One parent forked out S$3,000 for a week-long programme for her daughter, covering school fees and accommodation for the two of them in Japan.
Left: Winnie Chia signed her daughter Leanne up for a week-long exchange programme in Omori town. Right: Ken Sim sent his daughter Eden to a preschool in Ueda for two weeks. SINGAPORE: Leanne Seng flew from Singapore to Tokyo for an exchange programme at a local school in Omori town in October this year.
Leanne is among the Singaporean participants of a programme run by Tokyo-based firm Japan Preschool Exchange. The programmes range from a week to three months, with the most popular options being the one-week and two-week trips, said Ms Chiyu.Another Singaporean preschooler who went on exchange to Japan was five-year-old Eden Sim.
“Each class had 13 students including her. The curriculum consisted of half a day of academic syllabus and half a day of outdoor play,” said Mr Sim. For instance, Leanne had a different experience on each of the five days she attended classes there, said Ms Chia. Ms Chia added that the use of mobile translation apps helped them communicate with the local community.
For her to go on the trip, Mr Sim applied for a leave of absence for Eden from her school, Josiah Montessori at Suntec City. “If you are introverted and, for example, if you are crying daily at the school dropoff, then a bit no point,” said Ms Chia. By bringing more foreign families to these places, the programme also sustains the local community by giving its economy a boost, she said.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the country welcomed 591,267 visitors from Singapore last year, surpassing bigger countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. In the first half of this year alone, 300,000 people from Singapore travelled to Japan. Studies have shown that young children need a wide range of everyday experiences and adult interactions to thrive, she said.
Early Childhood Children Parenting Preschools
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
US House to vote to provide US$3 billion to remove Chinese telecoms equipmentWASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote next week on an annual defense bill that includes just over $3 billion for U.S. telecom companies to remove equipment made by Chinese telecoms firms Huawei and ZTE from American wireless networks to address security risks.
Read more »
Pant, Iyer Smash IPL Auction Records With $3 Million-Plus DealsRishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer signed for record-breaking deals at the IPL auction, shattering previous records set in the world's richest T20 tournament.
Read more »
Retiree transfers up to $99,999 to scammers multiple times, thinking the amounts are verification codesWhen told by a “police officer” that she might be implicated in money laundering, a woman feared she would be dragged into the $3 billion case.
Read more »
725 jobseekers fighting for one job vacancy are 'worse than BTO application' — Singaporean laments%
Read more »
India Proposes 'One Nation, One Election' BillIndia's ruling BJP party aims to streamline elections with a new bill proposing simultaneous state and national polls. While the government claims this will save billions, opposition parties raise constitutional concerns.
Read more »
'I don't want to know how much I've lost': Scam victim keyed in 5-digit 'verification codes' that were actual amounts of moneySINGAPORE — When told by a 'police officer' that she might be implicated in money laundering, a woman feared she would be dragged into the $3 billion case. Wanting to be known only as Grace, the retiree, 67, said that even though she was never involved in crime, she thought about Singapore's biggest money laundering case that saw 10 foreigners...
Read more »