Concrete measures for the next five years

Basic Measure 23: Reforms for field-oriented school management and regional education administration

Basic Approach

Drastic reforms shall allow swift and proper handling of on-site issues, and a system of accountability shall be established for the boards of education.

These reforms shall also be in accordance with the viewpoint of active community creation described in Basic Measure 20. Along with harnessing the views and strengths of the community in school administration, schools shall be positioned as strongholds of communication invigoration. By having schools themselves decide that which is desired by community residents and guardians, and by further ensuring political neutrality along with sustainability and stability, with continued attention to the responsibility of the nation for equal opportunity in nationwide education and maintaining and improving educational standards, authority shall be delegated to proximal authority. First, through further aims to spread and promote community schools (School Management Council System), the government will promote efforts to create schools within their communities and revitalize the boards of education.

Together with these efforts, we shall promote active efforts toward establishing an organizational administrative system for schools, and also efforts such as those aiming to improve school administration based on promoting school evaluation and its results.

Main Efforts

23-1. Regional autonomy and an educational governance system to enhance innovation efforts

We consider drastic reform of the boards of education, in order to establish a framework for clarifying where responsibility lies in the board and rapidly and collectively dealing with on-site issues. We will try to invigorate these boards through devices for member selection and meeting administration, member’s active efforts, quality enhancement of self-assessment, and promoting collaboration with the chairman of the board. In addition, those members who have accomplished national accountability in educational governance will be recognized.

The government will further consider maintaining and improving national education equal opportunity and educational standards from the viewpoint of delegating authority even closer, and it shall further enhance and establish a system through mutual tasking of the education administration of municipal boards of education. In addition, it will consider gaining the understanding of involved members such as regional public organizations that include small cities, towns, and villages, based on the circumstances of efforts used for an administrative tasking variance system capable of administering cities, towns, and villages of prefectural and city governments by ordinance for delegating authority over personnel issues for prefecture-funded education staff.

The government will promote flexibility in the setting of class sizes and utilization of teacher and other staff by municipal boards of education and school principals, based on the situation of each local community and school. It will continue to consider a better relationship between prefectural and municipal governments regarding the financial burden of salaries payable to prefectural-funded educational staffs, legal standards for class sizes, and staffing levels of teachers and other personnel, and we will implement these decisions in these matters taking into account the perspectives of those concerned.

23-2. Promotion of creation of schools within their communities

 (Restatement of Basic Measure 20-2)

Basic Measure 24: Establishment of an educational staff guidance system for detailed and high quality education

Basic Approach

In preparing for globally top level academic abilities, normative consciousness, history, and culture with an attitude of respect, in a knowledge-based society, we shall aim to develop human resources to succeed in the global society. The careful establishment of a guidance system is necessary to support high quality education to handle issues and expectations of schools, such as by realizing the type of education described in Basic Measures 1–3.
In addition, the emergence of inter-regional disparities in the environment of compulsory education draws attention to other disparities in education, such as those due to family economic hardship. In particular, regarding compulsory education as the foundation for human resources development, it is important for the government to ensure equal learning opportunities and quality, as well as safety nets for learning.

From this viewpoint, the government will consider the declining birthrate and the financial situation of the national and local governments, and discuss measures to allocate teaching staff effectively to reform education. It will analyze the effects of changes to the teaching system, including the reduction of class size, achievement-based teaching, specialized instruction in elementary school, learning support to improve academic ability (e.g., supplementary lessons), special needs education, and efforts to stop bullying.

Alongside these measures, the government should consider taking steps to ensure the high quality of school staff and reduce the high ratio of part-time teachers, given the situation in which many full-time teachers are retiring and the demand for teaching staff is high.

