Tokyo Weekender - February 2016

EDUCATION SPECIAL
OPENING DOORS IN
EARLY EDUCATION
For 30 years, ai International has been providing young learners with a
warm environment for exploration, education, and collaboration
Founded 30 years ago, ai International
School doesn’t chase
trends. Instead, they rely on
tried-and-true methods based
around the heart of their programs
since opening. As School Director
Eri Ogawa says, “Our focus isn’t just on
English language. We don’t want to be
defined as an ‘eikaiwa,’ because we aren’t.
It’s the international factor that we put
emphasis on.”
Eri explains that the school offers
head starts and opportunities she wishes
she had. “The world is a large place, and
there is much more to learn out there,
than if you stay in one neighborhood.
Students aged 18 months to 6 years
explore language, math, science, music,
and art through hands-on and play-based
activities prepared using resources and
materials from around the world. “Our
teachers help the students put on a huge
show each year,” Eri explains. Children
are given control of their roles with the
guidance from their teachers “so they can
learn to be responsible and be confident
and showcase their own talent.” Parents
often see marked progress in their children’s
knowledge and personal achievements.
Some of the greatest pride that Eri has
is for her teachers, most of whom have
been here for over 10 years, and who
collaborate and design their curriculum
through constant communication.
“Because the teachers are well trained
and aware of their roles at the school, we
resolve any issues that come up together.
We have a strong and trusting relationship
and we work as a team.“
Classes here are all-day, everyday
investments, another difference from
chain schools offering 30 to 60-minute
lessons once a week. Moreover,
“all activities are tailor-made to
each student. Everyone here gets
the attention they deserve.” Those
sentiments remain from the earliest
days of the school. In a time when
children with special needs were
kept in the shadows, ai International
School opened doors.
“Even now, our door is still
open to everyone. No discrimination of
race, creed or abilities.” Eri leans forward,
knitting her fingers. “I, or the teachers,
have sat with our parents many times to
explain autism or other conditions and
how to better support their kids to further
their growth. No challenge is unmet. Nothing’s
changed since then. We are honoring
that 30 years of open door policy today.”
Instill responsibility,
inspire them from a
young age, and they’ll
do the rest.
The testament to her confidence is the
classrooms. Large and warmly lit by sunlight
that streams in from a large side-windows,
the rooms are framed by brightly
colored walls. Redecorated and refurbished
for the school’s 30th anniversary, they
feature warmed wooden flooring
and are full of mats, ABC charts,
world maps, and walls of books.
The whole place is designed to
enhance learning.
The children are eating now;
a little while later they will have
their naps and play at the park.
Faces from around the world
are full of smiles. Kids spring up
to introduce their best friends,
read aloud pages from their
favorite books, and ask questions.
They’re chattering away in
English effortlessly. “Our children are not
bound by inhibitions or overprotectiveness
that limits their potentials. They are free to
be who they are,” Eri says.
The school defies trends in another
fashion: they don’t rely on technology
for its own sake. “We believe in the old
school, tech-free teaching methods. At
such a tender age, the children need
a foundation in the basic life skills. In
some ways, technology can interfere with
creativity and our young ones learn best
through movement, hands-on tasks, and
interaction with each other.”
Lunch wraps up, and children clean
their space. An experienced teacher holds
up a book to pull them into the next lesson.
Eri beams. “We instill in the kids a strong
sense of responsibility from a young age.
They learn to clean up after themselves
and to help each other out. ai is, their
second home, after all.”
ai International School is no longer
the only international school in the Azabu
area, but it remains steadfast to its original
spirit, maintaining the same, affordable
rates from years before, allowing them to
put education first. As Eri explains, “this
choice is not just for parents for now, it’s
not just a decision for kindergarten: it’s a
decision for life.”
For more information about
ai International School:
Web: www.aiinternationalschool.com
Address: 5-4-1-3F, Mita, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, 108-0073
Email: info@aiinternationalschool.com