2. Unified Effort in Accordance with Administrative Reform,Fiscal Structural Reform,Economic Structural Reform
(2) Cooperation with Fiscal Structural Reform
The Japanese financial system bas fallen into the worst situation of the leading advanced nations in the world.In order to realize a prosperous social welfare system and a revitalized economy toward the twenty-first century,fiscal structure has become an urgent challenge which must be addressed without delay.To this end,the Japanese Government and the ruling party established the Conference on Fiscal Structural Reform.In June1997,having received the report of the Conference,the"Promotive Measures for Fiscal Structural Reform"was decided by the Cabinet.To make measures for these fiscal structural reforms more precise,the Fiscal Structural Reform Act came into effect in December1997.In this Law it was stipulated to streamline the budget in accordance with the decrease in the number of pupils,to thoroughly enforce the principle that beneficiaries should shoulder the burden,and,from the perspective of allotted roles of responsibility between national and local public corporations,review and curtail the burdens of general accounts concerning compulsory education and national schools,and subsidies for private schools.Specifically,the following points are stipulated:
(1)Transfers from general accounts to special national school accounts should not exceed initial budget amounts of the previous fiscal year;
(2)Private school subsidy(ordinary expenditure subsidy)amounts are not to exceed initial budget amounts of the previous fiscal year;and
(3)A two-year extension of the Improvement Plan on Teaching Staff Deployment from FY1998 to FY2000.
The FY1998 education budget was compiled under these circumstances.However,with giving consideration to the steady advancement of educational reform and carrying out thorough reviews,creative thinking and improvements,MESSC is striving for the expansion of emotional education-related budgets and scientific research budgets.Furthermore,in April1998,after the passage of the FY1998 budget,in order to restore faith both domestically and internationally in the Japanese economy which is further worsening,the largest ever comprehensive economic package was determined and a supplementary budget was formulated.In this economic package,the areas of education,science and technology and telecommunications were specified as important areas for improvement.For MESSC's part,consideration was given to these present situations,and the promotion of urgent matters such as emotional education-related measures and advanced scientific research were specifically addressed.In relation to this,the fiscal structural reform laws were amended so that appropriate responses such as tbese economic measures could be made in emergency situations.In the Approximate Budget Request of FY1999,with the premise that there will be a5freeze on fiscal structural reform laws,while retaining fundamental considerations on the promotion of fiscal structural reform,it is vital to work as hard as possible toward economic recovery in the short term.MESSC,while addressing reviews of annual expenditure and placing emphasis on specific measures,continues to work on the steady advancement of educational reform.
