Explicit Institutional Discourse: Inviting Only Specific Students

Although there are differences among the nine Hoshuko, they share many institutional policies and concepts in common. In this section (4.2.1), I specifically look at the school aims and purposes of those Hoshuko in order to explore institutional perceptions regarding Hoshuko education, the targeted students, and the teaching contents. As Wales-Hoshuko does not provide details of educational aims on its website, the following discussion is mainly based on data from the other eight Hoshuko.

One striking feature is that four Hoshuko make it explicit on their websites that their services are for families of future returnees, some clarifying that by this we are to understand children of ‘professional expatriates’ (henceforth PE) (Derby-Hoshuko, n.d.; London-Hoshuko, n.d.; Machester-Hoshuko, n.d.; NortheastEngland-Hoshuko, n.d.).

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These four Hoshuko state that their aim is to foster the foundational competence of children, so that they could (re-)adapt to the Japanese education system upon their return. We can see in the following some example statements (London-Hoshuko, n.d.; NortheastEngland-Hoshuko, n.d.: emphases and underlines added by the author):

London-Hoshuko-1: In order for those Japanese children who attend British local schools or international schools etc., to master the foundational competence of re-adapting to the school life on return, through Kokugo [Japanese language and literature] education according to the Japanese Course of Study.

英国の学校や国際学校に在籍している英国在住の日本人子女等に対して、学習指導要領に 準じた国語教育を行うことを通し て、帰国後の学校生活に順応できる素地を養うこと。

NortheastEngland-Hoshuko-1: To implement complementary education for those children of professional expatriates in Northeast England region, in order for them to be able to adapt smoothly to the school life when they will enrol to Japanese school education on their return, by fostering the Japanese language skills which is the foundation of all learning, and by experiencing the (Japanese way of) school life.

日本から北東イングランド地区へ派遣されている駐在員等の子供達が、将来、日本へ帰国 し、日本の学校教育を受ける場合に円滑に学校生活に適応できるよう、学校生活を経験さ せ、全ての 学習の基礎となる国語力を身につけさせるための、補習教育を行なわせること を目的とする。

In addition, as seen in the above two excerpts, many Hoshuko declare that they are following the Japanese domestic education systems (Derby-Hoshuko, n.d.; London- Hoshuko, n.d.; Scotland-Hoshuko, n.d.; YorkshireHumberside-Hoshuko, n.d.) and/or aiming to enhance children’s experience of ‘Japanese school life’ or ‘Japanese school cultures’27 (Derby-Hoshuko, n.d.; Machester-Hoshuko, n.d.; Telford-Hoshuko, n.d.; YorkshireHumberside-Hoshuko, n.d.) – see underlined statements above as examples. As a whole, with the one exception of Kent-Hoshuko28, it is obvious that there is a strong discourse emphasizing that Hoshuko are specifically designed for ‘future returnees’ – more specifically, for ‘children of PE families’ – who prepare for their return to Japan. When comparing it with the ambiguous and implicit governmental discourse regarding this, it is interesting to see how Hoshuko institutionally express it in much stronger and explicit ways. This may be due to the fact that the founders of these Hoshuko consisted mostly of PE families. The history of Hoshuko establishment

27 _{See further discussion about their perception of Japanese ‘school life’ and ‘school cultures’ in section}

4.2.2.

28 _{It is noted that Kent-Hoshuko is established in 2005, the newest Hoshuko in the UK. See further}

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seemingly still plays an important role. For example, when school chairs are nominated from among the parents, some schools’ regulations specify that the candidate must be working for the local Japanese companies, that is, a chair should be chosen from professional expatriates (Derby-Hoshuko, n.d.; Scotland-Hoshuko, n.d.; Telford- Hoshuko, n.d.; Wales-Hoshuko, n.d.). Importantly, such regulations confer different powers upon PE families and other families, reinforcing and strengthening the institutional discourse mentioned above.

4.2.2 ‘Japanese School Culture’: Essentialist Views towards Japanese Education

One recurring expression in institutional statements of aims refers to the existence of a so-called ‘Japanese school culture’, which deserves a closer look. In the following excerpts from some Hoshuko policy documents, institutions explicitly invoke such a ‘Japanese school culture’ (Derby-Hoshuko, n.d.; Machester-Hoshuko, n.d.; Telford- Hoshuko, n.d.; YorkshireHumberside-Hoshuko, n.d.: emphasis added by the author):

Manchester-Hoshuko-1: Hoshuko is the educational institution providing the main subjects’ foundation knowledge, skills and Japanese school culture through the medium of Japanese for those children who are attending the local schools and are occupied largely by foreign culture/language/learning in terms of time and perception, to be able to adapt smoothly to the re-enrolment into schools in Japan.

