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PART lssues and Perspectives of Elementaryand Secondary Education

The success or the failure of school education depends much on the quality of teachers who are in direct contact with pupils and exert the most influence on their character formation. As the situation of pupils becomes diversified and complicated due to the rapid changes in society and the economy, there is a growing expectation of upgraded abilities of teachers.

The abilities of teachers are formed step by step through the stages of initial training, appointment and in-service training. Policies to improve teachers, therefore, shall be pursued in a comprehensive manner through various stages. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has been promoting the improvement of teacher training courses of universities, and has revised the Educational Personnel Certification Law so that the basics of practical teaching can be learned during the training stage.

As regards appointment, teacher appointment examinations held by prefectural boards of education had been tended to only test memorized knowledge and academic achievements. In recent years, however, methods of testing have been reconsidered and diversified with a view to assessing multi-dimensional aspects of quality such as a sense of mission and practical teaching ability. For example, more emphasis is placed on interviews, and group interviews are now often introduced in addition to written test.

In-service training is programed for various stages of the career of teachers. Particularly for beginning teachers, a system of induction training has been institutionalized : it provides organized and systematized training for one year with the purpose or cultivating practical teaching ability, nurturing a sense or mission as teachers and broadening perspectives.

Toward the 21st century, the environment surrounding school education will change even more rapidly due to the progress of an information oriented society and internationalization. In order to have teachers appropriately respond to the changing environment and properly teach pupils, a comprehensive strategy is necessary to upgrade teachers' ability throughout the stages of initial training, appointment and in-service training.

School facilities are given qualitative considerations, in addition to quantitative provisions, and facilities with unique characteristics are on the increase in recent years. School facilities had been known for uniformity, but changes have been made on this point. Research on school facilities to realize a more flexible and richer school life is just to bear fruit. In recent years, instructions using multiple purpose space and opening of facilities to local communities are becoming popular, and other new attempts have been promoted.

Class size and fixed numbers of educational personnel have been and will continue to be steadily improved through the implementation of the Educational Personnel Fixed Number Improvement Plan, with a view to establishing an environment in which education can be exercised responding to the individual needs and abilities of pupils.