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

In switching over to a lifelong learning system, it is important to reconsider the notion that formal educational institutions are indispensable for all education. It is also necessary to evaluate people's lifelong learning achievements in a wide ranging perspective. In the Report of the Lifelong Learning Council, a variety of strategies were set down for evaluating lifelong learning achievements.

The Ministry has established a "system for evaluation and certification of skills in various types of fields" and based on this system is promoting a program for examination and certification of knowledge and skills in 14 fields including "practical English." Furthermore, since 1991 the Ministry has carried out "Comprehensive Projects for Promoting Volunteer Activities for Lifelong Learning " as a means towards laying the groundwork for various groups of people to share the fruits of their learning through various activities in the community.