Japanese Government Policies in Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 2001 [EDUCATIONAL REFORM Q&A Q2]

QUESTION

I hear that you will promote youth volunteer activities and outdoor activities. Why will you promote these?

Answer

In order to cultivate a rich humanity in youth, including respect for social norms as members of society and consideration for others, we believe a variety of experiential activities tailored to one's development stage, etc., are necessary. To assure that diverse experiential activities adapted to local conditions are carried out smoothly, we will continue to build a system that gives consideration to cooperation with schools, people involved in social education, and related agencies and organizations.

In recent years, various factors have been considered to be behind the educational issues present in our country. One of these is the attenuation of human relationships, including both inter- and intra-generational affiliations, that lead to an increased number of youths growing up without sufficiently learning how to communicate with other people and appropriate standards of group conduct. Another factor is the further paucity of opportunities for youths to savor the experience of feeling a heartfelt sense of accomplishment or achievement.

In this situation, we believe carrying out a variety of experiential activities tailored to one's stage of development, etc., holds great significance for youth and cultivates in each person a rich humanity, including respect for social norms as members of society, the value of life and consideration for others.

For this purpose, we amended the School Education Law and made provisions for schools to enhance social service learning activities and other experiential activities when carrying out educational instruction so as to ensure that youth in the elementary and lower and upper secondary school stages have better opportunities for a variety of experiential activities within and outside the school. In addition, we amended the Social Education Law and established provisions that make work for the purpose of providing a variety of opportunities for experiential activities, including social service learning activities for youth, one of the important functions of boards of education.

In implementing social service learning activities for youth, including volunteer activities, outdoor activities and other experiential activities, it is important to prepare diverse sites for experiential activities that are adapted to actual local conditions and to develop an environment where youths can choose among them. The Central Council for Education has also deliberated Policies to Promote a Variety of Community Service Activities and Experiential Activities for Youth. Discussion is being carried out by the Council regarding comprehensive policies, including the development of an organized promotion mechanism.

Based on these developments, we are fully taking into consideration cooperation with persons involved in school and social education as well as related agencies and organizations in promoting a system to ensure the smooth implementation of experiential activities.

Social service learning activities are experiential activities that are carried out to acquire the spirit of social service, including learning relationships that enable people, who are the essence of society, to help each other and cultivate a considerate heart through activities that serve society or the public.

- Providing care to acquire experiential experience at welfare facilities for the aged and facilities for people with physical disabilities
- Cleaning activities at welfare facilities for the aged, etc., after-meal cleanup and other works inside facilities
- Accompanying home-helpers and assisting elderly persons living alone with activities such as shopping
- Cleaning activities at places such as beaches, parks and train station areas
- Environmental beautification activities, including the planting of flower seedlings at places such as parks, public facilities and national roads
- Recycling activities, including the collection of aluminum cans and PET bottles
- Helping at charity bazaars of neighborhood associations
- Collecting and sending international assistance materials

- Experiencing of activity in a natural environment: outdoor playing, outdoor cooking, making observations of celestial bodies while camping in snowfields in the winter, etc.
- Vocational experiential activities and working experiential activities: children actually work at local workplaces and stores with the cooperation of local shopping districts and companies.
- Arts and cultural experiential activities: cultural and traditional experiential activities from Japan and other countries as well as the continuation of traditional activities, including local traditional events, performing arts and industrial arts.


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