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PART Issues and Developments of Policies in Education, Science and Culture

Japanese education has spread and developed since the end of World WarII.Recently, however, many problems have been pointed out and the realization of education responsive to social changes is strongly demanded.

The National Council on Educational Reform engaged itself in deliberations on education responding to the changes of the times over a three-year period and submitted four reports. In these reports, the Council proposed three principles of educational reform ; transition to a lifelong learning system, putting emphasis on individual traits of pupils, and coping with various changes, including internationalization and information oriented society. Based on these principles, the Council made many policy recommendations over broad areas. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has been promoting educational reform on the basis of the recommendations by the Council, by examining and planning policies for educational reform. The Ministry started the 14th Central Council for Education in April1989 and the Minister asked the Council to recommend "the reform on the educational system in response to the new age". The Council is engaged in deliberations primarily on the reform of upper secondary education and the building of infrastructures for lifelong learning. In regard to the reform of higher education, the Minister asked the University Council in October 1987 to suggest "the practical measures for enhancing, individualizing, and invigorating educational and research in universities and other institutions of higher education", and the Council is currently deliberating on these issues.