Japanese classes to count toward high school graduation

Change takes effect in fiscal 2023 to better accommodate non-native speakers

20220321N Foreign student

A Philippine man who attends high school in Tokyo takes an online Japanese language class as part of extracurricular activities. (Photo by Koji Uema)

EUGENE LANG and YUTA SHIMASAKI, Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO -- Foreign high school students across Japan will be able to count Japanese language classes toward their graduation requirements starting in fiscal 2023, as the country works to make its education system more accessible to non-native speakers.

The Education Ministry will update relevant regulations this month so that specialized language classes can count toward up to around 30% of credits needed for graduation. Students can receive the classes at their own schools or at other institutions.

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