|
Press Releases
1998/07
| National Curriculum Standards Reform for Kindergarten,
Elementary School, Lower and Upper Secondary School and Schools for the
Visually Disabled, the Hearing Impaired and the Otherwise Disabled （Synopsis
of the Report） |
Synopsis of the Report "National Curriculum
Standards Reform for Kindergarten, Elementary School, Lower and Upper
Secondary School and Schools for the Visually Disabled, the Hearing Impaired
and the Otherwise Disabled"
July 29,1998
The Curriculum Council
Preface
I. Fundamental approach to national curriculum standards reform
II. Organization of curriculum and framework of school hours
III. Curriculum and school hours in each stage of school education
IV. Content of subject areas / subjects
V. Matters related to national curriculum standards reform
Appendix
Chart 1. Annual standard school hours for the subjects, moral education,
special activities and the "Period for Integrated Study" at
elementary school
Chart 2. Annual standard school hours for the subjects, moral education,
special activities and the "Period for Integrated Study" at
lower secondary school
Chart 3. Subject areas / subjects and the number of credits for the subjects
at Upper secondary school
Preface
The Curriculum Council received an inquiry from the Minister of Education
in August 1996 about "reform of the national curriculum standards
of kindergarten, elementary school, lower and upper secondary schools
and schools for the visually disabled, the hearing impaired and the otherwise
disabled". The Council comprehensively discussed how to help children's
well-balanced development and how to educate them to be sound members
of the nation and the society living independently in the 21st century.
The Council reached the conclusion that the national curriculum standards
should be reformed as follows.
In addition, the Council agreed that it was necessary to constantly review
the national curriculum standards for improvement. Thus, the Curriculum
Council that is established to reform the standards as the occasion demands
under the current system should be a standing one.
I. Fundamental approach to national curriculum standards reform
A. Fundamental approach to national curriculum standards reform
(Hope of children's sound development and hope for school's role)
Education is a task to help children develop their own identity and faculties
from early childhood to adolescence and is not just school's responsibility.
Schools, families and communities must cooperate and effectively demonstrate
their individual educational function. Such well-balanced education is
the key to children's sound development. Specifically, children's life
style and learning environment need to be changed, and the roles of schools,
families and communities need to be reviewed. School's primary role is
to motivate children to learn and to teach them how to learn. Families
and communities are expected to recognize their roles in education and
to do their part successfully.
School should be a pleasant place for children to feel relaxed. The school's
role is to satisfy children by providing them opportunities to receive
recognition and to realize the self while they interact with one another
and with teachers in classes and in other school activities.
The Council deliberated the national curriculum standards reform from
the following standpoints while hoping for children's sound development
and expecting schools to play the important role as stated above.
1. Basic role in each stage of education
Our discussions about the basic role in each stage of education are summarized
below.
The kindergarten's basic role is to give comprehensive guidance through
playful hands-on learning activities which highly value children's own
desire, willingness and interests. The kindergarten education aims at
helping children cultivate rich heart and imagination as the fundamentals
of a good human being, willingness to deal with matters and sound mind
to have sound life.
The elementary school education aims at helping children acquire essential
knowledge, skills and mind to have healthy social life as an individual
as well as a member of the society / nation. It also aims at helping children
develop rich humanity, recognize their own charm and individuality through
interactions with others and foster mind of self-reliance.
The lower secondary school education aims at helping students acquire
essential knowledge, skills and mind to have healthy social life as an
individual as well as a member of the society / nation. It also aims at
helping students foster rich humanity, recognize and develop their own
individuality and further cultivate mind of self-reliance.
The upper secondary education aims at helping students appreciate the
meaning of their own life, develop mind and ability to choose career and
deepen understanding of the society. Depending upon students' interests,
the upper secondary education will provide them opportunities to learn
the basics in the specialties of their choices and will encourage them
to further develop individualities and independence.
Schools for the visually disabled, the hearing impaired and the otherwise
disabled provide education equivalent to kindergarten, elementary school
and lower and upper secondary schools. The special education aims at helping
students develop knowledge and skills necessary to improve and overcome
various difficulties related to their current nature of disability, develop
individuality to the maximum, and cultivate capability and ability necessary
to independently participate in social activities.
2. Current state of children and curriculum implementation, and educational
issues
The importance of the emotional education is focused on under such problematic
behavior as bullying among children, their refusal to go to school, juvenile
delinquency and children's poor morality and sociality. In addition, it
is pointed out that teachers do not well understand the significance of
moral education nor make much efforts. It is also mentioned that schools
are less active to practice the moral education.
Under the present curriculum, the academic achievement of Japanese children
is satisfactory overall. However, there are several issues existing: (i)
considerable number of children do not fully understand class content,
(ii) children's abilities to independently research, judge and express
themselves have not yet fully developed, (iii) children's abilities to
view things from different angles are not yet satisfactory and (iv) children
are not highly motivated to study.
3. Acquisition of the "absolute value in all ages"
Education must help children securely acquire the "absolute value
in all ages" in this kaleidoscopic world.
4. Cultivation of children's ability to flexibly cope with social changes
Education is expected to help children develop ability to anticipate social
changes and to cope with them flexibly.
5. Educational contents under the comprehensive five-day school week system
Taking the opportunity of the initiation of the comprehensive five-day
school week system, we all must keep it in mind that education can not
be completed only by school education, and that the important role of
school education is to lay the foundations of lifelong learning. On the
basis of this understanding, educational activities should be developed.
6. Close examination of educational content and thorough acquisition of
the basics
The educational content will be closely examined and limited to the very
basics necessary for further study and daily life. Students will study
the selected basics repeatedly until they thoroughly master the content.
The close examination of educational content is not conducted only for
reducing school hours in response to the implementation of the comprehensive
five-day school week. It is rather intended to allow children to study
repeatedly without haste and to take their time to concentrate on hands-on
learning activities and problem-solving activities.
