The government decided Tuesday on draft legislation to screen and certify Japanese-language schools to ensure their quality by setting standards, including on the number of teachers and educational content.
In the legislation, eyed for enforcement in April 2024 after its enactment in the current parliamentary session, the government also requires instructors at certified schools to obtain a new national qualification for teaching Japanese.
The government's move to strengthen surveillance over Japanese-language schools follows cases of questionable management, such as with one operator that was found to be allegedly making illegal job arrangements for foreign students in 2017.