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CHAPTER IMPROVEMENT OF CONTENT OF- EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENTOF ABILITY

Today, many problems arise from the international implications in the areas of politics, economics and culture, and increasing needs is felt fort he coordination and cooperation among the nations in the solution of these problems. With this in view, it has now become an important mission of school education in Japan to enable children and pupils to understand clearly the history and present situation of the world and to deepen their understanding of other nations' way of living. Education for international understanding aims at accomp1ishing the mission. At each school guidance is provided in reaching comprehensible objectives, such as, (l) respect for fundamental human rights, (2) mutual understanding and cooperation between Japan and foreign countries and (3) understanding of and cooperation with international organizations. Guidance is provided through all educational activities of school, but mainly through the teaclaing of the national language, social studies, geography, history, foreign languages, and moral education. In the leading countries, as stated before, larger emphasis has been placed upon the teaching of modern language as well as other major subjects whereby students and pupils can deepen their understanding of other nations, and education for international understanding is provided also through all school subject including civics. The international organization have assumed as their major task the promotion of education for international understanding. UNESCO, in particular, first set in 1947 the spread of education for international understanding as one of the major objectives of its activities, and has since 1952 been carrying out "the Associated School Project for International Understanding" as a part of its education for international understanding programme. This project is intended to study appropriate methods of education for international under-standing through experiments in education jointly conducted by schools designated by UNESCO as the associated schools.

In Japan, the study of education for international understanding has been carried on since its participation in the UNESCO Associated School Project in 1953.

The UNESCO associated schools in the United Kingdom and France have launched upon "Studies of Other Countries" as a selected theme of their activities, which cover a large number of countries for study. The study aims to help children and pupils to understand the present status of international affairs and at the same time to understand the emergence of the oId colonies into independent nations; so that desirable international attitudes may be developed.

Other types of education for international understanding, such as "Study on France" in the UNBSCO associated schools in West Germany and "Study on Japan" in the schools in the Philippines, are aiming to remove prejudice against the people of other lands among children and further to lead that to have desirable international understanding.

The economy of Japan continued to make rapid growth after World War II and the Japanese position in the world community has been greatly improved. Particularly when the Japanese economy moved into the full-fledged open economy, Japan, as a member of the international community, has come to discharge greater responsibility. To train those who are able to shoulder such responsibility, it is no doubt necessary for Japan to further expand and strengthen education for international understanding in the future.