I was surprised to see that there are so many international schools in Japan all together. In fact, there is a very very thick book ( actually, Yellowpages would be about the same thickness....) about them that you can find it on Amazon. The book does a good job listing all the schools, locations, 2-3 pages of description about the school. However, with the digital age, you can find the same info on the schools' websites. Personally, I don't think it's necessary to purchase it. Of course, the book is for reference only. As a parent, you will need to visit the schools to figure out which is the best for your child.
There are probably no less than a dozen international schools within 15 minutes of walking distance from my apartment, which made our decision that much harder( too many to choose from...) We visited ABC, SummerHill, PAL, AIS( Azabu International School) and The Lutheran Church at Roppongi. And here is our impression:
ABC - very structural and VERY VERY academic focus. If we were to send Diego there, I am sure he would learn a lot in a short time. But is it really necessary for a 2 yr-old to learn computer skills and math??? And I really don't feel like paying $200 non-refundable application feejust to get on the waiting list. ( Oh yeah, most popular schools have a pretty extensive waiting list. In fact, Willowbrook's waiting list was 9 months long that we didn't even bother to visit.) Student to teacher ratio: 3:1.
SummerHill - just the right combination of academic+ play that we like for Diego. However, the school seems very corporate like. ( I mean there is nothing wrong with a well-run corporate like pre-school......) Two things I don't like about it: 1) they will hold a child back from advancing to the next class if he or she is not potty-trained. I mean, seriously, what if every other aspect of that child is ready to move ahead?? How can you hold them back for 1 single reason???? 2) The student to teacher ration is 4:1. ( I mean with the price they charge, I think they can easily do better on the ratio.)
PAL - I think the ones in my town back in NJ are better! Why would I want to pay more for less quality?!?
AIS - the perfect one for our Diego :)
Lutheran Church - no to worry, they don't teach anything religious related ( if you don't want your kids to learn that.). It's really NOT a school. It's more like a HUGE playgroup ( or kids' circus ...haha...) with tons and tons of kids running around, screaming and playing. After all, we want Diego to go to a SCHOOL.
And of course, don't take my words for it. Go visit the schools for yourself/your child.
In Part II, I will talk about the co$t of attending the international schools.
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