Gov't to use AI to help teach Japanese to kids with foreign roots
Guidelines are expected to be drawn up to utilize generative AI for effective teaching methods for other subjects in addition to Japanese, amid a shortage of staff who can accommodate the native tongues of varying languages such as Portuguese, Chinese and Spanish.
The education ministry plans to include related expenses in its budget request for fiscal 2026 starting next April to complete the guidelines within the year at the earliest, the sources said.
There were around 69,000 students who required Japanese language instruction enrolled in public elementary, junior high and high schools and special needs schools as of May 2023, the highest number since the survey began in fiscal 1991, according to the ministry.
But around 10 percent of the students are not receiving Japanese language support in-class or after school.
The education ministry plans to develop a system that incorporates translation apps powered by generative AI and online teaching into schools, aiming to provide high-quality education regardless of the students' background.
The guidelines will not only outline teaching methods for Japanese and other subjects, but also the measures necessary for schools to smoothly accept students with foreign roots into schools.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will also conduct research on effective collaboration between teachers, Japanese language instructors, and native language support staff.
It also plans to expand budget requests from fiscal 2025 to subsidize local governments to hire such language instructor and support staff and hold guidance programs to promote school enrollment for foreign children who are not attending school.
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