PART Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture
Chapter 1 Implementation of Educational Reform
1 Educational Reform for the 21st Century
Since the end of World War Japan has experienced a dramatic
spread and development of education. In recent years, however, a variety of problems
and difficulties have been pointed out, and there is a growing call for making
the educational system more adapted to various changes in society.
In these circumstances, In its four successive reports, the
National Council on Educational Reform, an ad hoc advisory committee to the Prime
Minister, laid down three basic concepts for the current educational reform:
1) to carry out the transition to a lifelong learning system; 2) to place more
emphasis on the importance of the individual; and 3) to make our educational
structures and practices cope with such contemporary changes as internationalization
and development toward an information oriented society. Based on these concepts,
the Council offered a wide range of recommendations for educational reform. In
the light of these recommendations, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
have been taking positive steps for implementing educational reform. In April
1989, the Minister asked the Central Council for Education to consider' "reforms
of various systems in education to make them relevant to a new age." In January
1990, the Council submitted to the Minister a report on "the Development of an
Infrastructure for Lifelong Learning." Since then the Council has been deliberating
reform in upper secondary education and related issues in higher education, and
the issue of evaluation of the outcome of lifelong learning. With regard to reforms
in higher education, in October 1987 the Minister requested the University Council
to consider "specific strategies for developing heightened, distinctive and invigorated
activities in education and research at universities and other institutions of
higher education." Upon this request the Council is now deliberating this issue.
Regarding the promotion of lifelong learning, in August 1990, the Minister created
an advisory committee called the Lifelong Learning Council to consider specific
government measures in this area.