補習授業校（補習校）は、月曜日から金曜日まで現地校に通学し、時間的にも感覚的にも 外国文化・言語・学習 が圧倒的に大きな位置を占めている子供たちに、再び日本国内の学 校に編入した際にスムーズに適応できるよう、基幹 教科の基礎的基本知識・技能および日 本の学校の文化を、日本語によって学習する教育施設です。

Telford-Hoshuko-1: (We have) a mission to implement complementary classes mainly in Japanese for those children who are at compulsory education level, and who live in the Midlands region in the UK. The aim of the school is to maintain all the children’s Japanese skills, and for children to experience the Japanese school culture as much as possible.

本校は英国ミッドランド地区に在留する日本人の義務教育年齢の子どもに国語を中心とし た補習授業を行なうことを使命とする。テルフォード補習校の設置目的は、子ども達すべ てが日本語力を保持発展させ、可能な範囲で日本の学校文化を体験していくことにありま す。

Derby-Hoshuko-1: … Those children who attend local school from Monday to Friday, and come to this school on Saturday, learn the subjects of Japanese and Maths according to the Japanese Course of Study. In addition, (they also learn) Japanese culture, school culture and ways of thinking as a Japanese through community life.

子どもたちは月曜日から金曜日までは、言語を克服しながらも現地校で学び、土曜日は本 校に通学して、日本の学習指導要領に準じた国語科、算数・数学科を履修 します。合わせ て、日本文化、学校文化、日本人としてのものの考え方など、集団生活を通じて学びます。

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YorkshireHumberside-Hoshuko-1: (The purpose of the classes is) to implement Japanese education according to the education standards in Japan, in order for children to maintain and develop Japanese skills, and experience Japanese culture and Japanese school culture.

授業目的 日本国内の教育基準に準じた内容の日本語教育を行い、日本語能力の維持･向上と 日本の文化および日本の学校文化を体験することを目的とする。

As seen in the underlined statements, all the Hoshuko cited above consider teaching ‘Japanese school culture’ just as important as Kokugo and Sansu subject knowledge. Some schools also list up other teaching content such as Japanese culture – not ‘Japanese school culture’ in specific but ‘Japanese culture’ in general. Compared with subject knowledge and skills defined in the national curriculum, the concrete contents of other categories, such as ‘Japanese school culture’ and ‘Japanese culture’ are ambiguous. Therefore, I will continue the exploration of school perceptions of those by looking at concrete school practices as stated in their documents.

One of the most explicit elements of ‘Japanese school culture’ found on their website is that Hoshuko’s implementation of specifically Japanese school events and activities. For example London-Hoshuko (n.d.) states the following:

London-Hoshuko-2: (We do) various school events, such as entrance ceremony, graduation ceremony, parents’ class observation day, class meeting, sports-festival in order for children to experience Japanese-like school experience.

入学式 卒業式 授業参観 学級懇談会 運動会 など日本的な学校体験をさせる意味で、 さまざまな学校行事を行っていま す。

While similar school events might also take place in the local mainstream schools, Hoshuko emphasise that they implement these events in similar ways to the ones in Japan. London-Hoshuko also shows that they celebrate seasonal events, considered as one typical example of ‘Japanese culture’:

London-Hoshuko-3: Also, (we have) a gathering for Koinobori [flying carp festival], for Tanabata [star festival] and Hyakunin-issyu [a classical Japanese anthology card game of one hundred Japanese poems by one hundred poets] competition.

「こいのぼり集会」 「たなばた集会」 「百人一首大会」 なども行っています。

Similar statements about Japanese ‘school events’ and ‘seasonal events’ are found at other Hoshuko as well. All the Hoshuko, except for Kent-Hoshuko which does not specifically mention about any school events, have an explicit statement that their

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school curriculum involves Japanese school events (e.g., entrance/graduate ceremony, parents’ observation day, sports festival). This means that even those schools which do not state explicitly in their school purposes that they aim for children to experience Japanese school events, eight Hoshuko out of nine, at least, actually involve such practices in their school curriculum. Moreover, all nine Hoshuko celebrate Japanese- specific seasonal events – Japanese culture – in their school practices (e.g., star festival). Thus, it is safe to assume that such cultural practices are regarded as important teaching contents at Hoshuko.