Main Efforts

24-1. Establishment of an educational staff guidance system for appropriate class size and staff allocation

In order to ensure compulsory education equal opportunity and standards as a national obligation, the government seeks efforts for carefully achieving high quality education in looking to improve academic ability. These efforts include promoting class size reduction, achievement-based teaching, the enhancement of specialized instruction in elementary schools, and supplemental education support for eliminating education disparities.
Concerning the serious situation of handling bullying, the government seeks to create an environment that allows careful management for each and every student by having education staff be attentive to the establishment of a consulting system that includes custodial teachers and also designating staff members to make dedicated efforts in student guidance.
In addition, for special needs education, in order to offer special support services in resource rooms for students with disabilities (e.g., developmental disabilities), whose enrollment numbers are increasing, it is essential for teachers and other staff members to improve the teaching system.
The government will consider the general management of staffing levels of teachers and other personnel, including personnel management (e.g., measures to improve staff quality), to resolve the above educational issues. In this case, from the perspective of establishing checks and improving the system for setting staffing levels, the following are necessary for class size reduction and achievement-based teaching:
- verify the effects utilizing the results of the National Assessment of Academic Ability, etc.;
- clarify how specific measures lead to the improvement of educational function;
- more effective staffing levels of teachers and other personnel.

While progressing with such considerations, the government will hereafter take into account further developments in the declining birthrate and the financial status of the nation and regions, and continue to consider other measures for planning appropriate placement of education staff that leads to improved quality of education. Necessary measures shall be made based on these results.

We must devise the support necessary for community staff and external staff to participate in school education, as they can offer specialized knowledge and a wealth of experience.

We must take the necessary approach for prefectural and city governments in considering measures for ensuring high quality education staff despite personnel turnover and substantial numbers of retiring staff, recruiting diverse staff with high degrees of knowledge and skills as well as veteran teachers with an abundance of practical experience, and further improving the selection method for ensuring outstanding staff who have a strong drive to teach.

Concerning the Compulsory Education System Funded by Tax Revenues and associated systems, the government will consider several matters: establishment of an ability-based salary system (see Basic Measure 4-6); better relationship between prefectural and municipal governments regarding the financial burden of salaries payable to prefectural-funded education staff; legal standards for class sizes; staffing levels of teachers and other personnel (see Basic Measure 23-1); and better management of these staffing levels (see above). In this case, a necessary consideration should be to avoid inter-regional disparities in continuing to pay attention to the appropriate division of roles nationally and by region.

24-2. Building a system that supports teachers’ continuous learning throughout their careers

 (Restatement of Basic Measure 4-1)

24-3. Improvement of teacher training at universities and graduate schools

 (Restatement of Basic Measure 4-2)

24-4. Improvement of the state of teacher employment and various talented people’s appointments

 (Restatement of Basic Measure 4-3)

24-5. Higher level training through cooperation among the boards of education, schools, and universities

 (Restatement of Basic Measure 4-4)

24-6. Promotion of the implementation of adequate personnel management

 (Restatement of Basic Measure 4-5)

24-7. Establishment of an ability-based salary system

 (Restatement of Basic Measure 4-6)

Basic Measure 25: Establishment of educational environments for good and high quality learning　

Basic Approach

The government shall promote planning to improve facilities that consider continuing education as a hub for the local community and schools opened in communities, adaptability for learning activities, having them function as eco-schools, and barrier free schools, in order to ensure an educational environment that realizes fine, high quality learning for achieving sound implementation of the new Course of Study.

In addition, the government will improve school libraries under the five-year program for school library resources and establish an ICT environment in looking toward cooperatively and reciprocally making school affairs efficient and innovate courses; establishing facilities and equipment for enhancing education activities for observing, experimenting, and hands-on learning; and establishing planned educational materials based on the plan on the improvement of educational materials in compulsory education.

Main Efforts

25-1. Establishment of high quality school facilities

The government will promote efforts for the lifespan extension of deteriorating school facilities in continuing to focus on the declining birthrate and improve functional maintenance of school facilities for managing diverse learning activities. For pursuing such efforts, it will seek to make schools ecological, which will also contribute to environmental education and decrease carbon dioxide emissions volume and achieve energy savings. In addition, the government will promote barrier-free facilities and the utilization of wood materials in schools, under the “Act on Promotion of Smooth Transportation, etc. of Elderly Persons, Disabled Persons, etc.” and also laws concerning the promotion of using wood materials in public architectural structures. In addition to these efforts, the government will attempt to improve school facilities as a hub for local communities and seeks to create complex integrated school facilities and utilize surplus classrooms based on the practical circumstances of communities.

