Japan Educational Policy

Japan Educational Policy (http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/html/hpae199101/) Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture 1.Promotion of Lifelong Learning In order to promote lifelong learning activities, the Ministry of Education. Science and Culture has established a Law Concerning the Development of Mechanisms and Measures for Promoting Lifelong Learning, and has been developing infrastructures for lifelong learning activities, including relevant mechanisms for their promotion. The Ministry has also been endeavoring to help school children acquire basic and essential knowledge and skills and develop their abilities to learn how to learn, and to help institutions of formal education strengthen their functions as institutions of lifelong learning. The Ministry has also tried to promote nonformal education activities, as well as cultural and sports activities, all of which play an important role in lifelong learning. 2.Improvement and Enrichment of Elementary and Secondary Education Elementary and secondary education in Japan has gained an international reputation for both its level of quantitative expansion and its high quality, but it is often pointed out that certain educational systems and practices have tended to be excessively uniform and inflexible. It is necessary to improve and update the existing systems in the coming years with a view to helping children develop individuality and foster diverse abilities and talents. With this in view, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture carries out policies and measures for the improvement and enrichment of the school curriculum, for the reform of upper secondary school education, for the improvement of the quality of teachers and for the improvement and enrichment of educational conditions. 3.Improvement and Enrichment of Higher Education Higher education in Japan has attained a rapid quantitative expansion since the middle of the 1960's, and in recent years, the circumstances surrounding Japanese higher education have been undergoing remarkable changes due to the impact of specific factors, such as: the advancement in scientific research; the development of an internationalized and information oriented society; the change in demographic patterns with 18-year-olds peaking in 1992; the increasing demands of the entire society for lifelong learning. Considering these changes, the Ministry of Education. Science and Culture has been implementing policies to promote the reform of higher education, in accordance with the recommendations of the University Council, in terms of: the revision of the Standards for the Establishment of Universities and the degree system; the establishment of the National Institution for Academic Degrees; the improvement of higher education institutions; the improvement of procedures for the selection of entrants; and the enrichment of student aid programs.

4. Promotion of Private Educational Institutions Since the end of World War private educational institutions have played an important role in the dissemination of school education in Japan, especially at the higher education level. Private educational institutions enhance the quality of higher education through their unique and diverse educational and research programs based on each institution's founding philosophy and principles. At present, the Government provides private educational institutions with financial assistance under various programs, including: government subsidies for current and other expenditures, long-term loans through the Japan Private School Promotion Foundation, and favorable taxation measures. It is of course necessary for private universities and other private educational institutions to strive to strengthen their own financial basis through institutional efforts in order to maintain and improve their educational and research conditions and thus to develop themselves into unique and attractive institutions. 5.Promotion of "Social Education" Today, as a result of changes in society, including an increase in leisure hours and the development of science and technology, learning demands of people have become more diversified and advanced. In the context of urbanization, increase in nuclear families and other social changes, children today are lacking in opportunities to enjoy nature, and they are not in environments conducive to the cultivation of basic skills for daily life. Under these circumstances, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture plans to develop its policies and measures in the fields of "social education" (education for adults and out-of-school youths), placing emphasis on: (1) the provision of diverse learning opportunities corresponding to an 80-year life span, for adults, especially for the aged and women; (2) the stressing of the educational functions of the family and the community; (3) the provision of more and better facilities, leaders, and the creation of networks of "social education" facilities; and (4) the effective use of various media for learning activities. 6.Promotion of Physical Education, Sports and Health Education Rapid changes in the nation's social circumstances have led to an increased interest in sports activities and an increased need for these activities. It has become an urgent task for the Government to develop conditions which enable all people to enjoy sports throughout their life. Under the present situation, in which world athletics has improved greatly, the improvement of the level or Japanese athletes has become a great challenge. In November 1989 the Health and Physical Education Council, an advisory organ to the Minister of Education, Science and Culture, published a report on "Strategies for the Promotion of Sports for the 21st Century". On the basis of this report, the Ministry established the Sports Promotion Fund in December 1990. The Ministry also plans to carry out various measures for the

development and improvement of sports facilities, as well as for the promotion of various sports activities, including sports for al, competitive sports and physical education and sports in school. Another important issue is helping people maintain their health through various stages of their life. With a view to contributing to the promotion of children's mental and physical health and to the maintenance of people's health for the different stages of life, the Ministry aims to promote health education programs through both formal and non-formal education. 7.Promotion of Culture It is felt that in the coming years Japan should pursue not only economic but also cultural development in a well balanced manner. Policies for cultural development are expected to play an important role in making Japan a more visible nation with high cultural standards and thereby earning the trust and respect of other nations. Cultural activities stem from the unrestricted creative activities of the nation's citizens, and thus the Government's policies should promote activities indirectly by providing financial assistance, places throughout the nation for exhibition, and so forth. The Japan Arts Fund was created in 1989 and began subsidizing cultural projects in 1990. In 1991, the Ministry emphasized various measures including: the encouragement of artistic creative activities; the promotion of local cultural activities; the promotion of the preservation and utilization of cultural properties; and the promotion of international cultural exchange. 8.Internationalization of Education, Culture and Sports Today, nations in the world are more and more interdependent. If they are to develop together, it is necessary that each nation learn about the history, culture, customs and value systems of other nations and strive to understand their standpoints. In increasing international understanding, it has become very critical for each nation to systematically and continuously promote international exchange and cooperation in the fields of education, culture and sports. The Ministry has been promoting the internationalization of education, culture and sports. placing emphasis on such aspects as: (1) nurturing Japanese citizens who are trusted in the international community; (2) carrying out extensive international exchange in the fields of education, culture and sports; (3) promoting the exchange of students; (4) enriching the teaching of the Japanese language to foreigners; and (5) improving educational programs for Japanese children staying overseas, as well as for those who have returned from a long stay abroad. 9.Information Oriented Society and the Education Sector Now that various sectors of society have rapidly become more information oriented, the education sector is no exception in its need to cope adequately with this change. The Ministry has been taking a variety of measures, focusing on: (1) the development of information literacy through both formal and non-formal education; (2) the utilization of new information media for educational purposes; (3) the training of experts who can lead people in an information oriented

society; and (4) the provision of more information equipment in educational and cultural facilities, and the sharing of more information networks among these facilities.