Natsuko Ito

The new course of study, from elementary to high school introducing flexible education, has been in operation for about a year since 2002. The Ministry of Education is going to amend part of the course of study again through consultation with the Curriculum Council in order to meet the deadline for next year's classes. It is the second time a big change has occurred since the new coursesﾕ inception.

The first time the Ministry of Education announced a revision for raising achievement in its paper "2002 appeal for rising concrete achievement: How to Learn" was before the new course of study were implemented and a five-day school week was perfected for elementary school and junior high school in January, 2002. The revision was announced hurriedly because people criticized that the new flexible education caused a decline in achievement standards. The appeal said that it would focus more on achievement and try to introduce plans to progress towards achievement. It was an exceptional measure, and the Ministry of Education was able to change tracks and managed to operate.

This time, the Ministry of Education said in the revision that it is possible for school education to teach anything without rules, correcting the excessive regulation. For example, it said that schools no longer need to teach about the food chain in 6th grade science.

It is natural to stop excessive regulation. However, we cannot understand this change after only less than two years. The Ministry of Education's focus was to cut the number of study subjects at first, but then they switched to making a point of achievement. They have officially the change in focus. We are very surprised at their inaccurate thinking. The changing of the course reflects parents' and citizen's anxiety and the Ministry of Education cannot neglect the voice of the nation.

On a different front, a general election was held in November, 2003. Some political parties revealed a manifesto about the education problem. These manifestos enumerated ideas of making a point of achievement, which was revised from the fundamental Law of Education in order to realize smaller class sizes of 30 students and to review the five-day school week. The parties' reference to the education issue was announced almost for first time, but no parties gave any concrete proposals. It is impossible to enact these suggestions immediately in the new political world. However, it shows from the manifestos that lots of people are criticizing the Ministry of Educationﾕs approach.

Before any new changes to the education system are made, we need to deliberate the process. First, it is important to hear parents' and teachers' opinions. Next, intellectuals need to ponder things over and over again. Once the course of study is complete, it must not be changed. We donﾕt focus only diplomaism. However, this time the course of study will be changed because of various defective factors, so we can accept the changes. If the young generation isn't taught the fundamental knowledge, then the future of Japan is grim. The point is that from here on the state must not control our educational system.

The new course of study which fosters achievement and the social skills will not be established unless the Ministry of Education and government grasp the situation of schools and establish educational courses before instructing schools to change the quality of education. People must keep an eye on the Ministry of Education's movements and the compulsory education system.