25-2. Enhancement of educational environments such as educational materials

The government will support the provision of the facility equipment necessary for enhancing the educational activities of observing, experimenting, and engaging in hands-on approaches, along with the creation of educational materials based on the policy for establishing educational materials as stipulated in 2011 based on the new Course of Study.

The government aims to allocate computers to every teacher for school affairs and one educational computer per 3.6 students.* It will offer wireless LAN service and ultra-high-speed internet connections for all schools, as well as equip classrooms with electronic blackboards and episcopes, when they qualify under the educational resources policy. In addition, it will encourage the placement of a school Chief Information Officer (CIO), ICT support assistances, and the introduction of educational cloud services for local governments.

 *This figure is calculated under computer equipment objects in each school (40 computers in the computer room, one computer per regular classroom, 6 computers in special needs classrooms, and 40 mobile or portable computers for unlimited use in a single location).

The government ensures furthering a personal system linking books and children by promoting the placement of school library attendant staff and encouraging ordinances for librarian teachers, as well as promoting the improvement of library resources and distribution of newspapers, in order to meet the standards for school libraries under the five-year program for school library resources (introduced in FY2012).

Basic Measure 26: Enhancement of university governance

Basic Approach

In order to provide quality education and meet the needs of students, regional communities, and society at each university, the government supports the enhancement of university/incorporated educational institution governance (including redistributing resources based on evaluation results), as well as the establishment of environments where the president and chair of the board can exercise their leadership.

Main Efforts

26-1. Enhancement of university governance

It is necessary to enhance the governance of national universities through a better balance of fund distribution of fundamental expenses, as well as the establishment of organizational management for allowing proper decision making by exercising the university president’s leadership, for high quality educational and research activities complying with needs of students, regional communities, and society.

It is necessary for founders, the chair of the board and the president of prefectural/municipal universities to enhance university governance and establish organizational management through their leadership, so that their university can practice high quality educational and research activities meeting needs of students, regional communities, and society that are based on the university’s mission.

For high quality educational and research activities reflecting each private university’s mission based on sufficiently understanding needs of students, regional communities and society, it is necessary to enhance governance in each private university through the following:
- establishing organizational management for appropriate decision making, according to each university or incorporated educational institution;
- promoting active information provision (e.g., education, research, and finance);
- strengthening financial base;
- establishing a better balance of the distribution of foundational expenses.

The government must take necessary measures to reform ordinances that strengthen governance. In addition, the school chancellors need to harness leadership from a holistic academic perspective. With a view toward vigorous university reform, we shall consider the modality of distributing funds to encourage the redistribution of revenue sources within schools based on a holistic academic strategy.

Basic Measure 27: Clarification of universities’ individuality and distinctions, as well as strengthening of their functions based on such individuality and distinctions (profiling by institutional mission)

Basic Approach

In the universal stage of higher education, in sufficiently basing the positioning of each school type and expected roles and functions for properly handling the diverse demands of students and society, each organization shall harness its uniqueness and character for significant further integral development of diverse and high level educational and research activities.
Each organization shall clarify the functions possessed by each university, as well as its special strengths and characteristics in order to determine how to place weight on their functions. In addition to visualizing the status of such content and efforts, each organization shall prioritize its allocation of funds to necessary functions for the development of educational and research activities that harness the special strength and character of each university. Sufficient harnessing and strengthening of functions are necessary for the progress of reform in each organization.
In addition, by having the abovementioned viewpoint conducive to mutually utilizing the strong functions of each organization through a network, and by establishing diversified systematic selection from among choices, we shall be able to promote the formation of a university group by region and function and also coordination and revisions that transcend the boundaries between universities and school departments (disciplines). We shall promote reform for harnessing the effective operation of each of these organizations.

Main Efforts

27-1. Promotion of reform toward strengthening the capability of national universities

In order to promote national university reforms for strengthening the capabilities of these universities (e.g., categorizing them by their location and mission, and promoting collaboration and reorganization beyond faculties and institutions), we and national universities will clarify their special strengths, characteristics, and role in society (mission) for each professional field in all national universities, and the government will establish the National University Reforms Plan, which indicates reform process, in the summer of 2013. In addition, we are considering and proposing system reforms that include systematic establishment for creating a diverse system of selection among choices by coordination between universities (coordination between domestic and overseas universities and a systematic establishment of several universities as one legal entity [umbrella system] whereby joint education and research organizations are established for both national and private universities).

