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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Japanese Government Policies in Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 2001 >Chapter7 Section2.1

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   Educational Reform for the 21st Century
Chapter7   NEW INITIATIVE FOR EDUCATIONAL REFORM TAKEN BY LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Section 2:   Educational Reform Programs at Local Levels
1   Programs Initiated by Local Governments


A variety of localities, prefectures and designated cities across Japan are taking initiatives in conjunction with, or even in advance of, the national Government's educational reform program and actively engaging in their own educational reform. For example, 40 prefectures and designated cities have currently established plans for educational reform, a long-term education vision and promotion programs, and they are engaged in efforts to cooperate with the national Government's policies to realize educational reform ( See Figure 1-7-1 ).

Figure 1-7-1 List of Programs Concerning Educational Reform in Prefectures and Designated Cities (Survey by MEXT)

Each region is carrying out various programs reflecting the characteristics of its localities. For example: {1} programs initiated by boards of education and government departments to implement "education days" and to create a movement among prefectural citizens to promote awareness among the public that education plans require the combined efforts of schools, families and local communities; {2} programs to promote educational reform that give consideration to the accountability of prefectural citizens through the establishment of education plans with numerical targets and the implementation of opinion surveys undertaken by prefectural citizens in the process of promoting educational reform; {3} programs to organize the administrative system for local education and to support a collaboration of efforts between schools and local communities in order to strengthen the educational ability of schools, families and local communities; and {4} a unique system whereby the prefecture or city implements measures ahead of the national government. This undertaking has now begun to diversify and spread throughout Japan.

Examples of Initiatives to Create Movements Among Prefectural Citizens

- Youth Ambitious Movement Fukuoka

Fukuoka, along with its prefectural citizens, is promoting the Youth Ambitious Movement to foster ambitious youths whose generous minds and broad perspectives make efforts and challenge their own goals.

  As the movement is based on the principle of citizens' voluntary participation, the prefecture selects regions, schools, youth fostering groups and corporations to respectively implement and run individual creative movements as part of the larger prefecture-wide movement. The prefecture is implementing 14 programs such as the Creation of Ambitious Plaza where children can play and casually get together after school or on holidays; the Program for the Promotion of Fostering Eager Children, which assists and fosters children to make efforts toward their dreams or goals; and the Saturday Smile Plaza Program, which holds free interactive exchanges between elementary and lower secondary school students on Saturdays and is voluntarily planned by upper secondary school students.

- Revolution in the Hearts and Minds of Tokyoites Tokyo

The Metropolis of Tokyo is promoting the Revolution in the Hearts and Minds of Tokyoites initiative for parents to foster a sense of righteousness, ethics and consideration for others in the minds of children, the leaders of the next generation, and pass down essential knowledge for these children to use in living their lives.

  The Board of Education of the Metropolis of Tokyo established the Revolution in the Hearts and Minds of Tokyoites' Education Plan, which is the guideline for the promotion of the Revolution in the Hearts and Minds of Tokyoites initiative and part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's overall plan to promote educational reform.

  More precisely, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is carrying out, in cooperation with officials from wards, cities, towns, villages and private organizations, the Promoting the Tokyo Family Interaction Campaign twice a year. This program promotes activities to enable children to learn natural basic social rules through exchanges with parents in cultural activities and outdoor activities.

  Also, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is holding regional morality class presentations, in which parents and residents of the local community visit elementary or lower secondary schools to see the moral education classes and discuss "education of the Hearts and Minds." In addition, the Metropolitan Government is implementing Try & Challenge social activities month as well as other initiatives to promote the workplace experience and volunteer activities.

Promoting the Tokyo Family Interaction Campaign

- Setting of the Okayama Education Day Okayama

In June 2001, Okayama established 1 November as Okayama Education Day, in order to deepen citizens' understanding of education, create an environment for the promotion of school education and lifelong learning, and improve and promote such an environment. Also, the prefecture set the week of 1-7 November as Okayama Education Week, during which it will carry out activities suitable for the purpose of Education Day and provide an opportunity for citizens and the government to think together about education in the 21st century.

  During Okayama Education Week various activities take place, such as a citizens' forum on education, meetings of lower and upper secondary school students to exchange opinions, and unique memorial ceremony presentations by schools or localities. In addition, at the family and local community level, various events are held, such as meetings for parents and children and children-only meetings at local libraries, public halls and sports facilities.

- 1000 Small Meetings Focusing on Schools in the Prefecture Chiba

Through a proposal of the Chiba Prefectural Board of Education to the prefecture's cities, towns, villages and public schools, 1000 Small Meetings Focusing on Schools in the Prefecture has been implemented. The activity requires all public elementary schools, lower and upper secondary schools, as well as schools for the blind, deaf and otherwise disabled to provide places for school staff and local residents to exchange frank opinions on various educational issues like schools, the family and locality so as to promote open schools and communities.

  In holding such meetings, each school selects the appropriate date and time, theme for discussion and manner in which the discussion is to be carried out so that any person is able to participate.

  In FY2000, 99.4% of the targeted schools held meetings, with the participation of 86,800 persons.

A scene from a mini.meeting at the Higashi Elementary School, established by the town of Higata in Katori Ward.

Examples of Education Plan giving due attention to accountability

- Plan for the Beginning of the 21st Century to Create Appealing Education Shizuoka

With the objective of fostering the ability to live, Shizuoka is promoting five plans to create appealing education, with the basic objective of Education to Foster Rich Sensitivity, Sound Intelligence and a Healthy Mind. These five plans aim to set numerical targets for school education, family education, regional education, arts and culture and sports culture, and to fulfill their mission with accountability. For example, concerning school education, Shizuoka has set an implementation rate goal of 100% for initiatives such as morning reading and the listening to books being read at public schools so that good reading habits can be instilled. Concerning regional education, local councils have set a 100% establishment rate for the promotion of education in every elementary school unit with the view to improving the local ability to raise children.

