The Japan Council of International Schools (JCIS) is an association of international schools in Japan. All member schools provide education in English. The smallest JCIS member school has fewer than 100 students and the largest has more than 1,500.
Heads of JCIS schools communicate on both a day-to-day basis about matters of common interest. Topics range from reviews of service providers and employment legislation to dealing with pandemics (
bird flu
"Bird Flu" is an urumee melam-dance song by recording artist M.I.A. on her second studio album ''Kala'' (2007). It was released as a digital download in 2006 through XL Recordings under exclusive license to Interscope Records in the US. Cri ...
natural disaster
A natural disaster is "the negative impact following an actual occurrence of natural hazard in the event that it significantly harms a community". A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some econ ...
s. Regular meetings are held for heads and curriculum coordinators at JCIS member schools throughout the year. Schools also the costs of visiting speakers or performers. The council also offers subsidies to promote collaborative
professional development
Professional development is learning to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees to formal coursework, attending conferences, and informal learning
Informal learning is characterized "by a low degree of planning and ...
within the JCIS community.
In addition, council members often collaborate on projects, such as coordinating volunteer efforts after the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...
and publishing a book of teaching activities for Japanese classes in 1997.
History
Since 1872, schools offering an education in English and serving the expatriate community have existed in Japan. Four current JCIS member schools can trace their origins to before the First World War. The number of schools burgeoned in the 1950s and 1960s. When school representatives met for the first time in October 1965, they discovered that they shared many of the same problems.
The Japanese Council of Overseas Schools (JCOS) was established in 1972. At first, membership was only open to East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS) in Japan. In 1982, membership was widened to include any school that offered its curriculum in English. In 1987, the name was changed to the Japan Council of International Schools, or JCIS, to mirror the European Council of International Schools (ECIS).
Aoba-Japan International School
Aoba-Japan International School is an international school in Tokyo, with campuses in Nerima and Meguro.
Introduction and history
Aoba-Japan International School was initially founded as Aoba International School (AIS) in 1976 by Regina M. Doi i ...
Christian Academy in Japan
(CAJ), established in 1950, is a private Christian school in the city of Higashikurume, Tokyo, Japan that provides a Christian American-style education in English. As of 2010, CAJ had over 465 students, from kindergarten through high school. Abo ...
The Montessori School of Tokyo
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
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Nagoya International School
Nagoya International School (NIS) is a private non-sectarian day school in Nagoya, Japan. Instruction is in English. The co-educational school serves students in preschool through high school. Graduates earn a standard NIS diploma or an Internation ...
Tsukuba International School
Tsukuba International School (つくばインターナショナルスクール, TIS) is a private, non-profit school for English-speaking children in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. It was established by the foreign community in 1992 in response to t ...
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Yokohama International School
is a co-educational international school located in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan.
The school consists of a pre-school (Early Learning Centre), a kindergarten/ elementary school (grades K-5), a middle school (6-8) and a high school (9-12), covering ...
Statement on Child Protection
In accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Articles 19 and 34) the Japan Council of International Schools acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We are committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflecting statutory responsibilities, government guidance, and compliance with best practice and accrediting body requirements.
Each JCIS school has the following:
* Staff Code of Conduct
* Effective recruiting practice with a specific attention to child protection
* Reporting Guidelines
* Ongoing child safety education for school community
* Published child protection policy to both internal and external audiences