Having a basic understanding of the goals and policies for education here in Japan can not only help us as JETs to provide better education for our students but also can reduce potential misunderstanding and conflict that can arise from differing perspectives on education. The following is a brief overview we hope will empower you to have fruitful discussions with your JTEs about learning goals and teaching together.

Educational Rights and Laws

All people have the right to receive an equal education in Japan (Constitution of Japan Article 26). Japan’s national government sets the national curriculum standards for all schools in order to maintain definite levels of education and ensure equal opportunities for quality education for all. (MEXT: Basic Act on Education).

This emphasis on equal is taken very seriously in Japan. Often it manifests as a strict rule on having all classes offer the same lessons, activities, and materials for each student. If you have noticed that your teachers want to run each and every class the exact same way, it is because they are trying to stick to this.

Organizations Involved

CLAIR

The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) DOES NOT create courses of study or dictate any portion of the educational law. CLAIR “supports internationalization efforts of local governments, through people-to-people exchange with JET Programme and supporting multiculturalism” (CLAIR official website).

MEXT

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is the organization that determines the National Course of Study for all levels of schooling starting at kindergarten up through upper secondary. The goal is to keep the programs organized in a way that education is made equal in all of Japan. Generally, the Course of Study is revised every 10 years or so. The most recent changes were implemented in 2022.

BOE

教育委員会（きょういくいいんかい）

Boards of Education are referred to as BOEs.

1. Senior High Schools all share one BOE which oversees education at all senior high schools in that prefecture.
2. Elementary Schools and Junior High Schools each belong to local BOEs of their town/city. Elementary and Junior High Schools DO NOT fall under the prefectural BOE’s supervision.

The Prefectural BOE

The prefectural BOE has a General Education department. Within that department, there are three divisions:

1. A special education division

2. A primary education division (幼少中教育課・ようしょうちゅう　きょういくか)

3. A secondary education division (高校教育課・こうこう　きょういくか)

The secondary division has direct control over all of the SHS. While the primary division may not have direct control, they do supervise all of the nursery, elementary, and junior high schools. They perform teacher observations, training, and teacher certification, as well as apply a lot of indirect pressure to bring about changes.

National Curriculum Guidelines & Recent Changes

In 2022, a new Course of Study was Implemented from MEXT to all BOEs in Japan. This change has influenced everything from textbook choices to how classes and entrance exams are carried out.

Overall aims for ALL grade levels

Have students learn English by using English through language activity in 5 skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, interaction/presentation, and writing)

Set specific language activity tasks with a purpose, scene, and situation for communicating in foreign language

Encourage students to learn English throughout their life – teach them how to learn English by themselves

Goals and Course of Study Revision by Grade Level

Elementary School: Compulsory for all children in Japan. The main goal is to deepen intercultural understanding and encourage production skills of speaking and writing.

Grade 3/4 – Introduced to English for 1 unit hour per week (previously English education was introduced around grade 5). The goal is to familiarize students with English with an emphasis on listening and speaking. For this, MEXT provides LET’s TRY materials combined with digital materials.

Grade 5/6 – 2 unit hours per week. The goal is to improve literacy (reading and writing) ability though students may use romaji when necessary (familiarity with letters and sounds is important). There has also been a push for students to do more presentations in class, and practice English through other subject content (learning about science-related subjects in the English classroom). There has also been a more standardized approach to phonics instruction overall.

Junior High School: Compulsory for all children in Japan. Emphasis is on improvisational oral interaction and grammar that is learned through language activities.

Senior High School changes are reflected in Junior high school as students are encouraged to practice speaking skills such as conversation and presentation as well as to complete the Eiken tests when possible.

Students are encouraged to express their own thoughts and ideas. All lessons are (theoretically) conducted in English. Grammar and expression will be taught through communication.

All students may be given a device (iPad, Chromebook) to use in class.

Senior High School: Non-compulsory in Japan. Emphasis on conversation, interviews, presentations, and other such ways of expressing one’s ideas and opinions as they relate to and reflect university entrance exams.

As of 2022, English Expression class has become English Logic and Expression with schools placing a much higher emphasis on speaking in both English communication and expression courses. Logic and reasoning especially with regard to opinion essays and interviews are also receiving greater attention.

