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PART Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture

Since the end of World War Japan has experienced a dramatic spread and development of education. In recent years, however, a variety of problems and difficulties have been pointed out, and there is a growing call for making the educational system more adapted to various changes in society.

In these circumstances, In its four successive reports, the National Council on Educational Reform, an ad hoc advisory committee to the Prime Minister, laid down three basic concepts for the current educational reform: 1) to carry out the transition to a lifelong learning system; 2) to place more emphasis on the importance of the individual; and 3) to make our educational structures and practices cope with such contemporary changes as internationalization and development toward an information oriented society. Based on these concepts, the Council offered a wide range of recommendations for educational reform. In the light of these recommendations, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture have been taking positive steps for implementing educational reform. In April 1989, the Minister asked the Central Council for Education to consider' "reforms of various systems in education to make them relevant to a new age." In January 1990, the Council submitted to the Minister a report on "the Development of an Infrastructure for Lifelong Learning." Since then the Council has been deliberating reform in upper secondary education and related issues in higher education, and the issue of evaluation of the outcome of lifelong learning. With regard to reforms in higher education, in October 1987 the Minister requested the University Council to consider "specific strategies for developing heightened, distinctive and invigorated activities in education and research at universities and other institutions of higher education." Upon this request the Council is now deliberating this issue. Regarding the promotion of lifelong learning, in August 1990, the Minister created an advisory committee called the Lifelong Learning Council to consider specific government measures in this area.