Study abroad at senior high school level has become increasingly popular in Japan in the recent years. This is due to government support for outward mobility for Japanese students with increased scholarships as well as increased awareness about the importance of achieving global skills required to succeed in the job market today. This trend is clearly demonstrated by the results of a survey on international exchange activities of schools published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in October 2017. According to the survey, the number of senior high school students (15-18 years old) who studied at an overseas school for 3 months or more in 2015 increased by 8% (from 3,897 to 4,197)*. Approximately 31,600 students studied abroad for less than 3 months during the same year.

At a recent conference held by JAOS (Japan Association of Overseas Studies: a major association of study abroad agents in Japan) in November 2017, several agents reported that an increasing number of parents are interested in sending their children abroad at a younger age.

These official statistics and reports from local agents strongly suggest that countries such as the US, Australia and Canada are winning in the high school market. The above MEXT survey report demonstrates growth in the number of students for major English speaking countries such as the US (+7.7%), Australia (+13%) and Canada (+23%). Recent statistics by JAOS (2017), which include approximately 16,000 junior and senior high school students, also suggest that Australia and Canada gained more market share overall compared to last year.

The UK, however, has been facing challenges. The MEXT report shows that the number of students who studied at a school in the UK for 3 months or more dropped from 170 in 2013 to 131 in 2015 (23% decrease). The reason behind the fall was the decisions Japanese schools made following the changes to the UK Visas and Immigration SELT testing arrangements in 2015. More recently, one of the major agents partnering with boarding schools reported less recruitment for summer study at UK schools for a different reason; a number of parents chose a summer school at a boarding school in Canada instead of the UK this summer due to security concerns in Europe.

*The survey is based on statistics in 2015 and covers only student mobility that the schools are aware of, so it is possible that individual students going abroad during summer vacation may not be included.

Commentary by Rui Ogura, Projects Officer (Education), Japan

The growth in study abroad at senior high school level is expected to continue as the elementary school curriculum will be revised to double English lesson hours and four skills English tests will be introduced for unified entrance examinations for Japanese universities towards 2020. While perception of security risks in the UK may continue to affect mobility in 2018, the good news is that reputation of educational and cultural experience which Japanese high school students can gain through studying at UK schools has been consistently high amongst local agents. One agent recently commented that major complaints about summer schools in Canada include their lack of student diversity and concentration of specific nationalities including Japanese and that many parents and students in Japan appreciate the diversity of participants on UK summer courses. It is recommended for UK schools offering summer courses for international students to promote the diversity of their student body as well as the safe environment of your school.