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

Along with the expansion of international activities of Japanese people, the number of Japanese people staying abroad for a long period is rapidly increasing. Approximately 51,000 Japanese children of compulsory school age were staying abroad in 1992. More than 13,000 Japanese children of elementary and secondary school age returned to Japan during the period from April 1990 through March 1991. The enrichment of educational programs for these two groups of children, i.e., those who are staying abroad and those who have returned from extended stays abroad, has become an important task for the Government. The Government undertakes this with the aim of providing the former group of children with an education appropriate for their development as both Japanese citizens and internationally minded persons. It alms to provide the latter group with appropriate educational opportunities to enable them to make the best use of the special qualities acquired during their stay overseas.

In order to promote educational programs for Japanese children staying overseas, the Ministry has taken a number of measures, including dispatching teachers to Japanese schools overseas (both full-time and part-time) and providing free textbooks to all Japanese children of compulsory school age who are staying abroad. The Ministry is placing directors in charge of school activities for international exchange with local residents in Japanese schools abroad. These directors contribute to the promotion of education for international understanding at the Japanese school which he or she serves, and also to the development of more activities for educational, cultural and sports exchanges between children enrolled in the school and people in the community where they are living. The Ministry operates a system which registers all candidates for teachers serving Japanese schools overseas and provides adequate training in Japan before their appointment. The Ministry also began a study for developing information systems whereby Japanese schools overseas can be connected on-line (through personal computer communications) with various institutions within Japan which provide these schools with relevant educational information. Further, in order to promote educational programs for children who have returned from overseas (including the children of Japanese orphans who have come back to Japan from China), the Ministry has taken various measures, including the creation of special classes for these children at some schools attached to national universities, the designation of pilot schools for conducting studies on the content and methods of teaching these children, and the designation of some localities which are to pay special attention to accepting and taking care of these children.