7. Teaching strategy and grading method
A student's academic ability should not be measured by the quantity of
knowledge acquired; it should rather be assessed by whether or not he/she
has acquired the "zest for living" such as ability to learn
and think independently. However, he/she is expected to have acquired
adequate knowledge and skills as a prerequisite for it. The grading method
for each subject also needs to be improved in consideration of students'
ages (grades) and specific features of each subject.
B. Purposes of national curriculum standards reform
1. To help children cultivate rich humanity, sociality and identity as
a Japanese living in the international community
Children will be encouraged to cultivate well-balanced rich humanity and
sociality. Rich humanity includes sympathy, mind to respect each other
and live together in harmony, respect for life and human rights, sensibility
of appreciating beauty and the environment, volunteer spirit, mind to
make efforts to achieve one's own goal and the like. High value will be
set on moral education which helps children acquire social rules and basic
morality, a sense of norms, public morals, justice and fairness, sound
judgment, strong will and ability to take action, awareness of responsibility,
autonomy, self-control and the like. In addition, children's healthy development
and physical strength are also emphasized for them to lead vigorous lives.
Children will be encouraged to deepen their understanding of national
as well as local history, culture and tradition, and to develop love to
those matters. They will also be encouraged to appreciate different cultures
open-mindedly, and to cultivate the mind of international cooperation
and the identity as Japanese living in the international community.
2. To help children develop ability to learn and think independently
There was a tendency for school education to emphasize volumes of knowledge.
Now, however, the school education looks itself from the children's standpoint
and places a high value on the development of children's intellectual
interests and inquiring minds. Thus, the school education positively conducts
its activities by emphasizing the importance of motivating children to
learn by themselves and helping them develop abilities to learn, reason,
judge, express themselves accurately, discover and solve problems, acquire
basic creativity and act independently in response to social changes.
Additionally, children are encouraged to use their knowledge and skills
comprehensively in daily life in order to successfully relate their knowledge
acquired at school with the actual life. This requires the promotion of
such educational activities as hands-on learning activities, problem-solving
activities and activities to teach how to research and how to learn.
3. To help children acquire basic abilities and skills and grow their
own individuality with plenty of scope for educational activities
Schools will effectively help children acquire the selected educational
content thoroughly by conducting educational activities without pressure
of time or stress. They will also encourage children to study independently
what they are interested in.
The common contents of compulsory education will be closely examined so
as to consist of the very basics necessary for the social life. Education
for growing children's individuality will also be focused on. Thus, considering
children's interests, schools need to promote children's independent learning
and to further develop individualized instruction. In addition, the elective
course system will be introduced to the fifth graders and older at elementary
school, and there will be more elective subjects for higher graders at
lower secondary school. At upper secondary school, elective subjects will
take the most part of the curriculum and common subjects will be minimized.
4. To encourage individual schools to show ingenuity in developing unique
educational activities to make the school distinctive
The national curriculum standards will be clearly specified and more flexible
so that individual schools will be able to show ingenuity in developing
unique educational activities to make the school distinctive. Specifically,
each school will be able to make its own timetable and curriculum in accordance
with the actual situations of the community, school and children. In addition,
the number of elective subjects will be increased and the "Period
for Integrated Study" will be established to further promote each
school's unique educational activities.
Moreover, schools will be encouraged to establish a good relationship
with families and communities and to be more open to them.
C. Basic principles regarding common issues to all stages of school education
and all subjects
1. Moral education
Schools will be encouraged to develop distinctive approaches suitable
to the stage of child development in accordance with the actual situations
of the community, school and children. Schools are also expected to positively
adopt hands-on learning approach and practical activities, such as volunteer
activities and hands-on learning activities in the environment. Particularly,
preschool children and lower graders of elementary schools need to be
given the basic discipline and repeatedly taught what they should not
do as a human being, what is right and what is wrong until they understand
thoroughly.
2. Response to internationalization
Great emphasis will be placed on the education that encourages children
to appreciate different cultures open-mindedly and develop capabilities
and abilities to live in harmony with people of different cultures and
customs. At the same time, children will be inspired to be proud of and
feel love of Japanese history, culture and tradition as well as deepen
their understanding of those. Much value will be set on the improvement
of fundamental and practical communicative competence in foreign languages
and the subject of "Foreign Language" will be a required one
at lower and upper secondary schools. Elementary schools will provide
hands-on learning activities to expose children to foreign languages and
help them get familiar with foreign life and culture in the "Period
for Integrated Study".
3. Response to the information-oriented society
Consistent and systematic information education through all stages of
school education will require sufficient improvement of related subjects
and active use of computers in virtually every subject. Elementary schools
will employ computers for children's learning activities in the "Period
for Integrated Study" and other classes. Lower secondary school will
require students to learn the information basics including basic computer
skills in industrial art and homemaking class. Upper secondary school
will establish a new required subject area of "Information Study".
4. Response to environmental issues
Children will deepen their understanding of the environment and energy
issues and develop respect for the environment. They will be encouraged
to develop practical mind and ability to voluntarily take actions to preserve
the environment and make it better. Thus, great emphasis will be placed
on problem-solving and hands-on learning approaches. In consideration
of the actual situation of the region, the environmental education will
be enhanced in related classes as well as in the "Period for Integrated
Study".
5. Response to the aging society with declining birth rate
Children need to deepen their understanding of the aging society with
declining birth rate and the significance of child-rearing by the united
efforts of both sexes. They also need to develop practical minds to voluntarily
take actions for the elderly. For these purposes, related classes and
the "Period for Integrated Study" will provide children with
opportunities to have basic idea of the aging society with declining birth
rate, to learn the meaning of family and child-rearing and to deepen their
understanding of such related issues as nursing and welfare. Specifically,
great emphasis will be placed on actual interaction with infants and elderly
people and volunteer activities related to nursing and welfare.
