An outline of the next courses of study for primary and secondary education, made public by the education ministry earlier this month, includes some important proposals — pushing the concept of active learning and stressing "openness to society" in educating children. These ideas have the potential of changing the nation's school education for the better. The ministry should do its utmost to nurture students who can think independently and deeply, and become active members of society and participants in the nation's democratic process.
On the other hand, the ministry should refrain from exercising covert and overt pressure on schools and textbook publishers that may result in hampering full implementation of the proposals. The new courses of study will be introduced for elementary schools in fiscal 2020, junior high schools in fiscal 2021 and high schools in fiscal 2022.
The outline says that active learning means autonomous and cooperation-based learning aimed at identifying and solving problems. Dealing with problems of real society, it says, will help students become interested in continuing studies, and acquire a deep understanding of various subjects and master methods to solve problems, both of which they can utilize for the rest of their lives.
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