Premier Pat Binns signed a letter of intent today in Osaka, Japan to establish a secondary school and English as a Second Language (ESL) program in Osaka and Toyko, Japan, modelled after PEI high schools. The PEI Department of Education will work cooperatively with Canada International College Office Inc., to facilitate the initiative.
The Japanese schools will be organized and operated so that Japanese graduates will qualify for Prince Edward Island high school graduation certificates. Completion of this programme in Japan will allow the students entry into North American post secondary institutions without additional certification. It is anticipated that the enrollment of Japanese foreign students at UPEI will increase because of this initiative.
The Premier met with Sadako Nakano, President of the Canada International College Office Inc., to sign the letter of intent and discuss the project. Under the proposed terms of the agreement, the Canada International College Office Inc. will hire Prince Edward Island certified teachers to teach at the school; use the PEI high school curriculum in the delivery of instruction; and adhere to the courses of study, textbooks, and related materials prescribed by the PEI Department of Education.
Premier Binns is in Japan as part of the Team Canada Trade Mission. The Mission, which is composed of over 200 Canadian business people as well as the Prime Minister and eight Provincial Premiers, will visit Osaka and Tokyo in order to promote trade between Japan and Canada. Japan is the Island's second largest trading partner after the U.S. and offers considerable opportunities for PEI's exporters. The Premier will also visit with representatives from the Japanese tourism industry to discuss methods for increasing the number of Japanese tourists.