In addition, the government will use invested money and promote joint research and development with full use of invested money for national universities and companies in looking toward practical applications and based on the status of implementation, to consider the possibility of a systemic reform that will allow national universities to invest in companies supporting university-launched venture businesses and to create subsidiary companies supporting university-launched venture businesses, etc.

27-2. Promotion and support for invigorating education and research in private universities

The government promotes efforts for profiling universities by their mission and revitalizing education and research based on school mottos and the distinctions of each private university. Although private universities provide 80% of higher education, such efforts shall be achieved in light of the importance of the roles performed by diverse, wide layers of human resource training; improving baccalaureate degree program education and the formation of universities, which serve as the core of community revitalization; and education and research coordinated with the diverse, main constituents and other universities within the society of the manufacturing industry. These shall be done along with further prioritizing of support for private universities that are making efforts toward organizational and systemic university reform in response to globalization.

27-3. Promotion of inter-university coordination that surpasses the boundaries of national public and private universities

The government will train staff in response to various societal demands and promote profiling universities by their mission by prioritizing support for outstanding efforts in building a joint education and quality assurance system, as well as coordinating mutually between universities in a certain region in overcoming the foundational organization of all public (national and prefectural/municipal) and private universities.

27-4. Active provision of university information

 (Restatement of Basic Measure 9-2)

27-5. Improvement of university evaluation

 (Restatement of Basic Measure 9-3)

Basic Measure 28: Enhancement of universities’ financial base and establishment of strategic facility improvements according to their individuality and distinctions　

Basic Approach

Universities shall enrich both soft and hard methods in their approach, for example, to enhance financial bases and establish strategic facility improvements, in order to harness their special strengths and characteristics and to fulfill their missions and roles.

Concerning the strength of the university financial base, the government will provide expense grants for national universities and private education institute aid and distribute funds in a clearer and more balanced way (e.g., through prioritizing support for universities that are engaged in reform efforts) based on profiling university by mission (see Basic Measure 27), so that universities can still demonstrate their roles.

In addition, in comparison to Western countries, the public cost burden in Japan is low for higher education, and the private cost burden is high. Private-sector funding as a proportion of budgeting for each university is low. In order to further harness the role of universities in the grim economic situation in recent years, added to assured measures for basic expenses, we should establish an environment for self-initiating, positive procurement of donated funds and other private-sector funding.

Concerning the strategic establishment of facilities of national universities, the government will establish facilities that link the functional strength of universities with the formation of an outstanding educational and research center and enhancement of university hospital functional capability.

Main Efforts

28-1. Strength of universities’ financial base and well-balanced fund distribution

The government will strengthen its financial base through expenses grants for national universities and private education institute aid and distributes funds in a more balanced way with sufficient understanding of foundational expense itself. We will review the payroll and personnel systems of national universities (e.g., full-fledged introductions annual salary system, introduction of a mixed salary system with outside-university institutions) and promote the redistribution of internal resources under each institutional strategy, focusing on national university reforms. In addition, it is necessary to radically revise the system of the management expense grants for national universities to set new evaluation indices during the third Mid-term Target Period (from FY2016). In addition, concerning competitive funds, the government will promote advanced efforts and strengthen incentives for each university. Furthermore, in addition to considering measures that promote the introduction of private-sector funds of donation income, and considering the modality of measures for taxes concerning donation funds, the government will establish an environment for the self-initiating and positive procurement of private-sector funds, including awareness-raising activities for the donation system and provision of these good practices.

28-2. Establishment of facilities according to individuality and distinction

The government will establish national university facilities that link to the strengthening of university functional capabilities. This is achieved by forming a base that engenders superior educational and research results, establishing an environment that trains superior personnel who will be responsible for the next generation, and rejuvenating national university hospitals. In addition, the government will make further progress in establishing facilities that use diverse financial sources and facility management, for which we shall solidly implement the third Five-Year Program for Facilities of National Universities.

