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

The most important among the roles school education should play in the framework of the development of internationalization shall be the upbringing of Japanese who can earn respect in the international community. In so doing, it is important to have students understand the importance of international interdependence and appreciate cultures and positions of foreign countries, and at the same time to cultivate in them an attitude of appreciating culture and tradition of our country. The aims of the newly revised Course of Study issued in March 1989 include the deepening of international understanding and the cultivation of an attitude of appreciating culture and tradition of our country.

Recently many universities and junior colleges have established or increased faculties and departments to deal with international affairs. Also in the field of social education, programs on international understanding are becoming popular particularly in social education courses for adults.

The improvement of communication ability in foreign languages is considered important in order to deepen mutual understanding with foreigners. To this end, the Courses of Study for Lower Secondary School and Upper Secondary School were revised, emphasis being placed on the cultivation of basics for communication competency and international understanding. Moreover, a"Japan Exchange and Teaching Program"(JET), or a program to invite young native speakers of English as language teacher assistants, was initiated. Universities and Junior colleges are engaged in the establishment of foreign language centers and the improvement of language laboratory (LL) equipment, in order to cultivate competency in conversation in foreign languages.