There is a strong focus on the enhancement of competencies for production in speaking and writing through language activities such as debate and discussion.

Students from now on will receive devices at most schools such as a Chromebook, tablet, or iPad although many students are required to purchase these devices themselves. There will also be more presentation and speech activities required by schools as the curriculum changes are implemented.

Special Education Schools: Determined as a student progresses through school. Not compulsory but parents can choose to send their students to these schools. Education is focused on self-independence which can be fostered in fun ways even in English courses just as they are in their other courses–focusing on team-building games, routines, and daily life skills can give students more opportunities to foster independent living.

Special education programs were put in place at the elementary and junior high schools to support students.

Schools changed focus to target the individual needs of the students rather than simply grouping disabilities.

Students receive the same educational opportunities as students in public schools

Japan has several categories of schools for students receiving special education.

There are 養護（ようご）学校 which often offer support for the students academically, socially, and medically. These schools do not follow the national curriculum–although some classes may–and rarely use textbooks. They have students of all age levels.

There are 高等養護（こうとうようご）学校 which are special education SHS schools inside other SHS. While the students in the special education section may not study with the larger student body, they do follow a textbook, have more structure to their foreign language education, and focus heavily on communication and independent living. Often the students are taught a set of skills they can use to work after graduation (such as baking, handicrafts, etc.).

There are also some 特別支援（とくべつしえん）学校 which offer a specific kind of support. These would be things like 盲（もう） or 聾話（ろうわ）学校, schools for students who are blind or deaf respectively. These schools take students of all levels and often contain a dormitory for students who live too far from the school.

Textbooks

Defined by MEXT as “books for children or students that are used for lessons as principal teaching materials on subjects organized and arranged in accordance with the composition of curricula.”

There are a lot of advantages to using textbooks:

All textbook companies must be evaluated and approved by MEXT.

Chosen by teachers and department heads ahead of each new school year.

Schools are required to use them.

Used as a roadmap for teachers to plan out objectives and goals for students.

Provide students with tangible ways to track progress.

Provide study support and can be scaffolded in order to cater to various levels.

There are also some drawbacks to textbooks as well:

Can be outdated.

May only contain the author’s point of view in terms of what and how materials are presented and what cultural viewpoints are represented.

Follow institutional agendas and do not relate to or follow student preferences, interests, or needs.

Can also contain unnatural language or language well outside of a students level.

Can-Do Lists

Can-do lists are how schools maintain and follow the standards laid out by MEXT in the course of study and how BOEs can track progress and see that the national standards are being enforced. It is important to remember that each prefecture is in charge of governing how these standards are met and policing that. MEXT does not interfere in that stage.

The Prefectural BOEs can only advise the Municipal BOEs, as these are somewhat joint but mostly separate cooperative entities.

Here are some details about what a can-do list is:

They are a list of the things students should be able to do at the end of a lesson, semester, or year.

They are written in very simple Japanese (essentially written in a “students can do X format”).

For English, they are always broken down into different skill sets (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

They are bounded by a timeline.

They cover all aspects of a subject.

They are used to set course/lesson goals and influence rubrics.

Things to Keep in Mind

Can-Do lists influence the textbooks that are chosen and, in turn, the textbooks influence how the students are achieving the benchmarks set out by the Can-Do lists.

Keep in mind when you propose activities, that this is but a small portion of what all your teachers have to consider when executing a lesson. This is in addition to their own teacher goals, evaluations, test scores, entrance exams, school rating, etc.

It may be due to all of these factors that you have difficulties when planning lessons with a teacher. It may not simply be about the game or the difficulty of it but rather the teacher is having difficulty seeing how your lesson will fit in the overall scheme of their lessons and goals.

Advice

Ask for a copy of your schools or BOE’s Can-Do lists. ALL schools and BOEs must have this list and all of your teachers should know where to find them. Also, ask for a copy of your school’s curricula and/or syllabi. Ask one of your JTEs when would be a good time to go through the documents together so that they can explain the most important parts.

Foreign Language Education & Curriculum Standards in Japan