Furthermore, the teaching strategy should be improved in order for children
to learn the importance of physical health and their physical condition
and to be able to appropriately deal with various related issues.
6. Interdisciplinary and comprehensive learning; clearly specified and
more flexible national curriculum standards
The national curriculum standards will be clearly specified and become
more flexible so that each school will be able to show ingenuity in teaching.
Specifically, class object and content for two or more school years will
be shown together depending on the characteristics of the subject, and
schools and students will be given more choices.
The "Period for Integrated Study" will be established to encourage
schools to make efforts to further develop distinctive education and interdisciplinary
and comprehensive teaching activities.
II. Organization of curriculum and framework of school hours
A. Organization of curriculum
The "Period for Integrated Study" will be added to the existing
subjects and then curricula will be organized for elementary school, lower
and upper secondary schools and schools for the visually disabled, the
hearing impaired and the otherwise disabled.
B. "Period for Integrated Study"
1. The "Period for Integrated Study" will be established in
order for individual schools to be able to develop distinctive education
and to make efforts to conduct interdisciplinary and comprehensive teaching
activities.
2. The "Period for Integrated Study" aims at helping children
develop capability and ability to discover problems by themselves and
solve those problems properly. Interdisciplinary and comprehensive studies,
which reflect each individual schools' efforts, and studies based upon
children's own interests will help achieve this goal. It also aims at
helping children learn how to learn and reason, develop mind to independently
and creatively cope with problem-solving activities and/or inquiring activities,
and deepen their understanding of their own way of life. It is assumed
that children's knowledge and skills acquired in individual classes will
be related with each other and deepened through the activities in the
"Period for Integrated Study", and then they will work comprehensively
for children.
3. The specification of "Period for Integrated Study" in the
national curriculum standards will be only its aim, school's obligation
of its establishment in the curriculum and the standard of its school
hours. The content will not be prescribed as it is for other subjects.
The course title is "Period for Integrated Study" in the national
curriculum standards, but individual schools can name it whatever they
like.
4. Individual schools are expected to make efforts to develop activities
for the "Period for Integrated Study". Specifically, learning
activities will be developed starting from setting tasks and/or activities
according to the subject. Subjects can be, for example, interdisciplinary
and comprehensive studies such as international understanding, information,
environment, welfare and health, subjects which children are interested
in and those closely related to the community and school's characteristics.
When elementary school children study conversation in foreign languages,
learning activities should be hands-on activities appropriate for their
ages. For example, children can be exposed to foreign languages and get
familiar with foreign life and culture. Taking advantage of the "Period
for Integrated Study", upper secondary schools should consider activities
for students to deepen and put together their knowledge and skills for
the tasks they have set independently and to examine themselves, their
own way of life and their future plans.
5. Annually, 105 or 110 school hours will be allocated to the "Period
for Integrated Study" for the third graders and older at elementary
school, and more than 70 school hours annually for lower secondary school
students (cf. Chart 1 and 2). Upper secondary school students will have
105~210 credits in total.
C. Basic policies on school hours
1. The current total school hours per annum will be reduced by the 70
school hours, which represent the existing Saturday school hours (2 school
hours per week).
2. Restrictions on total annual school weeks and on one school hour will
be relaxed so that each school can show ingenuity in forming a timetable
and curriculum.
III. Curriculum and school hours in each stage of school education
A. Kindergarten curriculum and educational hours
1. The educational content will consist of the following five existing
fields: "health", "human relations", "environment",
"language" and "expression". The kindergarten education
will provide children with individualized and comprehensive guidance through
their joyful group activities centering on play, which is their independent
activities.
2. Relaxation of restrictions governing kindergarten management will be
enhanced so that kindergartens will be more open to the community and
provide day-care service and other services to meet the local and guardians'
needs.
B. Elementary school curriculum and annual school hours
1. The composition of subjects and school hours at elementary school are
shown in the Chart 1.
2. The educational content of each subject will be closely examined and
limited to the very basics. Children will be repeatedly taught the basics
of reading, writing and arithmetic, which are fundamental to daily life
and further study, and encouraged to acquire the content thoroughly. Certain
elements of the elective course system will be introduced to the fifth
graders and older in order to help children obtain basic ability to select.
C. Lower secondary school curriculum and annual school hours
1. The composition of subjects and school hours at lower secondary school
are shown in the Chart 2. "Foreign Language" is a required subject.
2. The educational content of required subjects will be closely examined
and limited to the very basics necessary for leading a sound social life,
and the school hours for these subjects will be reduced. The emphasis
is on the students' thorough acquisition of the basics.
3. The number of elective subjects will be increased so that all subjects
will be open to all students. Content of electives will be each school's
responsibility, and thus the school will be able to conduct more diverse
educational activities including task-oriented learning, supplementary
class and advanced class. In addition, the maximum school hours of each
elective will be increased to 70 school hours a year.
D. Upper secondary school curriculum, the total numbers of credits for
required subject areas/subjects and for the completion of the upper secondary
education
1. Upper secondary school curriculum and the total numbers of credits
for required subject areas/subjects
a. Required subject areas/subjects
All students of upper secondary schools need to acquire sufficient knowledge
of the basics in a well-balanced manner no matter what course they choose
in the future. The followings will be required of all three courses of
the general education, the specialized education and the integrated education.
(i) "Foreign Language" will be a required subject area. A new
required subject area of "Information Study" will be established
in the general education course curriculum.
(ii) The standard number of credits for each subject area/subject and
required subjects are shown in the Chart 3.
(iii) The total number of credits for required subject areas/subjects
will be reduced to 31 credits from the current minimum of 38 credits in
the general education course and 35 credits in the specialized and the
integrated education courses.
b. Subject areas/subjects other than those specified in the Course of
Study may be added more flexibly to the general education course curriculum.
c. In the specialized education course, the total number of credits required
for the specialized subject areas/subjects will be reduced to 25 credits
from the current 30 credits.
