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PART Issues and Developments of Policies in Education, Science and Culture

The cultivation of the ability of making use of information and information media independently through school education and social education is a necessity for people in order to adapt to the development of an information oriented society.

Regarding the cultivation of the ability of using information in elementary and secondary education, improvement has been made by the introduction of a new area of"basics of information" into the subject of"industrial arts and homemaking"at lower secondary school as prescribed in the new Course of Study revised in March 1989. The Ministry is promoting, in addition, the equipping of schools with computers and other information tools, and providing teacher training programs for the teaching of information processing.

In higher education, the Ministry is promoting education and research specialized in information. It is also encouraging plans to improve educational facilities for the teaching of information processing at universities, with a view to strengthening education concerning the use of information for all students.

In social education as well, courses for acquiring information literacy are being held. In addition, training courses for operating micro-computers and word processors are provided in the form of university extension courses, upper secondary school extension courses, youth classes, women's classes and courses for adults.