My child stays in his room to play games, and I am worried about this. I would like him to play cheerfully with his friends once in a way, but the number of play areas for children is decreasing. What measures are being taken to solve this problem?

Due to a decrease in the number of children and changes made to the environment such as the popularization of games that children can enjoy playing by themselves, children these days have fewer opportunities to play with each other. Also, they have fewer opportunities to come into contact with local people. As a result, children not being able to express themselves or form good relationships with others in groups is a concern.

In view of this, it is important for children to have opportunities to play freely with friends who are in different school grades or have contact with other people in the neighborhood after school so that they will learn naturally how to get along with others, become familiar with social roles, and improve their ability to assert their own ideas. It is therefore necessary for more adults in the community to participate in activities to build a favorable environment for children in a planned manner.

MEXT formulated the “New Plan for Creating Spaces for Children,” which includes a project to establish “classrooms for children in local communities,” and has been carrying out this plan since FY2004. The plan aims at fostering the sound growth of children through the uniformed efforts of adults in the community to protect children and provide them with spaces where they can conduct various activities.

Specifically, centers for children, where they can conduct activities safely and comfortably, are established at schoolyards, extra classrooms, community halls, and children’s houses. At the centers, local

residents, including retired teachers, university students, and people from youth/social education organizations, protect and instruct children as safety managers and activity advisors.

At the centers, children are provided with opportunities to enjoy playing sports such as football and baseball, reading, playing musical instruments, playing old Japanese games (taketonbo and menko), learning English conversation from foreigners, and experiencing local traditional cultural events. Through these activities, children can not only meet friends who are in the same school grade but also enjoy teamwork with friends who are in different school grades and form relationships with various people.

With adults in the community participating as volunteers, it can be expected that children will actively interact with the adults not only in “classrooms for children in local communities” but on a day-to-day basis as well.

MEXT is carrying out various projects, including the aforementioned project to establish “classrooms for children in local communities,” and believes it important for local citizens to participate in and cooperate with these projects to provide children with opportunities to participate in numerous activities. MEXT therefore expects local communities to further support the administration in projects to bolster the local education of children (please visit the following website for details: http://www.ibasyo.com).

Serious youth crimes frequently take place. Are there any countermeasures being implemented against this problem?

The number of youngsters arrested for juvenile delinquency and crimes has remained at a high level, and serious juvenile crimes have taken place one after another. The situation is rather dire.

As a backdrop to this, in addition to a decline in social morals, the following factors related to social situations and the youth environment are thought to contribute to the outbreak of these crimes. They are intricately intertwined with each other.

(1) Disciplinary issues at home from infancy

(2) Approaches to instruction in schools

(3) Inadequate daily-life experience