- Educational Reform Advisors' Council Kitakyushu City

Kitakyushu City established on 25 June 2001 the Headquarters for the Promotion of Educational Reform. This body is composed of an Education Subcommittee, which discusses matters concerning the reform of school education, and an Administrative Reform Subcommittee, which discusses matters concerning the organization of the Board of Education and the efficient management of educational facilities. On the same day, the Educational Reform Advisors' Council was established. It is composed of 10 members from academic and business circles and of counselors and parents familiar with the problems children face. The Advisors' Council has the objective of providing frank opinions and advice on education, from the viewpoint of its wide-range of citizens, to the Headquarters for the Promotion of Educational Reform.

  Opinions and advice from the Advisors' Council is considered and discussed at the Education Subcommittee and Administrative Reform Subcommittee of the Headquarters for the Promotion of Educational Reform or one of its subsidiary working groups, with a view to making new plans for the development of education policies and initiatives.

  Members of the Headquarters for the Promotion of Educational Reform and the Educational Reform Advisors' Council tentatively have terms of two years. The Advisors' Council is discussing the content of school education and will hold an educational reform symposium with the purpose of allowing parents and citizens to express their views on educational reform. The results of these activities will be reflected in the educational policies of FY2002.

- Council on Tosa's Educational Reform Kochi

Kochi established in FY1996 the Council on Tosa's Educational Reform and set the basic principles of the Prefectural Board of Education in response to the summary of the deliberations by the council.

  Basic principles set the direction concerning the improvement of the quality and abilities of teaching staff, the establishment and improvement of the fundamental academic ability of children and the improvement of educational abilities by way of cooperation among schools, families and localities. So far, the prefecture has implemented activities such as the strict selection of new teachers and their training methods during long-term holiday periods, the implementation of long-term social experience training, the introduction of class evaluation systems in every school and the promotion of schools open to the community. In addition, the prefecture has been taking initiatives for educational reform like the dispatch of a Regional Study Guiding Manager to local areas to serve as a coordinator to promote community education, and the establishment of the Council for the Promotion of the Regional Study in every city, town and village so as to promote child education with the involvement of the local community.

  Further, as FY2001 is the fifth year since the start of Tosa's Educational Reform, a Follow-up Committee for Tosa's Educational Reform and a Second Council on Tosa's Educational Reform will undertake initiatives to review and verify the program as well as hold discussions on the future direction of the program.

-Introduction of Self-evaluation by Schools Oita

Oita established the Fifth Oita Comprehensive Education Plan in January 2000. As a specific measure to realize the promotion of kindergartens and schools open to the community, a system of self-evaluation has been ongoing in all prefectural schools since FY2001.

  At the beginning of a fiscal year, each school explains its educational targets and plans to parents, school councilors and local residents, and implements the self-evaluation concerning the degree of their achievement. Results of the evaluation are made public to parents, school councilors and local residents in order to improve and enhance school management and educational activities, and to improve the quality and ability of schoolteachers and other staff so that schools are made more open to local communities.

Flexible Definition of School Districts

Concerning the school districts for elementary and lower secondary schools, it is possible for cities, towns and villages to manage such districts in a more flexible manner, with consideration given to the possible effects on education. As such, the following initiatives are being taken.

- Designate schools by accepting parent requests in advance and allowing such schools under certain conditions Shinagawa Ward in the Tokyo Metropolis (since FY2000)

Shinagawa has divided its 40 elementary schools into four blocks (eight to twelve schools each) and parents can choose to send their children to any school within their block. Concerning lower secondary schools, parents in Shinagawa may choose to send their children to any school within the ward (18 schools).

- Accepting parent requests and allowing under certain conditions entrance to specific schools with a rich natural environment Hiroshima City, Hiroshima (since FY1998)

When parents wish to send their children to Tsutsuse Elementary School or Ninoshima Elementary School, both of which are gifted with naturally rich environments, it is possible to do so from outside the original school districts.

Examples of Original Initiatives by Prefecture or City

- Introduction of Two-Semester System Sendai City

Sendai City attaches importance to allowing enough time and breathing space for study activities and, as a measure to promote educational activities in a comfortable atmosphere, is promoting the two-semester system as a full-scale introduction planned from FY2002.

  In order to carry out enhanced educational activities within two semesters, Sendai City is promoting a review and improvement of school education from a perspective that is unconstrained by established ideas, taking advantage of longer semesters as seen in the improvements of the study guidance, selection and prioritization of various activities, and efficient management of various meetings by school staff.

  Concerning the annual school calendar under the two-semester system, the first semester is planned to end on the second Monday of October, with the following Tuesday and Wednesday an autumn holiday so that students can recognize the change of semester. (Schools cooperating with the promotion of the two-semester system in FY2001: 25 elementary schools and 16 lower secondary schools)

- Let's Go to School Week Hiroshima

As an initiative to deepen parents and local residents' understanding and interest in schools and to promote schools open to the community, Hiroshima has created a week of open access to school facilities.

  During Let's Go to School Week, all public schools in the prefecture hold activities such as inviting parents to observe classes and exchange opinions with parents and local residents.

  In FY2000, Let's Go to School Week was held from 20 to 26 November and all public schools participated in the program. A total of 250,000 people visited the schools. In FY2001, the week is planned from 1 to 7 November.


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