Teaching License Requirements

[mpiet]

Hi there! I've searched around on the forum and elsewhere and found a lot of information about the requirements to get a teaching license in Japan, but would like to have a few things clarified, if possible. To be clear, I am interested in teaching subjects other than English, such as math or physics, at the upper secondary school level. I am currently studying at a Canadian university and will soon be finished a BSc degree with a specialization in mathematics.

I know that a certain number of university courses must be taken in both teachable subjects (math/other sciences, in my case) and education in order to get a teaching license. Does anyone know if it is necessary for those education courses to have been taken at a university in Japan? Would I be able to get a teaching license if I have degrees from a Canadian university?

After finishing my BSc, I will have the option of taking a two-year post-baccalaureate degree to get a BEd. Do universities in Japan have similar programs for degree-holders who would like to get a BEd and become teachers? Or would I have to complete a four-year program in Japan if I wanted to get a BEd from a Japanese university?

This topic straddles working and studying, so I apologize if I put this in the wrong section.
Thank you for your help!

 

[Glenski]

Unless you are aiming at an international school, you're going to need a degree and license both granted from a Japanese university. That also (obviously, I hope) means very high language fluency, since you will be teaching in a public or private school here, and kids have practically zero English ability.

A couple of posters on GaijinPot web site have mentioned that they went through that particularly arduous route, so you might want to fish for them, if you are still interested.

A teaching license from Canada, plus 2-5 years of experience there, will make you eligible for teaching any subject at an international school (in English).

 

[mpiet]

Great, thank you so much for the info! I'll look around the forum to see if I can find those posts.
And another question I asked in the OP: what about education degree programs for those who already have a Bachelor's? Is there a way to get through a Japanese BEd program faster, or is a full four years necessary?

 

[Glenski]

No idea. See if your school has any exchange system of credits with a school in Japan.

My big question though is this: can you take classes taught only in Japanese?