Story of EIFJ

STORY OF EIFJ

The French-Japanese International School of Tokyo

Five years of a remarkable development, responding to a need, complementing the Lycée Français and the existing offer

Five years of dedication and passionate work by Fabien Levet, founder, and his teams, at the service of students and families

2019

Fall 2018: Fabien Levet and his family move to Tokyo in 2018 from Seoul, South Korea. His children are first on the waiting list to enter the Lycée Français (at the time the only international French school in Tokyo, where they spend part of their schooling thanks to a scholarship, elected class delegates in some years), then on the waiting list for bilingual classes. Fabien Levet founded and then developed "l'École du Juste Milieu" (also giving its name to the Golden M(ean) company, the English equivalent of "Juste Milieu"), an international French nursery and kindergarten welcoming French, French-Japanese and international children aged 1 to 6 in small bilingual classes from January 2019, including later on his daughter currently in elementary school and soon his son in junior high school.

The École du Juste Milieu, renamed the École Internationale Franco-Japonaise (EIFJ) in 2021, will develop over the next four years as a complement to the Lycée Français, cultivating its difference with LFIT, and giving itself a unique and singular style in Japan:

bilingualism in all programs
flexible enrolment throughout the year
French-Japanese, French-English and English-Japanese programs with parity
two educational paths: French Ministry of Education stream and International Baccalaureate stream
management highly experienced in the cultural specificities of French-mixed and international students
student training in Japanese for successful preparation for national exams
as part of civic and moral education class, every Monday morning, the French & Japanese national anthems are sung by the elementary and middle school children, and the anthem of a third is listened every month
encouraging teacher-students ratio from preschool to junior high school
fair tuition fees, for a service as qualitative as possible, without fees' distinction between nationalities
Japanese status and Tokyo Metropolitan Government inspections, allowing "mushouka" scholarships for students aged 3 to 6
customized services per term according to parents' wishes
no multi-age children in the entire kindergarten
children can enroll in preschool without being potty trained
international French Nursery, inspected by the Japanese authorities, for children aged 1-3 years old
daily notebooks for 3 and 4 year olds (PreK1 & 2)
for all pupils, a parental application to receive photos and informative newsletters written by teachers, explaining the curriculum
a variety of extracurricular activities at reduced rates, and a school bus afterwards
possible door-to-door school transportation from the northern, southern, eastern and western suburbs
loop bus service in Kita-ku
extracurricular French FLE, English ESL and Japanese lessons available from age 3
summer-long holiday schools at reduced rates
a parents' association with ambitions to become a managing association in the future
free coworking space for parents on both campuses
the school is open all year round (including public holidays, depending on demand and staff availability)
door-to-door school transport whenever possible
two annual performances (concerts, theater, ballet, etc.), including a graduation ceremony in June
a 50-page photo album of each school year offered to each student
two large scale annual sporting events

April 2019: recruitment of two more staff and opening of the bilingual French-English & 100% English preschool, status of “ninkagai” granted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG); visit of French Senator Olivier Cadic.
July 2019: first summer school managed by Fabien Levet, 10 students; connection established with Anne Genetet, member of Parliament representing French citizens living in Japan, and Samantha Cazebonne (member of Parliament as well, senator since 2021 and member of the Board of the Agency for French Education Abroad).
September 2019: recruitment of a French Ministry of Education school pedagogical director and teacher, and two Japanese and English teachers, demonstrating a strategy of meeting accreditation criteria with the support of education professionals; launch of a new academic year with about 15 enrollees in nursery & preschool; inspection by the TMG; 8 staff members.
October 2019: first application by Fabien Levet for the French Ministry accreditation (nursery & preschool program), submitted to the French Embassy following his visit to Mr. Pierre Colliot, Cultural C.ounsellor.
Japanese Government subsidies granted to eligible families.