The vocational subject areas of "Welfare Study" and "Information
Study" will be established. The required subjects common to every
subject area will be two in total; the one is to be consisted of the very
basic content and the other is "task-based research" for cultivating
problem-solving ability.
d. In the integrated education course, "Man and Industrialized Society"
will be a required subject and the number of credits for specialized subject
areas/subjects will be 25 credits in total including that for "Man
and Industrialized Society".
2. Total number of credits required for the completion of upper secondary
education
a. The total number of credits required to complete upper secondary school
education will be reduced to 74 credits from the current 80 credits.
b. The standard weekly credit hours for a full-time student will be reduced
to 30 credit hours from the current 32 credit hours.
3. Part-time and correspondence courses
The credit system will be more broadly used in the part-time courses and
the educational approach will be improved in the correspondence courses.
E. Curricula and annual school hours for schools for the visually disabled,
the hearing impaired and the otherwise disabled
The curricula will be improved in accordance with the reformed curricula
for kindergarten, elementary school and lower and upper secondary schools.
In response to the social changes and the nature of disabilities of children
(such as severity, multiplicity and diversity of disabilities), the following
reforms will also be implemented to help disabled children develop their
individuality and cultivate the "zest for living" that is a
prerequisite for their independent participation in social activities.
a. In response to the social changes, the school for the mentally retarded
will establish elective subject areas of "Foreign Language"
in the lower secondary department and "Foreign Language" and
"Information Study" in the upper secondary department to help
students adapt themselves smoothly to the social life after finishing
school. In addition, the upper secondary department will establish a new
subject area "Distribution and Service" on the distribution
industry and the service industry, and new courses such as "Commercial
Course" and "Industrial Course" will be established.
b. The school hours for nursing and rehabilitation activities will be
decided appropriately by individual schools in order for children to be
able to receive individualized instruction suitable to their condition.
The title of the class will be renamed "Activities for Independence".
c. Schools need to make individualized instruction plans suitable to each
child's condition when giving instruction of nursing and rehabilitation
activities and giving instruction to the multi-disabled.
d. The following programs will be specified in the Course of Study: the
visit-and-teach program in upper secondary department, the special class
program in elementary and lower secondary schools, and the program under
which disabled children can take regular classes and receive special instruction.
e. The interaction program of disabled children and healthy children and/or
members of the community will be specified in the Courses of Study for
kindergarten, elementary, lower and upper secondary schools in order to
further promote the program.
F. Curriculum for the consistent 6-year high school education
1. In principle, the lower secondary school curriculum standard will be
applied to the first half of the consistent 6-year high school education
and the upper secondary school curriculum standard will be applied to
the latter half. The following special measures are introduced to form
distinctive curriculum for the consistent 6-year high school.
a. In the first half, (i) the upper limit of the school hours for each
elective subject area will be eased, and (ii) the school hours for required
subject areas can be counted as those for elective subject areas within
the limits of 70 credit hours annually (2 credit hours per week).
b. In the latter half, the credits for "other subjects" and
"other indispensable subject areas" can be counted among the
required credits for completion of school in the general education course
within the limits of 20 credits currently. However, the upper limit will
be eased.
IV. Content of subject areas and subjects
A. Kindergarten
1. The fundamental concept of kindergarten education, that is to provide
each child with individualized and comprehensive guidance in the playful
environment, will be maintained. It will be clarified that, to secure
abundant voluntary actions by children, teachers deliberately organize
desirable environment based on their proper understanding of preschool
children. Also the teacher's basic role, such as a teacher's part in children's
playing activities, will be specified. The following reforms will also
be implemented.
(a) To employ more activities to develop children's mental and physical
health as well as to improve moral education in order for them to acquire
appropriate morality in daily life.
(b) To emphasize the importance of providing children with opportunities
to have personal and actual live experiences through hands-on learning
activities in the environment and in communities.
(c) To clearly indicate the model education that stimulates children's
intellectual development.
(d) To carefully respond to specific features of child development in
early childhood when self-consciousness and self-restraint start growing.
(e) To encourage children to have self-realization through group activities.
2. Kindergartens should provide children ample opportunities to enjoy
activities suitable to their ages. At the same time, they must have tighter
cooperation with elementary schools and consider children's successful
transition to the elementary school education from the kindergarten's
comprehensive instruction in the playful environment.
3. Furthermore, kindergartens will be open to communities and promote
day-care service to meet the diverse needs of families and communities
and in response to the declining birth rate. Kindergartens and nursery
schools will be encouraged to promote flexible management such as the
common use of facilities including a build-to-share system. The cooperation
will also be promoted in terms of the content of education/nursing, supporting
child-rearing, and training and in-service training for kindergarten teachers
and nurses.
B. Elementary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools
1. Japanese Language
a. The previous approach emphasized that students read and comprehended
the details of literary works. Now, however, great emphasis is placed
on students' having their own ideas and on the development of their ability
to reason, express themselves appropriately depending on the purpose and
the situation and comprehend the content of reading accurately. The development
of mind to get familiar with reading is also considered. Therefore, the
Japanese Language education will consist of three categories, "speaking/listening",
"writing" and "reading", instead of current two categories,
"expression" and "comprehension". Thus, such class
activities as giving explanations, holding debates and making reports
will be recommended.
b. The teaching strategy that places emphasis on students' detailed reading
comprehension of literary works will be reformed so as to teach children
appropriately depending upon the stage of child development. For example,
the content currently taught in every grade at elementary school, such
as paragraphing, will be taught in a specific grade.
c. The educational content of two school years will be shown together
in elementary and lower secondary schools so as to teach flexibly in consideration
of the actual situation of the students and school.
d. The instruction of Kanji (Chinese characters) will basically be the
same as the current one in terms of the characters and the number of Kanji
in the compulsory education. However, plenty of time will be assigned
to the instruction of writing Kanji so that students can take time to
master writing them before they go up a grade.
e. Classics and calligraphy will continue to be taught appropriately.
f. Upper secondary schools will establish a new subject "Japanese
Language Expression I" whose content mainly consists of the categories
of "speaking/listening" and "writing", and it will
be an elective required subject.
