Kong is not unique. Harrow also has
Japan’s neeD for more Jap- told the Japan Times, ‘many stu- schools in Shanghai, Beijing and
anese-speaking migrant workers dents fall asleep during class Bangkok. Wellington has schools in
has led to the emergence of ‘visa because they work too hard.’ Shanghai and Beijing, while Dulwich
factory’ schools, with one school the number of language has an astonishing seven, in
official recently arrested in south- schools rose 20 per cent in the unexpected locations such as
western nogota. students enrolled three years to 2015, and control Boom in international schools Myanmar.
in Japanese language schools have of the sector was transferred from In Hong Kong the increasing
the right to work 28 hours a week. the ministry of education to the The opening of Mount Kelly Harrow is not the only demand for English-medium
the situation has led to ministry of Justice, responsible International School, a Hong Kong international school to raise its fees. schools is partly due to a state-
unscrupulous agents and a fight for immigration. However, the branch of the UK independent Cuts in government subsidies have school ethos which has been
between immigration officials accreditation scheme, run by the school, has been postponed after led to an increase in prices at the blamed for causing student anxiety.
and educational bureaucrats for association for the promotion of problems with its planning English Schools Foundation (ESF) One survey of 10,000 pupils earlier
control of accreditation. in short, Japanese language education, permission application, according schools, the biggest group of this year found that over half of
Japan is beginning to see the was dissolved, leading to a decline to the Education Bureau, writes international schools in the region. secondary school pupils showed
emergence of the great ‘bogus in standards, educationalists say. Bradley Butler. ESF was created by the former signs of depression, according to
schools, bogus students’ debate ‘increasing the quality of And Harrow International School, British administration as a not-for- the South China Morning Post. One
which has long hit the headlines Japanese language schools is the first UK-style independent profit organisation to provide primary parent told the paper, ‘I
in english-speaking countries. practically a national policy,’ an school to operate in the Hong non-selective English-medium don’t want my son to spend two
Japan has long restricted the education ministry official told Kong Special Autonomous Region, education to Hong Kong Chinese and hours on homework every day,
use of migrant labour. However, the Japan Times, ‘but bureau- has doubled its school fees, a hike expatriate children. Since Hong Kong without any life. The local system is
faced with an ageing popula- cracy is getting in the way.’ it justifies as ‘necessary to fund returned to China in 1997, ESF all about homework and
tion and a declining birthrate the the ministry of Justice is con- the school’s expansion plan’. schools have only been permitted to examination.’
government has begun to ease centrating on illegal migration,
restrictions through measures such not educational standards. Raids
as changing visa requirements for on language schools are increas-
‘highly skilled foreign profession- ingly common, including those that schools failing to meet them
als’ in 2015. extending student where Western students are used will have their licences revoked.
work rights, previously restricted as ‘volunteer english teachers’, meanwhile in Vietnam com-
to foreigners enrolled at Japanese but language school owners are plaints have begun to surface about
universities, to those studying in rarely charged, with police prefer- language travel agents overcharg-
the country’s language schools ring to concentrate on deporting ing students for placing them in
is seen as a measure designed students. in the recent case in private language schools in Japan.
to make it easier for would-be nogata, reported on page 3 of this although commissions from the
migrants to pass the country’s issue, a senior member of staff was schools remain at 10 per cent
stringent language requirements. arrested, a sign that the authorities – low by comparison with lan-
this has led to an increase in are increasingly aware of the role guage schools in english-speaking
the number of students arriving of corrupt school owners in work- markets – students are routinely
from poorer asian countries such rights scandals. overcharged for the costs of fees
as Vietnam, which now makes up according to the Japanese press, and accommodation. One inves-
the largest number of new migrants the school in the nogota case is tigation by Vietnamnet revealed
into the country, nepal and myan- accused of encouraging students to that two students had been over-
mar. many need to work to pay take two jobs, finding them work charged 90 million dong (£3,000)
their living expenses but, accord- and advising them to set up separate or 42 per cent of the cost price of a
ing to students interviewed in the bank accounts to avoid problems six-month trip. in august Vietnam
Japan Times, the permitted 28 with the immigration authorities. abolished its licensing system for
hours a week is simply not enough Following such incidents, the min- educational agents, citing the need
to make ends meet. Often students, istry of Justice plans to introduce to reduce bureaucracy and increase
whose families have spent their national standards, with the pledge consumer choice. n

Vietnam to raise its game

Vietnam plans to make students will do all presentations students from grade three (8 and
english the second language of and class discussions in eng- 9 years old) and above will have
its universities. the minister of lish too. according to Vietnam four english lessons a week, the
education, phung Xuan nha, news, the ministry will help website reported.
announced in august a roadmap universities in ‘training capable Despite the ambitious plan,
to achieve the goal this aca- english teachers through new the present state of english
demic year, urging universities to programmes that focus on train- proficiency in the country is
‘improve their english teaching ing in remote areas’. regarded as poor. the ministry
methods’, Vietnam news reports. Currently, the english lan- has admitted that Vietnam has a
Under the foreign language guage is only mandatory in shortage of 7,700 teachers, and
teaching plan, around 61 univer- secondary schools from grade only a third of english teach-
sities and academies must reach ten (15 and 16 years old) ers at primary and high schools
asean (association of south onwards, and is an optional sub- meet teaching standards. n
east asian nations) teaching ject in primary schools, with
standards and should start using one or two lessons a week. But See page vii for more on
english at meetings. University under the new plan, from 2018 teaching English in Vietnam

Inside your 8-page Asia Pacific supplement:

Korea (left) page ii
Taiwan page ii
Malaysia page iii
Vietnam (right) page vii
China page vii

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