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Motivating people to continue learning activities throughout their lives and helping them develop the attitudes needed to sustain those activities are vital to the encouragement of lifelong learning. It is especially important to foster these attitudes during the stage of basic education. This requires the provision of school education that enables children to experience the joy of learning and of discovering new knowledge. It was for this reason that willingness to learn independently and the ability to cope positively with social change were identified as fundamental policy directions in the revised Courses of Study. The new Courses of Study have been implemented progressively since fiscal 1992, and schools are now striving to foster self-education ability as the basis for lifelong learning.

Since fiscal 1989 the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has been jointly sponsoring National Lifelong Learning Festivals with local governments. These festivals include lifelong learning fairs and other events sponsored by the Ministry and local governments, seminars and forums sponsored by companies and other organizations in the lifelong learning field, and various other activities. In addition to ensuring the wide dissemination of information, the festivals play an important role in popularizing lifelong learning (for example, through the announcement of learning achievements). So far, such festivals have been held in Chiba Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Oita Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture, and Toyama Prefecture (fiscal 1994). Many local governments have also planned and implemented their own festivals.

One problem cited as a reason that people are unable to participate in learning activities is lack of information about learning opportunities. The improvement of systems to provide people in local communities with learning information and respond to inquiries about learning activities, including content and methods, is therefore an important priority. The methods available for this purpose include the use of computers and other information equipment. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is responding to this need by enhancing systems for the provision of learning information and advice, including subsidies for projects aimed at developing systems for the provision of information for lifelong learning activities implemented by prefectural governments.

Programs for developing systems for the provision of information for lifelong learning activities are jointly implemented by prefectural and municipal governments. They involve the development of computerized learning information databases and networks and the provision of learning information and advice through social education facilities and other outlets. By fiscal 1993 a total of 26 prefectures had established systems for the provision of information for lifelong learning activities ( Figure II.2.2 ).

The Ministry is also working to develop a structure to provide nationwide access to lifelong learning information by establishing a lifelong learning database that would be available throughout Japan. The Ministry is also conducting research and surveys on systems to provide integrated access to databases in various lifelong learning facilities under the Ministry's jurisdiction as part of a program called Research and Surveys Concerning the Functions of a National Center for Lifelong Learning.

Figure II.2.2 Projects Aimed at Developing Systems for the Provision of Information for Lifelong Learning Activities