2. Social Studies, Geography and History, Civics
a. Great emphasis is placed on the development of children's capabilities
required as Japanese in the international society. The capabilities include
mind and ability to study both domestic and international incidents from
various angles and then to make judgments in a fair fashion, understanding
and love of their country and its history, and the spirit of international
cooperation. Thus, schools will encourage students to learn how to study
and research and to participate in hands-on learning activities and problem-solving
activities, rather than placing too much emphasis on students' knowledge
of all matters.
b. The matters to be taught will be closely examined and the very basics
will be selected. The content considered difficult for that graders will
be taught in the next grade and upper, or will be eliminated.
c. History classes should help students respect Japanese culture and tradition
and deepen their understanding and love of its history. Historical events
and phenomena taught at elementary school will be selected more carefully,
and the focus of history classes will be the learning of achievements
by historical figures and typical cultural properties. In history classes
at lower secondary school, students will study Japanese history together
with world history as background knowledge. Japanese history will be shown
in large sections, so that students can grasp the major flow of the history.
The students will also be expected to view things from different angles
by learning how to study and examine history. Considering the consistency
with lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools will help students
deepen their understanding of Japanese and world history and develop their
ability to think from a historical point of view.
d. At elementary school, the learning of the local community for the third
and the forth graders and the learning of Japanese industry and national
land for the fifth graders will be integrated. In this way, the learning
rooted in the local community and the learning using various data or through
research can be conducted more concretely and flexibly.
e. In geography classes at lower secondary school, students will be encouraged
to acquire the basics of Japanese and the world geography and learn how
to view things and find characteristics of local areas through various
examples. In civics classes, students will study mainly the basics of
politics and economy by examining specific cases.
d. The task-based study approach will be employed in geography/history
class and civics class at upper secondary school. The emphasis will also
be placed on the study in which students can learn to think or view things
from historical or geographical points. Moreover, students are encouraged
to develop the ability to think various issues in the modern society as
well as the way of life as a human.
3. Arithmetic, Mathematics
a. Children will be helped to acquire basic knowledge and skills of quantity
and geometrical figure through problem-solving activities with plenty
of time, while the relevance to the real life is being considered. Children
will be expected to develop ability to think mathematically and to cultivate
creativity.
b. The teaching contents will be reduced to the ones necessary to daily
life and the content considered difficult for that graders will be taught
in the next grade or upper. The amount of the reduced contents will be
greater than the assumed reduction by the shortened school hours.
c. Elementary school children can take their time to learn arithmetic
and they will be repeatedly taught until they master the basic computation
skills. For this, the teaching contents including character equations,
congruence and symmetry of geometrical figures, three-dimensional figures
such as a cone, and direct/inverse proportional expressions will be taught
at lower secondary school. The complex calculation of large numbers and
the content of geometrical figures will be simplified.
d. Lower secondary schools will help students acquire basic knowledge
of quantity and geometry. The emphasis will be placed on the development
of students' ability to reason and thus the problem-solving approach to
learning will be positively adopted. The teaching contents including a
linear inequality with one unknown, a formula of the solution to a quadratic
equation, some characteristics of a circle and statistics will be taught
at upper secondary school.
e. Upper secondary schools will establish a new subject of "Basic
Mathematics" which incorporates mathematical history and statistical
processing of daily events, and it will be an elective required subject.
4. Science
a. Science classes should be well related to children's experiences in
the environment and daily life and encourage children to make observations
and experiments for their own purposes. The emphasis will be placed on
children's development of intellectual interest and inquiring mind toward
the environment, and abilities to solve problems and view things variously
and comprehensively.
b. The content considered difficult for that graders will be taught in
the next grade or upper or even eliminated, and the teaching contents
that relates closely to the environment in the neighborhood and daily
life will be prioritized. The amount of the reduced contents will be more
than that for the reduction of credit hours.
c. At elementary school, experiments and observations of the environment
in the neighborhood and learning related to daily life will be prioritized.
Some of the current teaching contents of elementary schools such as plants'
transpiration, neutralization, metal combustion and movement of stars
will be taught at lower secondary school.
d. Lower secondary schools will conduct more of outdoor observations and
exploratory activities. Some of the current teaching contents of lower
secondary schools such as ions, composition/decomposition of force, the
characteristics of Japanese climate, regulations of heredity, and biological
evolution will be taught at upper secondary school.
e. Upper secondary schools will establish three new subjects as an elective
required subject. One is "Basic Science" that will help students
learn science history and the relation between human life and science
in order to develop their scientific perception and thinking. Another
is "Comprehensive Science A" for researching natural phenomena
closely related to daily life including material and energy, and the other
is "Comprehensive Science B" for studying biological phenomena
and natural phenomena on the global environment.
5. Life Environment Studies
a. Children's activities and experiences in communities, in the environment
and with people in their neighborhood will further be promoted. The teaching
contents for two school years will be shown together so that various activities
can be elaborated further, and the current 12 contents will be reexamined
and restricted to 8 contents. In addition, interaction with infants, elderly
people and disabled children will be further promoted.
6. Music, Arts (Music)
a. Music classes will emphasize that children enjoy music, find pleasure
in musical activities and have mind to appreciate music throughout their
lives.
b. Plenty of time will be allocated to the flexible instruction suitable
to the actual situations of individual community, school and children.
