The Current Status of Information Technology in Education― The Case of Japan ―Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Japan

1. The Significance of Information Technology in Education
Information Technology, or IT, has become popular in our homes, publicplaces, and businesses. Using networks, we are now able to exchange
information in real time with people anywhere in the world. IT will surelycontinue to make further inroads in society. And that makes it necessaryfor everyone to acquire the ability to use IT.
IT should also be understood as something that has the potential toradically change educational methods. With computers, however, it has
become possible to provide guidance to students appropriate for theirindividual levels of comprehension and progress. Computer graphics andother technology have also made it possible to visually study things thatused to be described in books or viewed as photographs.
In these circumstances, all the countries of the world recognize that ITaffects their future and the future of their citizens, and are therefore
placing a high priority on IT in education.
In the Summit last June, the Japanese prime minister Mr. Obuchi
emphasized the importance of IT in education in this global era. After hiscomments, the leaders agreed that the ability to use information andcommunication technology is essential for all children.
2. The Japanese Government’s Policy on IT in Education(1) Basic Concept
Recently the Japanese government determined its basic objectives toproceed with IT in education. First, improving children’s ability tocommunicate, and enabling children to think, select and reconstruct1

information by themselves through networks. For example, one school
introduces computers as a method of information index and data making,and then children develop high-level usage by themselves and master
information literacy. Second, creating a new teaching style so thatchildren can recognize images of abstract concepts such as molecular
structure in science lessons and solid structure in mathematics lessons.
Third, enabling the exchange of information among local people or with
distant schools, and close contact between home and school with IT,
through the changing geographical relationship between home and school.
For example, connecting with schools in isolated islands and urban areas
helps children to exchange opinions and develop friendships and sharelessons by using telecommunication satellites.
(2) Action Plan
In January 1997, an educational reform program was announced as agovernment action plan, thus reflecting the further promotion of IT ineducation as an official government policy. Other countries also recognizethat IT provides a wellspring of national competitiveness. Efforts are being
made to introduce IT in school education programs on a national scale,with the aim of training qualified people who will support the nation in thefuture. The Ministry of Education’s “national curriculum standards” will
be introduced in fiscal 2002 for elementary and middle schools, and in
fiscal 2003 for high schools. Through these standards, an information
course will be established as part of the curriculum, and provisions will
also be made for the use of IT in other courses. Beginning in fiscal 2000, a
three-year plan will be implemented to give teachers the necessary training,
and, as a transitional measure, pilot programs will be introduced in someclasses.
3. The Current Status of IT in Education
Progress has been made in preparing the environment for IT in schools,including hardware and software. However, work must still be done totrain educators who can use IT and to develop relevant curricula foreducational purposes. But recently there have been many pioneering
projects in this area, and these programs are expected to lead to full-scaledissemination of IT.

2

(1) IT in Schools
The Ministry of Education has been installing computers in schools since
1994 on the basis of its new facilities plan. The current status and futureplans for IT introduction in schools is shown in Figure 2. There are notenough computers in Japanese schools, and further installation is a matterof pressing urgency. The Internet was first introduced in Japan’s
educational system in 1994 through the 100-school networking project.
(This was also the year when the first commercial provider was introduced
in Japan.) The Ministry of International Trade and Industry, MITI,implemented the 100-school networking project from 1994 to 1998 incoordination with the Ministry of Education, and then started the E-square
project in 1999. The initial target of the 100-school networking project isconnecting 100 technically advanced schools to the Internet andimplementing research on using the Internet effectively. From this year,
MITI will build on the results of the 100-school networking project andother programs to support schools that will be introducing IT into theirprograms through the E-square project.

3(2) The Issues for IT in Schools
In proceeding with IT in schools, there are some problems. In many cases,
funding is insufficient for maintaining and operating the computers. Also,
because each school is responsible for operating its own computers, aheavy burden is placed on the teachers in charge of IT.
By connecting their school computer to outside networks, students canengage in exchanges with other schools and use online resources for theirresearch and study. As shown in Figure 3, however, very few schools arecurrently connected to outside networks. Even among schools that areconnected to the Internet, there are a great variety of capabilities; someschools have several computers hooked up through LAN systems, whileothers have online access through only one computer. The effectivenessof LAN systems within schools has been recognized, but only a small
percentage of schools have LAN systems installed.
In addition to that, the cost of networking is a major problem, especiallyfor schools in isolated areas. For example, some schools on islands havegiven up their lessons because of the high maintenance cost of connectingwith outside networks.
4Figure 3. Percentage of Schools connected to the Internet and having own
Homepage
Percentage of schools
Percentage of schools
connected to thehaving own homepage
InternetElementary schools
27.4%
29.4%
Junior high schools
42.8%
28.9%
High schools
63.7%
55.3%
Schools for the
36.3%
53.6%
handicapped
Total
35.6%
34.7%