2020

January 2020: in anticipation, purchase of a stock of hand sanitizers and masks; 11 staff members;
February: closure of most international schools of Tokyo, except EIFJ, who continued running its programs; implementation by Fabien Levet of the first strict sanitation in a school in Japan; welcoming students from other schools at a discounted fee, which allowed parents to continue working while the economic crisis was getting worse
February 2022: Fabien Levet, Founder and director of the Franch-Japanese International School of Tokyo and the International Nursery, is finalist of the 2022 Trophies of the French People Abroad, Education category: the whole school and its team are rewarded for their work.
Spring & summer holiday schools; welcoming by Fabien Levet and his team of about 40 students, and special compensatory classes offered to non-regular students
September 2020: launch by the team of the new academic year with 35 regular students in nursery, bilingual French-English & French-Japanese preschool, elementary, and English classes; recruitment of totally 22 staff members including a French Ministry pedagogical director and an IB teacher, and three certified teachers; 7 after-school activities & 20 more students from other schools; inspection by the TMG; first school bus route to central Tokyo opened by Fabien Levet.
Field trips & events organized by Fabien Levet: Sunshine Aquarium, Tobu Zoo, Halloween, St Patrick & Mardi Gras parades, Champions’ Race, year-end concert and graduation ceremony in a 600 seats hall.

2021

January 2021: inception by Fabien Levet of France-Japan-Europe adults school, employment support, professional development center, culture, business & sport center
April: signature of an agreement between Clermont-Auvergne University and EIFJ to welcome and train future professors in French international schools abroad; inception by Fabien Levet of a French-Japanese international soccer club, Hexagon FC, registration into the JFA Kita-ku League and partnerships with Decathlon Japan & EcoMarathon
Summer School 2021 managed by Fabien Levet and his team: about 70 students, online meeting with the Olympic Village’s French fencing team
EIFJ and Fabien Levet become member of “Club France Initiative”, founded by Anne Genetet and Christian Koenig; prospects of partnerships with Japan’s economic, social, educational and political bodies
July 2021: Emmanuel Macron, President of France, “wishes to underline the tremendous success of EIFJ and praises your commitment at the service of the excellence of France, and of French-Japanese cooperation."
September 2021: launch by a team of 38 staff members including 11 certified teachers of a new academic year with about 50 regular students in nursery, French bilingual preschool, elementary (maximum capacity of the building), and English classes, 18 after-school activities and about 40 more students from other international and Japanese schools; inspection by the TMG; inception by Fabien Levet of three new bus routes to East & West Tokyo with door to door service; new Parents’ Association created by Fabien Levet, on the way to be officially registered with the Federation of Parents’ Associations of French Educational Institutions Abroad.
October 2021: owing to the in person inspections being delayed, second application for the French Ministry accreditation for all its programs submitted to the French Embassy, the new Cultural Counsellor Mr Stéphane Martin welcoming Mr Levet at the Embassy of France; setting up by Fabien Levet of the primary school move to to a larger campus of 200 places; launch of several partnerships programs, scheduling of major sport & cultural events; inception by Fabien Levet of a free bus loop in Kita-ku.
December 2021: move of the Primary School to its new campus of 200 places, capacity increase of the French-Japanese International Nursery to 40 places.

