ASAHI GAKUEN

Mission Statement

[ ABOUT US ] Established by the Japan Business Association of Southern California in 1969, Asahi Gakuen is a non-profit organization specializing in Japanese education for children in southern California. We receive financial and operational support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. Asahi Gakuen operates as a Saturday school (full day) with campuses in four areas: the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Torrance Unified School District, the Garden Grove Unified School District, and the EI Monte Union High School District. We have about 1,350 students and 130 teachers, including four teachers assigned by the Japanese government. We are one of the largest Japanese Saturday schools in the world. [ SCHOOL CURRICULUM ] Our program encompasses one year of kindergarten education, six years of elementary school education (grades 1-6), three years of middle school education (grades 7-9), and two years of high school education (grades 10-11) for the further development of students. Our elementary and middle school education is based on the same curriculum prescribed by the Japanese government, and is thus of the same high quality as education in Japan. Our students study Japanese language, mathematics, social studies, and science. All classes are taught in Japanese using authorized textbooks and supplementary materials written in Japanese. Due to the limited number of annual school days, our students are given large amounts of homework, in order to keep up with their grade level in Japan. Our education is designed to produce students who are functionally literate in Japanese. [ JAPANESE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ] Our students are expected to demonstrate the same kind of proficiency in Japanese that students in local schools demonstrate in English. Using Japanese, our students are tested in mathematics, science, and social studies according to the guideline established by the Japanese government. Student grades are based on test scores, attendance, and homework. By the time our students graduate, they have acquired Japanese language skills that, together with their English language skills, make them functionally bilingual.