Japan to introduce certification for Japanese-language teachers

TOKYO -- The Japanese government plans to establish a new national certification for Japanese-language teachers to ensure the quality of lessons at language schools for international students in Japan, according to a draft report compiled Tuesday by an expert panel with the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Under the new system, instructors will have to be certified to teach Japanese at language schools. The report does not say when the new system will be introduced. The number of Japanese-language schools has been increasing rapidly, along with the foreign student population, but critics have pointed out variations in teacher quality.