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PART Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture

One of the most important policies for improving the educational conditions of schools is to make optimum the size of the class which is a basic unit for children's learning activities and school life, and to secure an adequate number of teachers and other school personnel needed for the successful management of educational programs.

Regarding the class size and staffing ratios for local public compulsory schools, since 1959 specific improvements have been introduced four times in accordance with systematic planning. On the basis of these improvements in the past, the Ministry is now committed to the successful implementation of the fifth plan whose targets include the reduction of the maximum class size to 40 in 12 years from 1980 to 1991, with a view to developing a school environment which will make possible educational programs relevant to the personalities and abilities of individuals.

For local public upper secondary schools, the Ministry is now carrying out a similar plan for the improvement of staffing ratio.

As regards physical facilities for schools, it is necessary not only to strive to ensure the quantitative expansion of these facilities but also to ensure further qualitative improvement with a view to coping with diversified teaching methods and to developing such an educational environment as will facilitate the cultivation of a good human nature in school children.

Keeping these in mind, the Ministry has created national subsidies to local governments for the development of multi-purpose rooms (multi-purpose space) and computer rooms in schools, for the improvement of the out-of-door environment of schools, and for the construction of facilities for residential group training of children. In 1990 the Ministry incorporated partial amendments to the regulations on the national subsidies for public school construction so that construction costs for setting up computer rooms might be assisted by national subsidies.