Japanese Government Policies in Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 2001 [EDUCATIONAL REFORM Q&A Q10]

QUESTION

How was the Law Concerning Organization and Functions of Local Educational Administration revised recently to revitalize boards of education?

Answer

The Law Concerning Organization and Functions of Local Educational Administration was revised in the 2001 ordinary session of the Diet to accommodate the opinions of local residents and parents in educational administration and to activate boards of education (promulgated on 11 July 2001, effectuated on 11 January 2002). The revision contains the following four points:

{1} compose a board of education with carefully selected members;
{2} open board of education meetings to the public in principle;
{3} provide necessary arrangements for consultation on educational administration; and
{4} further respect a principal's views in the personnel changes of teaching staff.

Given the increasingly diversified interest and expectations of people regarding educational administration, the December 2000 report of the National Commission on Educational Reform proposed to accommodate the various opinions of parents and local residents in educational administration more appropriately.

(Reference) Report of the National Commission on Educational Reform

4. Create New Schools for the New Times

- Introduce the idea of management organization into schools and boards of education

(3) The boards of education responsible for education within individual regions are required to bring about reform. Well-qualified people with great insight, a sense of management, ambition and high-spirits should be appointed superintendents and members of the boards of education. Institutional mechanism to guarantee diversity in the members of a board of education in terms of age, gender and other factors shall be established. Board of education meetings shall be open to the public in principle, thereby institutionalizing information disclosure.

Taking into account this proposal, the Law Concerning Organization and Functions of Local Educational Administration was revised in the 2001 ordinary session of the Diet to revitalize boards of education.

{1} Compose a board of education with carefully selected members

A board of education, a council-type executive body, should accommodate the opinions of parents, guardians and local residents appropriately. The new Law Concerning Organization and Functions of Local Educational Administration stipulates that the head of a local government, who has the power to appoint board members, should give due consideration to prevent significant deviation in terms of age, gender, occupation and other factors from occurring in the composition of a board of education and try to include a parent or guardian among the board members.

{2} Open board of education meetings to the public in principle

Board of education meetings are required to be open to the public, except when two-thirds or more of the attending board members decide otherwise on certain types of matters such as personnel affairs.

{3} Provide necessary arrangements for consultation on educational administration

In order to respond to people's demands about educational administration more precisely, local governments are required to clarify where people can consult on educational matters. More specifically, members of the local government secretariat are designated to perform counseling work on education administration and their names are made public. In addition, the new law defines the authority and responsibility of a board of education with respect to consultation on educational administration.

{4} Further respect a principal's views in the personnel changes of teaching staff

From the standpoint of strengthening leadership by a principal, he or she is allowed to extend his or her views on personnel changes of teachers who are paid by prefectural governments. A principal may attach his or her own view on personnel changes when a municipal board submits an internal report to a prefectural board.

Boards of education are called on to deploy active educational administration to respond to the demands and expectations of local residents and parents.

Each board of education, taking into account the revision of the law, is expected to further vitalize itself and expand educational administration that is rooted in a local community.


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