How Saitama's early English education made it Japan's top junior high school performer

Saitama City has produced the top performing junior high school students in English in Japan for seven consecutive years, according to a recent education ministry survey. The secret to this accomplishment may lie in the city's early and comprehensive English education from elementary school years. In 2007, Saitama began offering English education in all its municipal elementary schools, and in 2016, it was made an official subject with a heightened emphasis on class hours.

Kiyohito Nakada, the principal of Saitama Municipal Tokiwakita Elementary School, who played a key role in implementing this system, attributes the success to providing twice the standard number of English class hours over six years. This, combined with students developing an "English brain" through consistent exposure and active use of the language, has led to an English proficiency equivalent to Eiken Grade 3 or higher among 88.9% of third-year junior high school students, more than 30 percentage points above the national average of 54.6%.

Nakada emphasizes that the focus of this early English education is not strict grammar and vocabulary, but rather to immerse students in the language, so they can absorb it like second nature. The school aims to cultivate independent, resilient individuals who can thrive in a diverse global society.