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PART Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture

The local board of education has a tremendous role to play in carrying out educational reform. It has been pointed out. However, that some of the local boards are not necessarily performing their original functions adequately. The National Council on Educational Reform offered specific recommendations regarding the vitalization of local boards of education.

In response to these recommendations, the Ministry set up a panel of experts to examine various problems and solutions. In December 1987, after receiving are port from the panel, the Ministry sent a circular to all prefecture boards of education and requested them to take active measures with regard to a variety of Issues, including: 1) selection of competent persons as board members; 2) selection of competent persons as superintendents of education; 3) incorporation of the opinions of community people into the administration and management of education at the local level; and 4) improvement of the efficiency of the management of education boards in small municipalities with the cooperation of neighboring municipalities.

Further, the Ministry has sent a circular to all local boards to clarify that professional staff members at national universities are entitled to be appointed members of local boards of education. In addition, the Ministry has taken relevant measures for contributing to the further improvement of the in-service training of members of local boards of education, as well as secretariat members working with them.

In order to facilitate the vitalization of the activities of local boards, the Ministry plans to provide relevant guidance and assistance to local boards. To this end, it plans to conduct a nation-wide survey of specific measures taken by prefecture and municipal boards for revitalizing the activities of individual boards. And thus to constantly monitor the activities of the local boards in this aspect. Based on the findings of this survey, the Ministry also plans to publish and disseminate information regarding unique exemplary measures taken by some boards. Further, the Ministry also plans to consider how to innovate both the statutory framework and the practical operation of local boards.