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CHAPTER EDUCATIONAL REFORMS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND THE FUTURE EDUCATION IN JAPAN

The basic principles of democratic education are that educational opportunities be open and assured to everybody and that education be adapted to individual capabilities and aptitudes. If these principles are neglected, high efficiency of education cannot be expected, and education will be wasteful, because individta1s will not develop their innate capabilities to the full, and the needs of society will not be fulfilled. As the differences in the abilities and aptitudes among individuals grow in proportion to the dissemination of education and extension of schooling, it becomes more and more important to discover and utilize the innate capacities and aptitudes of every student. This point of view does not involve discriminatory treatment t of individuals but does deny the value of pointless uniformity in education.

In the U.S.A. and European countries, special measures and system have been adopted for the purpose of discovering and utilizing the innate capacities and abilities of individuals. Recently, in our country, general interest has been developed in this area, but not always with good results. Generally speaking, the organization of the curriculum, the device of new teaching methods and adequate educational and vocational guidance of students based on their abilities and aptitudes have not proved very satisfactory.

Further investigation should be made to develop various school curriculums, new teaching methods, programs for the measurement of abilities and aptitudes, and adequate guidance programs.