The Principal at Heart

The support of the school principal is critical to the success of any international trip!

Regardless of the fact that the initiative for the Japan trip may have come from an enthusiastic teacher, the principal is the one who gives the initial approval and is the gatekeeper to the senior administrators within the board. The principal can provide advice and assistance in the area of budget, internal and external funding sources, as well as help to steer you through the multitude of paperwork. As the leader of the school, he or she will ensure that the project has the support of school staff and parents.

The Japanese educational system has a great impact on children during their formative years. On average, they will spend 240 days a year in school and about 60% of students attend “cram” (juku, yobiko) schools at the end of the day.

The daily demands of managing a school makes it impossible for the principal to look after the leadership of the trip. The principal will select, through an interview process, a teacher coordinator(s) (male and female teacher if the group is co-educational) who will organize all aspects of the trip and who will travel with the group. The principal should also be an ad hoc member of any committees formed.