Education

Nursery Schools (Hoikuen)

Nursery schools take care of children whose parents/guardians are not at home during the daytime. In Sumida City, there are 27 public and 12 private nursery schools.

For an application, please contact the Public Assistance Division, Sumida City Hall, 3rd Floor, Tel. 5608-6154.

Kindergartens (Yochien)

Kindergartens are educational facilities for pre-school aged children, generally those aged four to five. In Sumida City, there are seven kindergartens supported by the city.

For further information, please contact the School Affairs Division, Board of Education, Sumida City Hall, 11th Floor Tel. 5608-6303.

There are also nine private kindergartens in Sumida which accept children between the ages of three to five. Registered Sumida City resident parents/guardians who enroll their children in these private kindergartens are eligible to receive public assistance to help defray expenses.

For further information, please contact the General Affairs Division, Sumida City Hall, 8th Floor, Tel. 5608-6240.

The Education System

Education in Japan comprises the "6-3-3-4" system - six years of elementary school, three years of junior high school, three years of high school, and four years of college or university. The academic year begins in April and ends the following March. Elementary and junior high school education are compulsory. All children reaching six years of age by the end March of that year are eligible to enroll in first-year classes in elementary school.

Elementary Schools (Shogakko) and Junior High Schools (Chugakko)

Since elementary and junior high school education are compulsory, Japanese residents whose children reach elementary school age are notified to enroll their children in school. Children of foreign residents are not required to enroll in Japanese schools, however, they can if they wish to do so. To enroll your children in the public school system, please contact the School Affairs Division, Board of Education, Sumida City Hall, 11th Floor. Please bring your foreign resident registration card with you.
If you want to enroll your children in private school, contact the school directly.
There is no tuition charged in the Japanese public school system, and all books are issued at no cost. However, the cost of school lunches, field trips and excursions, and stationery must be paid by the parents. If you move, get a Certificate of Attending School (Zaigaku shomeisho), and follow the procedures at the Board of Education of your new address (in Sumida, Education Affairs Division, 11th Floor of the City Hall).

Education Allowance (Gaikokujin gakko no gakuhi hojo)

Sumida City offers an educational allowance to help defray educational costs for foreign residents who live in Sumida City. Those who are eligible for the allowance are parents/guardians who enroll their children in schools for foreign children which are comparable to Japanese elementary and junior high schools.

For further information, please contact the General Affairs Division, Sumida City Hall, 8th Floor, Tel. 5608-6240.

High Schools, Colleges and Universities

In Japan, to enroll in a high school, you have to pass an entrance examination. In principle, children eligible to take the entrance examination for high school are those who are 15 years of age or older before April 1 of the year when they take the examination, have finished nine years of education abroad, or graduated or are graduating from a Japanese junior high school. For colleges and universities, eligible applicants must be 18 years of age or older, and have finished nine years of compulsory schooling and three years of high school.