For example, children will be allowed to choose the contents they wish
to learn and the teaching contents for two school years will be shown
together.
c. Activities of self-expression and music appreciation will be improved
in order for students to deepen their interests and understanding of the
music culture in Japan as well as those in foreign countries. Additionally,
the instruction of the national anthem "Kimigayo" will be enhanced.
d. In principle, common teaching materials for appreciation will not be
shown in order for individual elementary and lower secondary schools to
develop various music activities suitable to the actual situation of individual
community and school. And only advice on choosing materials will be given.
Elementary school's teaching materials for singing will be chosen among
the songs recommended by the Ministry of Education since people have loved
them for many years. At lower secondary school, the advice on choosing
materials will be given but specific pieces will not be shown.
7. Drawing and Handicrafts, Fine Arts, Arts (Fine Arts, Craft)
a. It will be emphasized that children enjoy creative activities of drawing
and crafting now and throughout their lives.
b. Plenty of time will be given to the flexible instruction suitable to
the actual situations of individual community, school and children. For
example, the teaching contents for two school years will be shown together
and children will be allowed to choose contents they wish to learn.
c. Elementary school children will be encouraged to make crafts by using
their hands skillfully. Lower and upper secondary schools will encourage
students to deepen their understanding of the characteristics of Japanese
as well as other countries' culture of art. The activities for appreciating
works of art are also important to help students refine their skills.
8. Fine Arts (Calligraphy)
a. It will be emphasized that students enjoy calligraphy and have a love
for calligraphy throughout their lives, and at the same time, individualized
and creative learning activities will be promoted.
9. Homemaking, Industrial Arts and Home Economics
a. It is necessary to consider the promotion of the cooperative society
of both sexes and the aging society with declining birth rate. The emphasis
will be on the children's understanding of family relations and family
functions, their acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for daily
life, and the development of enthusiasm and practical mind to improve
their lives. Thus, further improvements will be made on the teaching contents
including family functions, family relations, significance of raising
a child, relation between daily life and industrial arts, and active use
of information devices.
b. In order to allow enough time to the instruction suitable to the actual
situation of the community and school, some teaching contents will be
eliminated or integrated into the basics, classification will be done
by larger categories or teaching materials will not be specified.
c. The teaching contents for two school years will be shown together and
the teaching materials will be limited to the minimum essentials in order
for elementary schools to give flexible instruction suitable to the actual
situation of the school and children. In addition, nutritious combinations
of food and simple cooking will be taught in the "food" section,
and making some simple and small items useful for daily life will be taught
in the "clothing" section.
d. At lower secondary school, the subject currently consists of eleven
categories such as "timber processing", "electricity",
"family life", "food" and the like. It will be reorganized
so as to consist of two categories of "industrial arts" and
"homemaking". The "industrial arts" will emphasize
the content related to manufacturing and basic skills for computer processing.
The "homemaking" will emphasize the content related to clothing,
food and housing, which are necessary to lead an independent life, such
as nutritious eating habits, and the content related to family, family
relations and consumer life.
e. Upper secondary schools will establish a new subject of "Basic
Home Economics" on human life and family/welfare, family life and
physical health, consumer life and environment, and the like. The current
"General Home Economics" will be improved and split into "Integrated
Home Economics" and "Home Life Techniques". Students will
be allowed to choose among these three subjects.
10. Physical Education, Health and Physical Education
a. In order for children to cultivate mind to enjoy sport throughout their
lives and maintain and improve their physical health, physical exercises
in the physical education will be carefully chosen according to the stage
of child development and children will be helped to improve their basic
physical strength. The health education will help children learn the importance
of health and lead a healthy life. Consideration should be given to the
improvement of the instruction that relates physical education and health
education.
b. Physical exercises will be more freely chosen in physical education.
In health education, various contemporary issues will be selectively discussed
and some teaching contents will be eliminated in consideration of the
relation with other subjects.
c. A new teaching content, "stretch" (tentative name), will
be adopted in the physical education at elementary school and lower and
upper secondary schools, and the martial arts will continue to be taught
appropriately. Flexible measures will be taken. For example, a physical
exercise currently instructed in two consecutive years at elementary school
may be instructed in one year, and the system in which students choose
the field and content of physical exercises will be expanded in lower
and upper secondary schools.
d. Due to the recent changes in circumstances, human behavior and disease
structure, the following problems are getting more and more serious: mental
health problems, improper eating habits and other bad habits, diseases
caused by bad habits, drug abuse problem, issues surrounding sex, and
the like. Thus, the emphasis will be on the instruction related to these
problems. The teaching contents of health education, currently taught
to the fifth graders and older at elementary school, will be taught to
the third graders and older.
11. Foreign Language
a. "Foreign Language" will be a required subject at lower and
upper secondary schools, and in principle, English will be the one at
lower secondary school. In order for students to develop practical communicative
competence in the target language, great emphasis will be placed on the
practice in the situations where the target language is actually used.
Listening and speaking practice will be particularly emphasized at lower
secondary school.
b. The teaching contents of three school years will be shown together
so that lower secondary schools can allocate plenty of time to flexible
teaching. Moreover, sentence patterns, grammar and vocabulary will be
closely examined and will be limited to the basics necessary for the practice
activities. Some teaching contents will be eliminated.
c. At lower secondary school, daily situations where the target language
is actually used will be introduced, and functions of such discourse as
"greeting", "making requests" and the like will be
demonstrated. Adopting this approach, lower secondary schools will provide
various activities in order for students to use the target language in
context.
d. Upper secondary schools will offer two subjects in English. The one
is "Oral Aural Communication I" that mainly provides oral communication
practice, and the other is "English I" that provides comprehensive
communication activities. Students can choose between these two considering
their achievement at lower secondary school. In addition, teaching foreign
languages other than English will be further promoted.
