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Home > White Paper > FY2006 White Paper on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology > Special Feature1 Part2 Basic Act on Education Benefitting of the New Era | |
Part 2 Basic Act on Education Benefitting of the New Era
1 Establishment of the Revised Basic Act on Education
The existing Basic Act on Education was completely revised and the revised Basic Act on Education was established on December 15, 2006. The law was promulgated and put into effect on December 22 as Law No. 120 of 2006.
The Basic Act on Education stipulates the fundamental ideas and principles for education in Japan, and is meant to serve as a fundamental law for all legislation related to education. The original Basic Act on Education was promulgated and put into effect in March 1947. The education system developed under this law greatly boosted the national educational standards and served as a driving force behind Japan's social development.
Nevertheless, the circumstances surrounding education have changed greatly in respects such as the progress of science and technology, advanced information technology, internationalization, the falling birthrate and aging population, and the nature of families (Figure 1-1). In light of this, the recent revisions to the law set out objectives and principles for education considered to be extremely important today as well as fundamentals regarding the implementation of education, while at the same time inheriting the universal principles set out in the previous law. The revisions also clarify the responsibility of the central government and local governments, and set forth other stipulations including establishment of the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education.
2 Background of Revisions to the Basic Act on Education
Discussions on revisions to the Basic Act on Education have taken place on various occasions, and the National Council on Educational Reform, which was established under the Prime Minister in March 2000, spurred national discussions. The Commission compiled the “Report by the National Council on Educational Reform - 17 Proposals for Changing Education” in December 2000, which stated the need to formulate the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education and review the Basic Act on Education, as well as 15 other concrete policies.
Based on these recommendations, the MEXT Minister consulted the Central Council for Education regarding the Basic Act on Education befitting the new era and the modality of the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education in November 2001. After about a year and four months of deliberations, in March 2003, the Central Council for Education submitted a report titled, “Basic Act on Education and Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education Befitting to the New Times” to the MEXT Minister.
The report states that it is necessary to revise the Basic Act on Education in order to clarify the ideas and principles for education considered to be extremely important today from the perspective of aiming to cultivate spiritually rich and vigorous Japanese people who will lead the way in the 21st century. The report also says that at the same time it is necessary to continue to cherish universal principles set forth in the original Basic Act on Education, such as “dignity of the individual” and “perfection of human character.”
Specifically, the report recommends the inclusion of new objectives for education, such as public-mindedness, moral fiber, cultivation of self-discipline, respect for tradition and culture, love for one's home and country, and cultivation of consciousness as a member of the international community. The report also recommends the new stipulations regarding the principle of lifelong learning, universities and private schools, the role of education in the home, coordination and cooperation between schools, families, and local communities, and other issues not touched upon in the original Basic Act on Education.
The Ruling Party Council and Committee on Revising the Basic Act on Education were established within the ruling party in May 2003. Vigorous discussions took place over about three years following the establishment, and in April 2006, a final report titled, “Items and Content Which Should Be Incorporated in the Basic Act on Education” was compiled.
Based on the report by the Central Council for Education, the final report by the ruling party, and so forth, the Government drafted a bill to revise the Basic Act on Education. This was approved by the Cabinet on April 28, 2006 and submitted to the Diet.
In the Diet, a “Special Committee on the Basic Act on Education” was set up in both the House of Representatives and House of Councillors in the 164th ordinary session of the Diet through the 165th extraordinary session of the Diet, and the revised Basic Act on Education was established on December 15, 2006 after nearly 190 hours of discussion. The law was finally promulgated and put into effect on December 22. (For details on the law, see the reference material entitled “The Revised Basic Act on Education.”)
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| ▲MEXT Minister Bunmei Ibuki delivers an address at a House of Councillors plenary session on the occasion of the enactment of the revised Basic Act on Education on December 15, 2006 |
The Revised Basic Act on Education was enacted today. This is truly a great achievement given that ever since the National Council on Educational Reform submitted its report in 2000, revision of the Basic Act on Education has been recognized as a vital task for our nation. I want to thank all the people who have worked so hard to accomplish this, and also the members of the Diet for their deliberations. The post-war education system, based on the 1947 Basic Act on Education, contributed greatly to improving the educational level of the Japanese people, which in turn served to sustain the development of economy and society of this country. Still, more than half a century has passed since the law was established, and during that time our country has undergone drastic changes, resulting in diverse challenges in the field of education. That is why the Revised Basic Act on Education, while retaining the universal principles of the original law, sets out those educational principles that are truly needed in the current circumstances, including a sense of morality, self-discipline and public-mindedness. This revision carries historical significance in that it clarifies the basic educational principles that will lead us into a new era. In the spirit of the law enacted today, I will push ahead with education rebuilding, which will enable us to bring the diverse talents of individuals to blossom, nurture people with vision and hope and build a dignified and beautiful country, Japan. I am determined to devote myself wholeheartedly to promoting these initiatives through a broad range of efforts on the part of schools, families and local communities, paying due respect to opinions from all levels of society. I ask each and every one of the people of Japan consider even more profoundly the significance of the revision and to cooperate in this endeavor.
The revised Basic Act on Education was enacted today, and our country has taken the first step in education rebuilding. I would like to express my gratitude to the relevant persons for their efforts up to this point in time. Regardless of the era, education is important for boosting the capabilities of individuals while respecting their values and for fostering people of vision. Education is also important for building dignified nations and societies made up of people of moral character. Based on the original Basic Act on Education, which was established in 1947, Japan's education has been enhanced and developed, producing many results, such as serving as a driving force in the realization of an affluent economy and society and a secure way of life. Nevertheless, more than a half century has passed since the law was established, and the circumstances surrounding Japan's education have changed greatly. The progress of science and technology, advanced information technology, internationalization, the falling birthrate and aging population, a shift in the nature of families, and so forth has given rise to various issues. The revised law thus stipulates new matters which are thought to be particularly important today as objectives for education, including a sense of value toward the “normative consciousness” that the people of Japan have, such as public-mindedness, and respect for the traditions and culture that have fostered such values, while inheriting the universal principles that the previous law of education set forth. With the establishment of the revised Basic Act on Education, I would like the general public and education personnel to deepen their understanding of its contents and to have the spirit of the revised Basic Act on Education lead to the resolution of various issues in education. In order to accomplish this, I intend to move steadily forward with concrete efforts, including revisions to related legislation and the formulation of the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education. In order to unite schools, families and local communities in promoting educational reforms while gaining a common public understanding, I strongly request the cooperation of education personnel, parents, and all people across the social spectrum in these efforts. |
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