Event Report: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Visit to Shinjuku Ward and Yokohama City for Multicultural Coexistence Efforts

In the Project on Education Support for Migrant Children through Mutual Learning between Thailand and Japan, efforts are being made in Thailand, which accepts many migrants from neighboring countries, to raise awareness of the education system and support Thai language learning so that children of migrant workers can continuously receive public education. To draw on Japan’s experience in multicultural education, officials from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), one of the pilot sites, visited Shinjuku Ward and Yokohama City to observe educational initiatives for children with foreign backgrounds.

The delegation included Mr. Songsorn Kalayanasoontorn (Deputy Director of BMA Education Department), Mr. Dicha Kongsi (Director of Prawet District Office), Mrs. Passara Nateetong (Director of Bang Khuntian District Office), and Mrs. La-or Tunsang (Director of Bangborn District Office.) Ms. Ruksada Kiatmaneerut, Manager of the Japan International Labour Foundation (JILAF)-Thailand, who co-implements this project, participated as an interpreter.
 

In the afternoon, the delegation received a briefing from the Yokohama City Board of Education on the city’s policies. They were impressed by the city’s system of having three initial Japanese language support centers and its capacity to accept children who transfer from overseas into Yokohama schools up to eight times a year. They also appreciated how the accumulation of expertise within the Board of Education has led to effective policy implementation. Additionally, they learned that there are some children who are unable to access the Himawari class, recognizing that while the situations in Japan and Thailand differ, there are shared challenges between the two.

Mr. Songsorn, one of the participants, expressed his admiration for the emphasis on providing equal learning opportunities for both foreign and Japanese students. He was particularly impressed by how the Himawari class offers Japanese language instruction and school life experiences to help foreign students smoothly adapt to life in Japanese schools. He also noted that the training provided by the Yokohama City Board of Education to deepen teachers’ understanding of how to support foreign students left a strong impression.
 
In the future, BMA is considering the establishment of a center like the Shinjuku Multicultural Plaza, the development of a Thai language learning support curriculum, and the implementation of pre-enrollment guidance for parents.

In the pilot regions, SPF will continue to implement training programs for schooling volunteers and Thai language learning support programs equivalent to Japan’s initial Japanese language support, to ensure that children of migrant workers can access public education.