Concerning facilities at private universities, the government promotes the following:
- education and research based on the individual institutional mission or charter;
- education and research focusing on regional communities;
- enhancement and revitalization of education and research (e.g., developing centers of research based on each university’s management strategies).
Especially, we will promote strengthening earthquake resistance in schools of all types and reinforcing disaster protection functions under the support plan for reinforcing disaster protection functions focusing on private school facilities.

Basic Measure 29: Promotion of private schools

Basic Approach

One significant special characteristic of Japan’s national education is the expansion of education and research that has diverse human resources development and character based on private school mottos. The development of private schools is decisively important for the significant part this development assumes in public education.

In particular, at the level of higher education, private school students account for 75% of all school students, and enhancement of the quality of private universities is extremely important for improvement and guaranteeing university quality as a whole.

Therefore, the government will continue its support based on this fundamental character of foundational expenses as private education institute aid and strengthen well-balanced distribution and support in looking to harness private school character and quality enhancement. Combing these, the government is establishing an environment for self-initiated, active donation income and other private-sector money.

In addition, each incorporated educational institution should appropriately analyze their administrative status within this harsh business environment and implement the necessary support for early, self-initiated financial decisions.

At the same time, the government aims to improve the quality of all universities and establish a uniform system for thorough promotion of a quality guarantee from both education and business.

Main Efforts

29-1. Strength of the financial base and well-balanced fund distribution

In light of the role private schools have achieved, the government will enhance and promote public financial support for basic expenses and other measures. We will also strengthen health management by promoting and improving educational conditions for private schools and reducing the financial burden for students. In particular, concerning private universities, the government will promote revitalizing education and research, which utilize individual institutional mission and distinctions, profiling universities by their missions, strengthening the financial base, and distributing foundational expenses in a more balanced manner.
In addition, we shall aim to complete earthquake resistant measures early and promote continuous support for strengthening the disaster protection function for private school facilities, under the support plan for reinforcing disaster protection functions focusing on private school facilities.

29-2. Promotion of multidimensional fund procurement

In order to establish a solid financial base in incorporated educational institutes, we will further establish environments where these institutes are able to independently and actively raise funds from private sectors (e.g., donations) as well as implement awareness-raising activities for a donation system and provide these good practices for giving donations to provide schools utilizing the tax deduction system. Regarding the modality of measures for taxation concerning donations, the government will take necessary steps based on the results of considerations that include revenue sources and the target scope that continues to be based on the results of the measures taken up to this time.

29-3. Enhancement of management support for incorporated educational institutions

In order to enable incorporated educational institutions to make appropriate management decisions for themselves (e.g., enhancing their strengths and reviewing financial weaknesses), the government will establish systems to provide necessary management guidance and support, and also consider making frameworks for these institutions with management programs, based on analyses of their own financial status and understanding the needs of students, regional communities, and society. We also introduce new financial standards for incorporated educational institutions and promote further accountability of their financial information, in order to contribute to making appropriate management decisions at each institution and easy understanding by stakeholders.

Basic Measure 30: Strengthening of the system for promoting social education

Basic Approach

It is important that learning activities in local communities make more contributions to establish vibrant communities and build social bonds.

To allow such contributions, social education public administrations should arrange proactive coordination with various main constituents in communities of universities, private-sector organizations, and welfare-related departments and agencies, town creation, schools, and homes. The government will promote efforts to raise the quality of learning in communities to an extremely high level and to train personnel to support learning in communities. These are carried along with the aim to establish an environment for coordinating with community residents to implement efforts for progressing with “Rebuilding Social Education Public Administration.”

Main Efforts

30-1. Strengthening of the system for promoting social education

Social education public administrations will engage in active cooperation and coordination efforts with various entities, for example, related government departments, universities, private-sector organizations, and companies, to promote Rebuilding Social Education Public Administration by supporting advanced local public organizations that are making efforts to resolve community issues and spreading the outstanding outcomes nationwide.
In addition, these social education public administrations aim to improve staff qualifications and abilities and also review the placement and roles of specialized staff for social education coordinators, who fulfill the roles of linking various talented people in a community. In addition, efforts should be made to train and utilize talented people, who support community learning, and to build a personnel approval system for education support talented people who are active in their communities.

Furthermore, we aim to improve the quality of social education facility administration and encourage self-assessment and information release to the public at all social education facilities.