Seeking a Chance to Learn: Students with Overseas Roots

Overview

In spring 2021, Shinji High School in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, set up the first class in the prefecture solely for students with foreign roots. As well as regular subjects, they get special support in an extra one titled "Understanding Japanese." The area's foreign population has surged in recent years. While elementary and junior high schools offer language support, there is hardly any at high schools, so several students have had to give up on studying or pursuing their ambitions. We follow four Japanese Brazilian students at the school as they take a step toward their dreams.