Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Japanese Government Policies in Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 2001 >Chapter2 Section2.1

In view of the environment surrounding the life of children, it is necessary for schools, families and local communities to closely cooperate in taking measures to foster children with rich humanity. Given that the present conditions do not allow children to have regular opportunities of everyday-life experiences, social experiences and experiences of activities in a natural environment, all of which are key factors in shaping the emotional aspects of children, it is particularly necessary for schools, families and local communities to intentionally and deliberately provide children with opportunities for experiential activities. For this purpose, MEXT is joining forces with other relevant government ministries and agencies to implement policy measures to expand opportunities for experiential activities by children, and is also taking steps to support various efforts being made to expand and improve children's experiential activities, such as establishing a legal framework to facilitate children's various experiential activities at and outside the school.

  Further, in order to enhance the educational functions of families, where education should begin, as well as the educational functions of local communities, which support schools and families, measures are being implemented to support child rearing and home education to allow parents to foster children with confidence, including the expansion of community-based networks for child rearing support and expanded opportunities to learn about child rearing. In support of communities, meanwhile, efforts are being made to provide increased opportunities for adults to participate in various events with children and have more interaction.

  As for school education, considering that schools are the nodes to link communities and families and that schools are the bases for education of children, measures are being implemented to help promote various forms of children's experiential activities at and outside the school, while steps are also being taken to improve moral education based on these experiences as well as take good care of the emotional aspects of children in light of the current conditions regarding the problem behavior of children.

  Furthermore, efforts are being mounted to shield children from harmful information.