Japan to Give Schools More Discretion over Class Hours

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese education ministry plans to give elementary and junior high schools more discretion to determine class hours as part of an overhaul of the country's school curriculum guidelines, it was learned Monday.

The plan was included in a draft summary of discussions at a special subcommittee of the Central Council for Education, an advisory body for the education minister, which held a meeting the same day.

The council is set to make recommendations to the minister around winter. Based on the recommendations, the ministry will change the curriculum guidelines and then notify kindergartens and elementary and junior high schools of the revised guidelines at the end of the current fiscal year next March.

The revised guidelines will be fully implemented at kindergartens in fiscal 2028, at elementary schools in fiscal 2030 and at junior high schools in fiscal 2031. High schools will be notified at the end of fiscal 2027 of guideline changes, which will be implemented in stages beginning with students enrolling in fiscal 2032.

The curriculum guidelines will be revised based on the basic principle of ensuring deeper learning for diverse children. The revised versions will call for proactive, interactive and deeper learning, embracing diversity and ensuring feasibility of such measures.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]