Education Policy in Japan

OECD

• Publisher: OECD
• Year: 2018
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9789264304581
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

Chapter 1. Education in Japan: Strengths and challenges

This chapter provides a brief description of Japan’s education system and the context in which it operates. Since the 1990s, the Japanese economy has been sluggish, and the ratio of debt to GDP has reached uncharted territory. The forecast of sharp demographic decline, the rapidly ageing population and the evolution of the skills required to flourish in a knowledge economy also present new challenges to Japan’s economy, society and educational institutions.

Japan’s unique education system relies on the concept of “the whole child” or holistic education, where schools not only develop academic knowledge, but also foster students’ social, emotional and physical development. International standardised assessments highlight the excellence of education and the high level of equity in Japan, but Japanese students exhibit a higher level of anxiety and a lower level of life satisfaction than their counterparts elsewhere in the OECD.

Building on its strengths, Japan has started to reform its education system to adapt to the globalised environment of the 21st century, increase well-being, broaden students’ skills and enhance its contribution to the economy and society.

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Introduction and background to the report

The Basic Act on Education specifies that the mission of the Japanese education system is to convey universal principles such as “full development of the personality” and “dignity of the individual.” It also states that the system should “help children to become independent individuals who combine well-balanced knowledge, morality and a healthy body” and will continue to work towards personal fulfilment, while respecting civic responsibility and actively participating in building the state and Japanese society. As such, Japan’s education system not only ensures that children will receive the necessary inputs for self-realisation, but it also helps to bond society by providing basic training ground for good citizenship (Boyle, 1992[1]).

Since the beginning of international standardised assessments of student achievement in the 1990s, Japan has demonstrated the excellence of its education system by regularly being among the top performers. But today’s rapidly changing socio-economic situation is posing new challenges to Japan in terms of academic achievement and civic responsibilities for shaping the future of Japanese society. Globalisation and modernisation have been changing the skills required in the workplace and in everyday life. With a shrinking and ageing population, Japan faces major demographic decline, which has led to significant changes in its industrial and employment structures. Japan’s high standards of equity in education have also been challenged, with widening income and social disparities across the population. Meanwhile, school bullying and student well-being have come into focus.

To respond to these challenges, the Japanese government (elected in 2012) created the Council for the Implementation of Education Rebuilding, a new institution aiming to place education at the centre of the roadmap to growth. Headed by the Prime Minister, the Council brings together experts from a wide variety of fields. It has formulated ten global recommendations, including policy recommendations for development of the Second Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education (2013-2017).

In the Second Basic Plan, based on the report prepared by the Central Council for Education (an advisory board to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology - MEXT), the Cabinet set four policy directions for the reform package:

1. Developing social competencies for survival: independence and collaboration in a diversified and rapidly changing society.
2. Developing human resources for a brighter future: initiating and creating changes and new values through leadership in various fields in society.
3. Building safety nets for learning: a wide range of learning opportunities accessible to everyone.
4. Building bonds and establishing vibrant communities: a virtuous circle where society nurtures people and people create society.

These policy directions focus primarily on curriculum reform and school organisation. Other matters, such as lifelong learning and costs of tertiary education, are still under active policy consideration.

Building on the Council’s work and the current Basic Plan for the Promotion of Edu...

Table of contents

• Title page
• Legal and rights
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• Editorial
• Executive summary
• Chapter 1. Education in Japan: Strengths and challenges
• Chapter 2. Competencies for 2030: Curriculum, assessment and teaching
• Chapter 3. Into the future: Preserving holistic education and school-community relationships
• Chapter 4. Lifting the contribution of education to the Japanese skills system
• Annex A. Overview of strengths, challenges and policy options
• Annex B. Agendas of the OECD review visits
• Annex C. OECD review team members
• About the OECD