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

The Ministry is conducting studies regarding the provision of more information media to educational and cultural institutions and, based on the results of these studies, strives to improve facilities and equipment necessary for introducing information related technology and instruments and to develop suitable environments for information instruction. Also in the Ministry's report of March 1990 on "Making Educational and Cultural Facilities More Intelligent", the introduction of a variety of functions of information communications and processing are regarded as important factors for advancing and diversifying the functions of these facilities. In accordance with this report, necessary measures are being taken to give educational and cultural institutions better information environments.

In addition, since 1987 the Ministry has been subsidizing the projects aimed at developing systems for the provision of information for lifelong learning activities, and in 1991 the Ministry started subsidizing the development of library information networks with prefectural libraries at the center, with a view to meeting diversified and advanced learning demands by providing people with proper information services, as well as counseling services, regarding lifelong learning opportunities.

Further, the Ministry is facilitating the development of science information systems, centering around the National Center for Science Information System, whereby researchers at universities and other institutions of higher education may have quick access to the precise information they need. The development of on-campus information networks is under way at individual universities. The Ministry is also endeavoring to facilitate the further development of various data bases, so that a great variety of science information may be efficiently utilized.