東京都、異文化の種に肥料、幸福への架け橋になる夢に向かって　　　　　　　気ままなリライト７３

外国人の子供支援、手厚く　都が事業補助 - 日本経済新聞

With the educational and cultural obstacles many children with international backgrounds are encountering, the Tokyo government is urging local municipalities to enhance the role of local communities in creating a nurturing environment in which those children are encouraged to promote their independence, self-confidence, and sense of belonging, leading to their personal development and emotional well-being. The Tokyo government is providing financial support to municipalities with enthusiasm for meeting the needs of international residents and their children and, assisting those children in navigating the challenges of living and learning in Japan while maintaining their cultural identity and building social connections with local residents with different cultural background.

Behind the urgent and inclusive approach the Tokyo government is taking towards the international residents and their children facing the challenges in finding their footing in the unique Japanese cultural, social and educational norms is an effortful hope to restore Tokyo’s brand image as a welcoming and diverse city. An increasing number of international children have been struggling to take root in the Japanese educational soil and unable to find the nourishment they need to grow in their own way. That has been threating to dampen the city’s reputation as a global hub for education and culture. The number of international children living in Japan who are given educational opportunities to learn Japanese language in public schools increased from 33,000 in fiscal 2012 to 58,000 in fiscal 2021. Among the prefectures with the highest number of international children of school age was Aichi Prefecture with 13,000, followed by Kanagawa Prefecture with 7,300 and Tokyo with 4,600. Nearly 10,000 out of the 58,000 children requiring careful nurturing to bloom with the fertilizer of Japanese language were finding attending school unattractive, meaningless or were remaining untraceable.

The Tokyo government is pursuing to invest educational and financial resources in nurturing the seeds in young overseas children to grow to their fullest potential and making the unfamiliar soil feel more comfortable and adaptable through support programs, such as language assistance, mentorship initiatives, and cultural exchange activities. With the idea of a kids’ cross-cultural social hub as a stronghold to cultivate support programs through local municipalities, in the fiscal 2023 budget, the Tokyo government is allocating 80 million yen to support the creation of kid’s cross-cultural social hubs in local municipalities. Out of the budget, 50 million yen is designated for two municipalities planning to establish a kids’ cross-cultural hub each. The government will cover the full cost of setting up the hub, up to 30 million yen, and half the cost of tending to the transplanted saplings in the local community, up to 10 million yen.

The kids’ cross-cultural social hubs are designed to fulfill various roles, with four key roles as follows. First, through mentorship, they offer customized guidance on adapting to Japanese social norms, helping children with language barriers avoid feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to prioritize the forest over individual trees. Second, they share wisdom on preventing their own cultural and personal values from withering, either under or away from the scorching temperatures of the Japan's academic record-oriented education system too rigid to accommodate the diverse needs and growth patterns of children with international roots. Third, the hubs offer stress management techniques to maintain the vibrant colors of self-esteem in the face of harsh winds or storms of bullying or discrimination due to cultural, linguistic, or racial differences. Fourth, they organize community events where both Japanese and non-Japanese families gather to make their children with international roots realize a sense of belonging in local communities while reminding them of their own cultural identity and heritage through cultural exchange. These events include sports activities, arts and crafts workshops, and seasonal festivals.