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

Staff development for teachers is being conducted under a comprehensive policy throughout different stages of their training; pre-service, induction and in-service training.

With regard to the pre-service training of teachers, the Education Personnel Certification Law was amended in 1988 with the goal of improving various kinds of teacher certification, upgrading the requirements for certification, and making it possible to employ citizens from various sectors of society as school teachers and other reforms as well.

For in-service training of teachers, a system for one-year systematic induction programs for new instructors was created. This has been gradually implemented at each school level beginning in 1989. In 1992, after implementation at all special education schools this system was fully institutionalized. The implementation of training programs for new teachers not only serves to markedly improve the skills of the new teaching staff, but also serves to increase the leadership skills of the teachers in charge of these programs and increase the vitality of the school as a whole. In other recent measures, as of 1992, training programs equivalent to those mentioned above are now being conducted for beginning kindergarten teachers.

Although training programs for new teachers are continuing and in-service training is being conducted according to the roles and experience of teachers, the systematic upgrading and fulfillment of future life-long career programs for teacher training have become an important issue for consideration.