［August 2021］
Initiating New Cultural Exchange Partnerships with Japanese Schools

School cultural exchange is one of the prevalent forms of interaction between Australia/New Zealand and Japan. This form of exchange is conducted between sister cities, sister schools, and other schools that have an international cultural exchange program. It is estimated that there are some hundreds of sister schools between Australia/New Zealand and Japan. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we were informed that many students who returned from student exchange had expressed that they had thoroughly enjoyed the school life, homestay experience and the difference in culture at their partnering school in Australia/New Zealand or Japan. Even amidst the current pandemic, many students continue to enjoy cultural exchange through online based school exchange activities.

In recent years English has become a compulsory subject in Japanese primary schools. Primary and secondary school students in Japan are eager to communicate with native English-speaking students and learn about school lives and society in Australia and New Zealand. Reciprocally, school students in Australia and New Zealand can learn about the Japanese language, culture and society through interactions with students from Japan.

The CLAIR Sydney website has a dedicated webpage with a list of schools in both Australia and New Zealand that have expressed interest in establishing cultural exchange programs with schools in Japan. CLAIR Sydney has received multiple inquiries from schools in Japan about establishing school cultural exchange programs, including virtual-based programs, with schools in Australia and New Zealand.

If your school is interested in establishing a partnership for cultural exchange with Japanese schools and would like to have your school’s information listed on the CLAIR Sydney webpage, please download the School Exchange Form from the following link: <https://www.jlgc.org.au/international-exchange-2/sister-school-exchange/form/>. Please email your completed form to us at <mailbox@jlgc.org.au>. CLAIR Sydney hopes to support your school’s pursuit of an exchange partner school in Japan by having your school’s information listed on our webpage. We would be overjoyed to be able to connect potential partnering schools and subsequently witness the flourishing online based school cultural exchange during the pandemic. We anticipate that many virtual-based exchange activities between schools will develop into face-to-face interactions after the lifting of the international border restrictions.