12. Information Study
a. Upper secondary school will establish a new general subject area, "Information
Study", as a required area. It aims at helping students develop ability
to independently choose, process and send information by appropriately
using such information devices as computers and information communication
networks. It will also help develop sound mind to participate in the information-oriented
society.
b. There will be three subjects established under the subject area of
"Information Study". The one is "Information A" on
the use of a computer and information communication networks. Another
is "Information B" that is for the scientific understanding
of the functions and mechanism of a computer. The other is "Information
C" on the role and influence of information communication networks
on the society. Students can choose one among them.
13. Subject Areas / Subjects for Professional Education
a. In appropriate response to social changes and industrial trend, the
contents of vocational subject areas/subjects will be carefully examined
to help students master basic technical knowledge and skills necessary
to work as specialists in future. In addition, practical and experiential
learning activities, such as experiments and practical training, will
be enhanced.
b. As the aging society is growing, training students for welfare activities,
such as social worker training, is a pressing task. For this, a new subject
area "Welfare" will be added. In response to the need of training
students for information related business in the advanced information
communication society, a new subject area "Information Study"
will be started.
c. Each subject area will be improved as follows.
(i) Home Economics: The teaching contents related to day-care, home nursing
and nursing will be improved. The other contents will also be improved
in consideration of the advancement of the consumer-related industry and
its intensified services orientation, and diversification of consumer
needs.
(ii) Agriculture: The teaching contents will be improved in consideration
of internationalization and information-oriented movement in terms of
distribution of farm products and personnel exchange, advancement of biotechnology,
global environmental issues, development of the food industry, and revitalization
of weekend activities in farming and mountain villages.
(iii) Manufacturing: The teaching contents will be improved in consideration
of technological innovation in multimedia, advanced information communication
technology, systematized manufacturing technology and other areas, communicative
competence in foreign languages and ability to comprehend technological
reports in response to the internationalization of the manufacturing industry,
and environmental issues.
(iv) Business: The teaching contents related to the business basics, including
practical communicative competence in foreign languages and information/accounting
literacy, will be enhanced. Improvements will be made on the teaching
contents related to the processing and utilization of management information
of purchase, sales, finance and the like.
(v) Marine Products Industry: The teaching contents will be improved in
consideration of the advancement of marine products technology, oceanic
environmental issues, the changes related to the industry such as oceanic
recreation, internationalization and information-oriented movement of
distribution of marine products and personnel exchange, the advancement
of communication technology and the like.
(vi) Nursing: The teaching contents will be improved in order to meet
the growing social needs of medical treatment and nursing at home.
(vii) Welfare: Students will be encouraged to comprehensively acquire
practical basic knowledge and skills related to social welfare and understand
its philosophy and meaning. It also aims at helping students develop creative
ability and mind to contribute to the advancement of social welfare.
(viii) Information Study: It will help students acquire basic knowledge
and skills related to information and understand its meaning and role
in the modern society. It also aims at helping students develop creative
and practical ability and mind to independently deal with various issues
of the advanced information communication society and to contribute to
the development of the society.
14. Moral Education
a. It is important for moral education to touch children's hearts through
hands-on learning activities and to enhance itself in cooperation with
families and communities. Great emphasis is placed on the promotion of
such moral education that encourages children to tackle problems by themselves
and think together for the better future. Thus, the approach will be improved
so that children can cultivate mind to respect life, an independent spirit,
a sense of responsibility, basic morals including knowing good and bad,
mind to respect and develop Japanese culture and tradition, a spirit of
international cooperation, and practical ability to develop their own
lives and the society for the future.
b. Adequate school hours should be secured for the moral class as the
core of moral education at elementary and lower secondary schools, and
each school should deal with a certain topic for two and more years consecutively.
Positive adoption of the following hands-on learning activities is also
recommended: volunteer activities, hands-on learning activities in the
environment, observations and research, touching real things, role-playing
and the like.
c. The approach should be suitable to the stage of child development in
the moral class and other moral education at elementary and lower secondary
schools. Specifically, at elementary school, the first and the second
graders will be repeatedly taught until they learn social rules and acquire
the knowledge of good and bad. The third and the forth graders will learn
the importance of studying cooperatively and of helping each other, and
the fifth and the sixth graders will be encouraged to develop an independent
spirit and understanding of Japanese culture and tradition. Lower secondary
school students are helped to lead a well-disciplined life, realize themselves
as a Japanese citizen and cultivate a spirit of international cooperation.
d. At upper secondary school, civics class, homeroom activities and other
activities should be improved in order to help students independently
study what life one should lead and how as a human being and develop themselves
successfully. Thus, great emphasis will be placed on their development
of mind to fulfill their own duty and responsibility, volunteer spirit,
and moral sense as a member of the better nation and society.
15. Special Activities
a. Special activities will emphasize that students have desirable human
relations, acquire basic morals and social rules, develop independent
and practical mind to cooperatively build a better life, and cultivate
practical mind. It is necessary to improve the functions of student guidance
and develop rich hands-on learning activities. In addition, students are
encouraged to foster their Japanese identity and cultivate a spirit of
international cooperation, and thus the meaning of Japanese flag and anthem
will be taught widely.
b. In consideration of the stage of child development, children are encouraged
to develop mind to consider what life they should lead in the future and
ability to independently make a right choice. The function of student
guidance will be improved in order to help children adapt themselves to
the school life and build a sound relationship with others.
c. Children will be encouraged to tackle various issues by themselves
for the better class and school life in the homeroom activities. Specifically,
the approach will be improved in order for students in lower and upper
secondary schools to learn what life they should lead and how as a human
being and the significance of participating in such social activities
as volunteer activities.
d. Activities which help children cultivate volunteer spirit will be enhanced
among school events. The hands-on learning activities in the environment
and interactions with infants and elderly people will be positively adopted
as school events, while the number of school events will be limited overall
by combination or integration of events.
e. In consideration of the relations of club activities with extracurricular
activities, out-of-school activities and the "Period for Integrated
Study", elementary school will allot reasonable class hours to the
club activities. Lower and upper secondary schools will eliminate club
activities.
