Chloe Spearing
2023 Arrival, SHS ALT in Tanbara, Saijo, Toyo A RA
Chloe Spearing (クロイ) is from the very south of England, only 15 minutes from the English Channel. She is an ALT on the outskirts of Saijo, having 2 schools 10 minutes apart by bike in Tanbara and Toyo. Outside of work, she is one of the RA’s for Toyo A, and enjoys football, anime (currently One Piece), games/ TTRPG’s and any crafts with wool.
I came to Japan one year ago, unsure how long I wanted to stay or what this part of my life might look like. Yet, in the space of a month, I fell in love with my placement and decided I would spend the next five years of my life here. A large factor in me making that decision― in five years my base school, Tanbara Senior High School, would close down.
Last year that was all I knew. Since then, I have learnt that this April (2025) we will get our final intake of students, and they will be allowed to graduate after their three years, but without underclassmen. After that, the school will not reopen to new students, and students will be directed to either Komatsu, or Toyo (my visit school). I also learnt that Tanbara itself has only 4,000 people, one supermarket and sadly no longer gets any takeaway deliveries (RIP Toyo Domino’s, you will sorely be missed).
Like many areas of Japan, my town is suffering thanks to the ageing population and people moving to the cities for work. Most people who live near me are sweet old people or other workers in company housing. Strangely though, with the BoE’s push in recent years to have ALTs in every high school, I am the first full time ALT at my school. I am also one of the few remaining ALT’s with a visit school― though that part is less of a surprise. I’m so happy I still have Toyo.
In a way, I am lucky. Senior high schools run on a different system to other school levels, so at least everyone is warned far ahead of time that Tanbara will be closing. I know there are some junior high schools that get a year’s notice rather than five. But there are still so many questions: Will my base school become Toyo? Will my contract just be cancelled? Will I get to see the end of Tanbara High School?
It’s a strange situation― trying to find the ground that works for me, along with what I’m willing to do. With no predecessor to carve out what’s expected of a full time ALT at the school and no successor, paired with the looming closing of Tanbara SHS, things are a little more relaxed for me than for most ALTs. But there is also sadness. This school has been open since 1907, you talk to people around Saijo and everyone seems to know someone who went to school at Tanbara SHS. It is even said that the schools are merging rather than saying Tanbara is closing down, to save the local alumni’s feelings.
The truth is, the school has been shrinking for years. On campus we have two unused buildings that used to host lessons, because there haven’t been enough students. In two years time, one of the current buildings will only be used for art, music and business lessons. Teachers are aware that if there aren’t enough students next year for 3 classes (Less than 80 main course students) there will be two main course classes instead and staff will be moved to different schools.
I keep saying it but it’s strange. There is so much still we don’t know with this school and how it will go in the future and as an ALT, I am often the last one to know this information. While now, it is functioning as a regular school, we all know that won’t be the case for long. For me it’s exciting, but also worrying. I worry that the school reduction will make my placement be removed, or that I could be let go or moved to a different school. It’s also tough knowing that each year more teachers will be transferred and that in the final years of this school, I may not even have classes to teachー I rarely see the third years even now. But it is exciting. It’s rare you get to see a school close. And, with less students, building connections is easier, which means I can help them more to develop their English.
I’m not sure what the next four years will hold for me, but I’m excited to see what happens next.
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