Nagoya Junior College (Toyoake City, Aichi Prefecture) has decided to establish a correspondence course in early childhood education (tentative name) in 2027, which will allow students to obtain qualifications as childcare workers and kindergarten teachers (Type 2). The college will apply to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for permission to establish the new course, and to Aichi Prefecture for designation as a childcare worker training facility. If approved, it will be the first of its kind in the Chubu region.
According to Nagoya Junior College, the enrollment capacity is 150 students. Students can obtain a Type 2 kindergarten teacher license in two years and a childcare worker license in three years. In addition to the main campus, there are plans to set up a schooling venue in Tokyo. Childcare practical training required for obtaining the qualifications can be conducted at a childcare facility near the student's place of residence. The tuition fee, including entrance fees and tuition, is 170,000 yen for the first year, which is less than one-seventh of the cost of a typical junior college. If students obtain both the childcare worker and Type 2 kindergarten teacher licenses, the total cost over three years will be approximately 650,000 yen.
Nagoya Junior College, known as "Nagoya Junior College for Childcare," has produced approximately 15000 childcare workers since its establishment in 1955. The newly established correspondence course in childcare will maintain consistency in the subjects and educational content necessary for obtaining qualifications, while also allowing for the customization of educational content to meet the needs of the field. The learning method is designed to create opportunities for unqualified staff to become regular childcare workers and kindergarten teachers, or to enable nurseries and kindergartens to recruit with the expectation that they will obtain qualifications in the future.
Prior to its official accreditation, the company signed its first agreement with Shogakukan Academy, which operates daycare centers and childcare support facilities in 61 locations nationwide, including Tokyo and Osaka prefectures. It has been decided that newly hired staff will utilize the correspondence education program.
Studying through distance learning programs allows graduates of education, nutrition, and vocational schools—even those not specializing in childcare—to pursue qualifications after securing employment in a childcare setting. It also provides opportunities for working adults to reskill and improve their skills, ultimately contributing to an increase in the overall number of childcare workers. Moving forward, the program will be expanded nationwide, proposing a new form of learning that allows individuals to obtain qualifications while working in the field.
Reference: [Nagoya Junior College] Plan for the new 2027 correspondence course in childcare (tentative name)