(3) IT Education for Teachers
IT education for teachers is an even more important issue. As IT is furtherdisseminated in the schools, teachers must be trained in how to use it. As
shown in Figure 4, 57.4% of teachers say they can use computers, but only
26.7% say that they can teach others how to use them. Training programs
are provided for IT education for schoolteachers, but during the last fiscal
year, only 27.1% of all teachers in Japan participated in computer training
programs. Moreover, 49.9% have never participated in such programs.
To achieve full-scale dissemination of IT education, teachers themselves
must seek more opportunities to use computers.
Figure 4. Current Status of Informatization in Schoolteachers
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
who can
who can
who have
who tookteach with operatetaken com- training
computers computers puter
programs
training
last year
programs
Elementary
28.7%
52.7%
62.1%
39.0%
schools
Junior high
26.1%
59.3%
47.3%
22.9%
Schools
High schools
26.0%
67.6%
34.3%
11.6%
Schools forthehandicapped
Total

16.5%

44.3%

33.5%

15.1%

26.7%

57.4%

50.1%

27.1%

5

To tackle these problems, 3000 area leaders will be deployed in eachprefectural area by the year 2001 through the IT educator training program.
In each prefectural area, school-leaders will also be deployed in eachschool in conjunction with area leaders, all teachers are expected to learn
how to operate computers by 2001. In schools, training programs areprovided for teachers to master practical computer operational skills.
And before introduction of “national curriculum standards” and“information courses” in high schools, the necessary training will be done.
(Actually to promote IT in education, understanding on the part of
director-level educators is very important, so special training courses havebeen set up to enable director educators to understand the importance of ITin education.)
4. Pioneering Efforts to Employ IT in Education(1) E-Square (e 2) Project
The E-square is based on an earlier project called the 100-School
Networking Project, which was implemented in 1994 when Internet use
had not yet been fully introduced and disseminated even among major
corporations. The Internet and other types of information technology wereintroduced in approximately 100 pilot schools to test the effectiveness andpossibilities of the Internet, through joint research projects in a multischool.
Currently plans are being implemented with the target of installing
Internet connections in all 40,000 public schools by the end of fiscal 2001.
As the number of connected schools increases, there is a need for acomprehensive program aimed at all personnel involved in education.
The E-square Project was designed to fulfill this need. The “E-square” is asquare in cyberspace that is designed for education. The capital “E” in thisproject name stands for two adjectives – ‘educational’ and ‘electronic.’
We adopted the word ‘square’ because the project is like a plaza in theheart of a town that enables participants to increase their knowledge
through communication.
The project was designed to achieve the following three goals:* Disseminating the know-how and results obtained from the 100-School
6

Networking Project, and providing support so that schools that comeonline, as well as schools that seek to broaden their network
environments, can use the system smoothly and effectively.
* Providing a forum where participants can interact and contribute freely
through the network, thereby encouraging everyone from beginners toexperts to learn together while stimulating and challenging each other.
* Testing out advanced educational techniques that utilize IT.
The E-square Project comprises the following two sub-projects.
(a) School Network Support ProjectThis project provides a forum where schools that are planning to use theInternet as an educational tool can communicate with each other. It also
provides a place where they can make practical use of the Internet for
educational purposes, and supplies the technical information needed forsuccessful Internet installation and utilization.
(b) Advanced IT Application Project
For schools that are already engaged in educational activities that utilize
advanced network technology and methods, this project sponsors research
programs on advanced technology and practical applications from new
perspectives. Schools are asked to participate in the research, and theresults are immediately posted on the E-square homepage with the aim ofsparking a broad-based exchange of opinion.
(2) Some Private-Sector Educational Project(a) Konneto Plan
The Konneto Plan is a network project implemented by the Konneto Plan
Promotion Council, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education andprefectural boards of education. More than a thousand schools areparticipating, including twenty schools in each prefecture. Participants
conduct large-scale trial programs focusing on providing information andengaging in exchange between schools.
(b) Media Kids
The Media Kids is a Internet-based collaborative learning project forchildren. This project involves using the Internet to learn some topics andsharing the information on a web-site.
7In addition to the Konneto plan and Media Kids, other activities, including
a variety of regional network programs, have been implemented.
5. Assistance on IT in Education from Outside Communities
Support to schools from local communities and private companies isimportant for the success of IT in education.
(1) Deployment of IT Coordinators
To smoothly implement IT in Education, coordinators are nominated ineach local educational committee. Coordinators’ main activities arecompiling plans for the use of IT in education, maintaining networks,
establishing help-desks and implementing training.
(2) Enlisting System Engineers to Support Schools
To enhance teachers’ knowledge of IT, efforts are made to recruit systemengineers who are dispatched to schools to provide back-up assistance. In
conjunction with these efforts, funds are dispatched to allow schools torequest the dispatch of these experts when needed. As of the end of March
1999, 5,083 engineers were registered with this program. We expect
greater participation of these specialists.
6. Future Directions for IT Use in Education
Practical experience with IT in education has clarified the issues, andpreparations are steadily proceeding. In fact there are many elements, andit will be necessary to conduct careful studies in individual categories suchas IT education (including computer operation), electronic information use
education (including information searches), and specialized technicaleducation (including instruction in CAD and other specialized fields). Inaddition, it is necessary to study such questions as how exactly computers
can be used if they are installed in a school's computer room, how
computers can be used if installed in classrooms, and what we can do ifevery student has his or her own computer terminal.
In the next few years, IT is expected to spread quickly throughout theeducation system. MITI intends to provide all the support it can to help
create an educational environment that makes full use of IT.

8