Why get this qualification?
- If you want to work as an English teacher or assistant at a nursery school or kindergarten in Japan, this qualification is very helpful.
- Many foreign children attend Japanese nursery schools. Cultural and language differences can be hard for children, parents, and teachers.
- As a bilingual childcare assistant, you can support them and make everyone feel more comfortable.
- With a qualification, your salary will be more stable, parents will trust you more, and it will be easier to find a job.
What is Kosodate Shien-in?
- It is a beginner-level childcare qualification.
- Training is short: about 3 months total.
- 2–4 classroom sessions
- About 4 weeks of video learning at home
- 2 days of practical training
- There are assignments such as quizzes, comprehension tests, and reports to submit. (All of them are in Japanese.)
- After finishing, you receive a certificate.
- Compared to the “Hoikushi” license (which takes 3 years and requires high Japanese ability), Kosodate Shien-in is easier and faster.
Training schedule
- The program is different in each prefecture.
- Example Tokyo: 7 days seminar + 2 days observation training
- Example Saitama: 2 days seminar + video learning + 2 days observation training
- The schedule is fixed. You cannot change dates
Subjects you will study
- Life and play of infants
- Development and psychology
- Food and nutrition
- Child health
- CPR (resuscitation)
- Safety and risk management
- Professional ethics
- Special needs (0–2 years old)
- Group discussion
- Local childcare systems
- Orientation and observation practice