![\"Et\u014d](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783909165_151_3033819.jpg\")
<\/a>Et\u014d Rieko conducts a remote Japanese language class through connected computers. (\u00a9\u00a0Tanaka Keitar\u014d)<\/p>\n
These classes were part of a trial program conducted by the Fukuoka Municipal Board of Education from January to March. The Board sought to evaluate the benefits and challenges of providing Japanese language instruction to children with foreign roots using computers at their schools and homes.<\/p>\n
Children participating on computers were able to stay focused thanks to monitoring by parents or teachers at their sides. When the students used paper and pencils, the adults adjusted the cameras so the teacher could see their work, enabling two-way interaction.<\/p>\n
Reducing the Burden at Schools and Homes<\/p>\n The purpose of online classes is to reduce the burden on schools and families of children learning Japanese while ensuring that they have access to educational opportunities.<\/p>\n The Board of Education had been strengthening its support system in line with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) guideline of providing one teacher for every 18 students who require Japanese language instruction. In the 2025 school year, it assigned Japanese language teachers in 12 of the city\u2019s 146 elementary schools and 6 out of 72 junior high schools. Under this system, students were to go to the schools with the language teachers and attend Japanese classes there.<\/p>\n However, Abe Mayuko, the chief supervising instructor in the School Planning Division of the Guidance Department, explained that this arrangement was inconvenient for some students. \u201cGetting to other schools could take more than an hour. It\u2019s a burden on the parents who transport them there. Online classes could help ease this.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Abe, another reason for introducing online classes was the sharp increase expected in the number of foreign students during the school year.<\/p>\n MEXT decides the number of Japanese language teachers to be assigned based on the number of students as of May 1, a month into the academic year beginning in April. However, in Fukuoka, the number of foreign students increases notably in May and September, which are transitional periods in the school calendars of many of their home countries. In the 2025 school year, there were 527 students requiring Japanese instruction as of May 1, but that number jumped to 744 by the end of December. Although part-time teachers are recruited whenever the number of students increases, securing enough staff has not been easy, and the situation puts additional pressure on schools. Online teaching is seen as an effective way to reduce regional disparities even while schools wait to secure additional teachers.<\/p>\n In the trial program, students were divided into two groups\u2014first through fourth grade students, and fifth through ninth graders\u2014and each group received ten 45-minute lessons. In-person Japanese instruction is mainly conducted one-on-one, but with online classes, multiple students are taught at once. Learning with other students, even online, gives students a sense of connection because they can see each other\u2019s faces, and the Board believes that this may boost their motivation to learn.<\/p>\n Seeking Insight into the Effectiveness of ICT<\/p>\n In its Comprehensive Measures for Acceptance and Orderly Coexistence of Foreign Nationals set forth in January 2026, the Japanese government included multilingual translation systems and information and communication technology as solutions to be used in children\u2019s Japanese language education. Many schools in areas where foreign residents are concentrated are able to secure the number of teachers needed under the \u201c18 students to one teacher\u201d standard. But in areas with sparser foreign populations, it can be difficult to secure the teaching resources to handle the smaller numbers of children in each area. This also increases the burden on schools, but the use of ICT could help ease these challenges to an extent.<\/p>\n However, as Et\u014d Rieko notes, teaching online classes is no simple undertaking. \u201cThey\u2019re totally different from in-person classroom lessons,\u201d she says. Online lessons are generally seen as more difficult for keeping students focused, and the challenge is even greater for younger learners and children with foreign roots who are still developing their Japanese skills.<\/p>\n In the trial program, Et\u014d made efforts to communicate effectively through the screen by using large gestures and movements. The Board designed the lesson slides using Canva, a free design tool, referring to worksheets created by educators elsewhere in Japan. Animations and timers were also added to keep a hold on students\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n One thing Et\u014d struggles with is eye contact. If she looks at the children on the screen while speaking, she is no longer looking at the camera. \u201cIf I don\u2019t speak straight to the camera, the children won\u2019t feel like I\u2019m looking at them. I normally don\u2019t teach while looking at the camera, so it\u2019s a challenge,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<\/a>
In online classes, cameras also show the children\u2019s hands so the teacher can monitor their progress. (\u00a9\u00a0Tanaka Keitar\u014d)<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
The teacher\u2019s pen marks\u2014here a red circle indicating the eraser on the desk\u2019s corner\u2014are made visible in real time on the children\u2019s screens. (\u00a9\u00a0Tanaka Keitar\u014d)<\/p>\n