AN INTRODUCTION
POSTWAR EDUCATIONAL REFORM IN RETROSPECT
Section 4:
After Report by the National Council on Educational Reform
1
National Council on Educational Reform and the Process of its Reform
From around 1980, against the backdrop of the spread of the nuclear family and the progress of urbanization, Japan increasingly witnessed a loss of social solidarity and decline in educational functions of the family. In the meantime, the climate of education for children deteriorated due to such factors as the increase in excessively large schools to accept the second Baby Boomers and the spreading of competition for entrance examinations among lower aged children. There were frequent incidents that drew keen social attention, such as bullying at elementary and lower secondary schools, refusal to attend school or school violence.
Against this background, the National Council on Educational Reform was inaugurated in September 1984 as an advisory organization for the Prime Minister to deal with educational reform. It was the second time in the postwar period that an inquiry organization to investigate and discuss educational problems was established under the direct supervision of the Cabinet. The previous organization was the Educational Renewal Committee.
(1)
Report by the National Council on Educational Reform
The National Council on Educational Reform wrote four recommendation reports in three years, with the first report coming in June 1985 and the fourth and final report in August 1987. The Council conducted very active investigations and discussions at four subcommittees on "the spirit of the Fundamental Law of Education." The Council's basic ideas about educational reform "toward the 21st
century," as expressed in its recommendation reports were condensed in the following three goals:
{1} the principle of respect for the individual;
{2} transition to a lifelong learning system; and
{3} response to internationalization and the information society.
The Council aimed for a departure from standardization and school centrism, and called on the administration to respond flexibly to the changes that were taking place.
(2)
Setup to Implement Recommendations by the National Council on Educational Reform
The government established the ministerial council for the promotion of educational reform to implement the recommendations by the National Council on Educational Reform, and the MESSC created the headquarters for implementation of educational reform in August 1987. Further, in October 1987, the Cabinet introduced the Outline for the Promotion of Educational Reform as the guiding basic policy to reform.
As the first step, a University Council was created as an inquiry organization for the MESSC. At the same time, the University Chartering Council and the Private University Council were reorganized and consolidated into the Council on the Establishment of Universities and School Corporations. In April 1989, the Central Council for Education was reconvened, and based on its recommendation report, The Development of an Infrastructure for Lifelong Learning, the Social Education Council was reorganized into the Lifelong Learning Council.
(3)
Implementation of Reform
The proposals for reform by the National Council on Educational Reform were considered concrete measures by experts at various councils that existed before the National Council on Educational Reform submitted its recommendation report, including the Curriculum Council, the Educational Personnel Training Council, the Health and Physical Education Council, the Science Council, as well as the newly established Lifelong Learning Council and the University Council. The reform measures were implemented from the following three viewpoints.
{1} Principle of Respect for the Individual
The Courses of Study were fully revised in March 1989 for kindergartens, elementary schools, lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools, and then in October 1989 for schools for the blind, schools for the deaf and special schools. From the standpoint of cultivating the infrastructure for lifelong learning and aiming to develop children and students who can independently respond to changes in society, the revisions created the subject of life environmental studies at elementary schools, expanded the range of elective subjects at lower secondary schools and introduced greater flexibility into the curriculum at upper secondary schools. The revisions were characterized by the advocacy of the "new concept of scholastic ability," which gives priority to the fostering of self-education ability.
Other measures implemented included the creation of integrated courses at upper secondary schools, the institutionalization of six-year unified lower and upper secondary education schools, further diversification of the selection methods of entrants to upper secondary schools and the use of multiple selection criteria. Following the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the way was opened for both boys and girls to learn the subject of "home economics."
Furthermore, in order to help enhance the qualifications of newly appointed teachers, a system for one-year induction training was created. The Education Personnel Certification Law was also revised with the purpose of utilizing adult members of society as teachers and for the certification of teachers at the graduate school level.
Among reform measures taken regarding university and upper secondary education were the broadening of provisions within the Standards for the Establishment of Universities, a revision of the Standards for the Establishment of Graduate Schools to bring flexibility to the graduate school system, admission into universities of 17-year-old students as exceptional educational measures, implementation of the National Center for University Entrance Examinations (NCUEE) to replace the Joint First-Stage Achievement Test, diversification of selection methods including admissions based on recommendations and admission to graduate schools after three years of university education.
{2} Transition to the Lifelong Learning System
In July 1988, the MESSC reorganized the Social Education Bureau to create the Lifelong Learning Bureau as a step aimed to shift the focus of education policy as a whole to the lifelong learning system, including school education. In June 1990, the Law Concerning the Establishment of Implementation Systems and Other Measures for the Promotion of Lifelong Learning was enacted, stipulating in particular the systems to promote lifelong learning projects in prefectures and measures for the promotion of regional lifelong learning.
As for the relationship between lifelong learning and school education, a variety of reform measures were taken to make upper secondary education institutions as well as university and higher education institutions easily accessible to adults. Such measures included the institutionalization of credit-based upper secondary schools, the establishment of additional evening undergraduate and graduate schools and the creation of the National Institution for Academic Degrees that award academic degrees to junior college graduates under certain conditions.
{3} Response to Internationalization and the Information Society
In responding to internationalization, revisions to the Courses of Study in 1989 improved the content of each subject to expand international understanding at all levels of the school system. From FY1988, a system for studying abroad was created at the upper secondary school level, resulting in an expansion of student exchanges as well as an increase in various other opportunities for international exchanges. Other measures included the invitation of a large number of native speakers to Japan so as to improve Japanese education in foreign languages. As for the acceptance of foreign students, various measures were taken toward the smooth achievement of the "100,000 Foreign Students Plan," with the goal of accepting up to 100,000 students from abroad in the early 21st
century.
In response to the information society, the Courses of Study for 1989 tried to improve information education through measures such as having various subjects regard the fostering of information literacy as an achievement goal. Also, the installation of computers and software at schools was facilitated, while adequate training to instructing teachers was provided.
