Q: My child came to Japan three years ago and is attending a Japanese junior high school, but is struggling with Japanese. I heard that a friend's child is studying Japanese at a part-time high school. What exactly is a part-time high school?

 

　A: At part-time high schools, lessons focus on the basics and fundamentals, making them easier to understand. This allows even students who are not good at Japanese to be enthusiastic about their studies. Native language support staff are also available to help with both academic and daily life issues. There are night-time courses, which begin around 5:30 in the evening, and day-time courses, which begin around 9:00 in the morning. Students take about four hours of classes per day and graduate in four years.

　Having a high school diploma will often be an advantage when living in Japan, so it would be a good idea to attend and graduate from a part-time high school.