C. Schools for the visually disabled, the hearing impaired and otherwise
disabled
a. In order to further emphasize the necessity of taking educational measures
in early stage of child development, the matters related to educational
counseling for children under three years of age will be specified in
the Course of Study for kindergarten.
b. Nursing school education for the mentally retarded will establish an
elective subject area of "Foreign Language" at lower and upper
secondary departments in order for students to deepen their understanding
of international affairs. The teaching contents will be chosen to help
students get familiar with and express themselves in the target language
and have more interest in foreign countries. The new subject area "Information
Study" at upper secondary department aims at helping students develop
basic ability and mind to choose, process and send information by using
computers. Students will be helped to acquire basic skills in using equipment
and software in the class.
c. Nursing and rehabilitation activities are given depending upon each
individual child's condition with the aim of helping children to be independent.
Thus, nursing and rehabilitation activities will be renamed "Activities
for Independence" in order to clarify the significance. Its objective
and content will be reviewed in order to give instruction appropriately
and effectively in response to the diversification of the nature of disabilities
of children.
V. Matters related to national curriculum standards reform
In order to attain the purpose of the comprehensive five-day school week
and to help children cultivate the "zest for living", all of
the guardians, members of the community and persons concerned must understand
the purpose of this reform and play their own parts.
1. Textbooks and supplements
a. It is important to write and compile textbooks, which properly reflect
the purpose of the national curriculum standards reform (i.e. deliberate
selection of educational content and cultivation of the ability to learn
how to learn and to solve problems).
b. For moral education, not only providing reading materials, but also
developing and using different types of teaching materials will be planned.
Such efforts will provide variety in class activities to learn moral value,
meaning of life and so forth.
2. Teaching methods
a. Improvement of teaching methods is required to provide individualized
instruction which pays much attention to each child's interest, understanding
of class content and the degree of achievement.
b. It is recommended to adopt such cooperative teaching strategy as the
teaching by the united efforts of teachers of different specialties and
the team teaching. Teaching by special part-time lecturers will be more
positively adopted. It is necessary to secure teaching personnel for information
education and have nurse teachers and nutritionists cooperatively participate
in the classes related to physical health and nutrition.
c. It is planned to build or improve educational aids (e.g. computers),
information communication networks, information equipment and books in
school library, audio-visual aids, educational facilities and equipment
outside of school and the like.
3. Grading method of academic achievement
a. Improvement of grading method should contribute to the development
of children's motivation to learn and ability to think, judge and express
oneself. The emphasis should be on the process of learning. Careful consideration
needs to be given to the criteria of grading, for example, positive appreciation
of children's good points and progress.
b. The cumulative record will employ different grading methods suitable
to the stage of school, the age (grade) of children and unique characteristics
of the subject. In addition, individual schools and boards of education
should make efforts to design evaluation methods.
4. Selection of applicants for schools of upper level (universities, upper
secondary schools and others)
a. Selection of applicants must be improved from the standpoint of helping
children cultivate the "zest for living" and develop their individuality
in order to make this curriculum standards reform effective. Therefore,
the selection method should be diversified and the criteria should be
of variety. Specifically, for example, when an applicant's score is beyond
the specified level, he/she will be examined by referring to other data.
Some other examples include essay, interview, and tests of one's practical
skills, and appreciation of various activities both inside and outside
of school. Students' achievement on elective subjects at lower secondary
school will not be evaluated at entrance examination for upper secondary
school.
b. Achievement tests should not measure children's ability by their fragmentary
knowledge but finding out whether they have ability to think and express
themselves. Listening comprehension tests in foreign languages should
be more widely adopted.
5. Teachers
a. It is necessary to place great value on the development of children's
ability to learn and think independently, to select educational content
carefully, and to make efforts to improve educational activities. To promote
these successfully, teachers need to improve their teaching skills in
their specialized fields as a teaching professional and obtain broad outlook
on the whole curriculum. This requires further improvement on teacher
training, appointment and in-service training.
b. The distribution of teachers needs to be considered in order for individual
schools to smoothly take the following measures: formation of a distinctive
curriculum including expansion of the elective system, improvement of
teaching methods and systems such as adopting team-teaching, and implementation
of various learning activities in the "Period for Integrated Study".
6. School management
a. Every school must demonstrate its distinctive features by forming and
implementing curriculum unique to the school. Thus, it is indispensable
that the principal exercises his/her leadership and runs the school together
with all other teachers in one united body. Considering the purpose of
making the curriculum standards flexible, the boards of education should
respect schools' independence and help them effectively.
b. Schools should interchange information and ideas with each other, review
curricula, events and meetings frequently, and encourage families and
communities to recognize and fill their roles.
c. Some schools neglect the national curriculum standards. Taking the
opportunity of this reform, every school is requested to fully understand
its purpose and take appropriate measures to attain the purpose.
d. Private schools will be requested to adopt the comprehensive five-day
school week system in concert with national/public schools.
7. Education in concert with families and communities
a. To facilitate the open-school movement, the principal and all other
teachers must recognize their responsibility and inform families and communities
of the school's educational principles, activities and the state of children
in order to have their understanding and cooperation. Local facilities
and environment will be positively used for school activities. Schools
should actively offer their facilities for public use everyday including
holidays and provide learning opportunities for adults and children in
communities.
b. Families and communities should provide children with a variety of
opportunities during such long school recess as summer vacation. Taking
advantage of these opportunities, children can participate in various
activities including hands-on learning activities in daily life, in social
life (e.g. volunteer activities) and in the environment as well as cultural
activities and sports activities.
Appendix
Chart 1. is omitted
Chart 2. is omitted
Chart 3. is omitted
|
(Elementary School Division)
Top of this page
|