2022

January 2022: EIFJ becomes a member of the Tokyo Association of International Preschools (TAIP)
February 2022: Fabien Levet, Founder and director of the Franch-Japanese International School of Tokyo and the International Nursery, like in 2020, is finalist of the 2022 Trophies of French People Abroad, Education category: the whole school and its team are rewarded for their work.
March 2022: registration of the trademarks École Internationale Franco-Japonaise and 東京日仏国際学園 with the Japanese authorities.
April 2022: school exchanges organized by Fabien Levet with elementary schools in France and EIFJ classes. Major sports event with Decathlon and EcoMarathon. The French-Japanese International Soccer Club now welcomes 35 players from 3 to 10 years old.
Spring-summer 2022: development of EIFJ's English department, summer holiday school (July-August).
September 2022: new academic year with 87 kindergarten and elementary students, 20 students in the French International Nursery, team of certified French Ministry and IB teachers. Opening by Fabien Levet of the 6th grade of the French International Middle School with 3 students. EIFJ becomes a member of the associations "Je m'engage pour l'École", the "Laboratoire de la République", and "Réflexes", new platform created by Samantha Cazebonne.
October 2022: third application for AEFE/Ministry of National Education accreditation submitted to the accreditatiopn platform, the folder being submitted to Ms Frédérique Pénilla, new deputy-Cultural Counsellor, with whom a meeting is suggested. Opening of the Epsilon bus route which serves Setagaya-ku and Nakano. Marathon and Run of French associations and schools in Japan organized by EIFJ, Decathlon and EcoMarathon.
November 2022: recruitment by Fabien Levet of the new Head of School Antoine Cutanda, head of many AEFE and MLF schools in Africa and South America, also an executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Institutional, pedagogical and cultural organization: development of the school's consultation bodies
School Council extended to the middle school: the main consultation body within the school which brings together members of the teaching staff and parents with equal voting rights under the chairmanship of the headmaster/principal. Minutes of the meetings are kept and a copy is sent to the National Education Inspector (IEN) of the Asian zone.
Teachers' Council: gives its opinion on the organization of the service and on all problems concerning the life of the school.
Cycle Council: the Cycle Council reviews the progress of pupils in the acquisition of the various skills defined by the cycle and makes proposals concerning the passage of pupils from one cycle to another or their retention in the cycle.
Students' Council: participation in the life of the school and development of citizenship.
Parent/teacher conferences: each trimester with report cards.
Activities/Projects throughout the year.

2023

January 2023: 100 students in kindergarten, elementary and middle school, 23 students in the French international nursery. 27 extracurricular activities available, a record in Japan for an international school, consequences of talented staff recruitment by Fabien Levet.
February 2023: official inspection by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Kita-ku City office to extend the granting of scholarships to the families of students. EIFJ becomes a member of the "Francophone Fencing Alliance".
March 23, 2023: agreement signed between EIFJ Head of School, Antoine Cutanda, and the Director of the AEFE, Olivier Brochet, allowing the mobilization of the Agency's specialists and experts to carry out the progress of the school towards accreditation.
March and April 2023: development of extracurricular activities, educational field trips, exchanges with other schools, Francophone week, Kangaroo math contest, book and storytelling day with a writer's intervention.
In May 2023, EIFJ signed a partnership agreement with the French-Japanese Chamber of Commerce (CCIFJ), offering discounts to the children of employees of member companies in order to encourage trilingualism and future talent recruitment, reduce the financial burden of school fees for employees' companies, and promote economic activities.
August 2023: EIFJ obtains official status as an IB PYP* candidate school.
*Ecole Internationale Franco-Japonaise is a candidate school** for the PYP. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy- a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education- that we believe is important for our students.
**Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes visit http://www.ibo.org.

Start of the 2023 school year: with four FRench Ministry of Education teachers, two IB-certified teachers and three other certified Japanese and English-speaking teachers, EIFJ submits an application for approval on the accreditation platform in October 2023, strengthens its governing bodies and launches a wide range of educational, cultural and sports projects.
May 2024: new agreement with AEFE, which henceforth supports EIFJ towards accreditation.

2019 ~ 2024

Capital invested in 2019: 5,500,000 yen.
Opening by Fabien Levet of 45 positions, including 15 full-time positions with pension and insurance.
From 2019 to 2024, recruitment of Head of Schools, teachers, assistants, maintenance staff, extracurricular activity managers, school transport system staff, administrative secretaries, trainees.
Teams made up of one third French, one third Japanese and one third international (around ten nationalities represented).
As the school is open all year round, including during holiday schools, many French staff were able to work while other schools were closed, especially during the pandemic years.
Pupils from other closed schools were able to attend school in 2020, thanks to the school's health protocol - the first of its kind in Japan - and the fact that the school was open all year round, allowing parents to work.
Since 2019, EIFJ has enabled the enrolment of around 300 children aged 1 to 13 in regular programs, extracurricular activities, holiday schools and short-term childcare, in qualitative and less costly programs, enabling families to make long-term savings.