Japan
Sources: OECD (2020[1]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en; OECD (2020[2]), "Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA", OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en; OECD (2019[3]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en; OECD (2019[4]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en; OECD (2019[5]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en.
Selected education policies for Japan
Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education (2018–2022)
►. Level of resilience: Broader learning environment
Japan’s Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education sets out the goals for the entire education system in the period 2018-22, and defines a comprehensive approach to policy implementation. Its overarching aim is to ensure that the education system prepares learners for the world of 2030. As such, there is a focus on developing the skills required for the knowledge economy though the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) and problem solving into learning, as well as promoting lifelong learning and enabling learners to adapt to changes in the labour market. The plan builds on the success of the first and second basic plans for education, which include improving standardised test scores in lower-performing regions, implementing individualised learning and support plans for students with special educational needs (SEN), and reducing the cost of ECEC for low-income families. Outstanding issues from the previous two basic plans were taken into account when setting goals for the current plan. Key measures include strengthening school-community partnerships and reforming school leadership to allow teachers to focus their energy on teaching and to maintain Japan’s holistic approach to education with support from the community. There is also a focus on promoting collaboration between schools, and between the different services that sustain the well-being of learners. The implementation process involves systematically setting goals for education policies, developing indicators to monitor progress, and identifying measures to achieve these goals. Measures and goals of the Plan are refined on a continuous basis. Many activities are carried out by local actors, and local governments are encouraged to develop distinctive goals and measures based on their context.
Further reading: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (2018[6]), The Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education, https://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/lawandplan/title01/detail01/1373799.html (accessed on 1 April 2021).
Education in Japan beyond the crisis of COVID-19 – Leave No One Behind – (2020)
►. Level of resilience: Broader learning environment
In Japan, the Comprehensive Package for Ensuring Children’s Learning offers elementary and secondary schools greater flexibility over the curriculum and school calendar. It aims to enable schools to address learning gaps and adapt the pace of learning where necessary. Schools can compensate for lost learning time by organising classes on Saturdays or by reviewing the calendar of vacations. Where they find it difficult to deliver the full curriculum due to school closures, they can move content from the 2020 academic year to one or two years in the future. The GIGA School digital learning programme (2019) has been strengthened in the context of the pandemic. As well as providing students with personal devices, the programme seeks to promote the sharing of digital learning practices between teachers. In higher education, Japan has introduced measures to support students whose financial situation has changed as a result of the pandemic, and who may otherwise have trouble completing their studies.
Further reading: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (2020[7]), Education in Japan beyond the Crisis of COVID-19: Leave No One Behind, https://www.mext.go.jp/en/content/20200904_mxt_kouhou01-000008961_1.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021).
References
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (2020), Education in Japan beyond the Crisis of COVID-19: Leave No One Behind, https://www.mext.go.jp/en/content/20200904_mxt_kouhou01-000008961_1.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021). [7]
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (2018), The Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education, https://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/lawandplan/title01/detail01/1373799.html (accessed on 1 April 2021). [6]
OECD (2020), Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en. [2]
OECD (2020), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en. [1]
OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en. [4]
OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en. [5]
OECD (2019), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en. [3]