Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE, SPORTS AND CULTURE 1996 > Priorities and Prospects for a Lifelong Learning Society Chapter 3 Section 3 2

School education plays a vital role in the development of qualities and skills that enable people to continue learning throughout their lives. It is through school education that people gain willingness to learn independently and the ability to deal positively with social change.

This perspective is reflected in the efforts that are currently being made to improve learning guidance in the context of school education, including the enhancement of individualized instruction and the development of experience-based and problem-solving approaches to learning. These efforts are based on a concept of scholastic ability that emphasizes qualities and abilities that include willingness to learn independently, ability to think and judge for oneself, and self-expression skills.

In September 1992 Japan introduced a partial five-day school week system under which schools were closed on the second Saturday of the month. In April 1995 the system was expanded to include the fourth Saturday of the month. The aim of the five-day school week is to enable children to acquire the abilities to think, judge, and act independently in an environment that lets schools, families, and communities work together and fulfill their respective educational roles. It is necessary to promote education that gives children the ability to learn and think independently, and the development of these life skills will be a fundamental goal of school education in the future.

Children's educational environment is changing dramatically. Especially significant is the way in which children are influenced by the information and social trends that are conveyed via the mass media and other channels. Schools cannot afford to be isolated from society. They need to cooperate with families and communities to develop approaches to education that are appropriate in terms of children's total life experience.

Schools must become more open and work to educate children in cooperation and coordination with families and local communities. This is especially important for overcoming the problems of bullying and refusal to attend school.