foreign language, and health and physical education is stipulated.

Furthermore, for lower secondary school, it is stipulated that self-motivated and voluntary extracurricular club activities that students have engaged in until now should be written in the courses of study as items related to the curriculum in light of the role and significance they have played in lower secondary school education. (This applies to upper secondary school as well.) (Figure 1-2-8)

Figure 1-2-8 Standard number of classes in elementary and lower secondary schools

Elementary School

Japanese Language	Social Studies	Arithmetic	Science	Life Environmental Studies	Music	Drawing	Home Economics	Physical Education	Morals	Special Activities	Period of Integrated Study	Foreign Language	Total Class Activity Hours
Grade 1	306 (9) +34	-	136 (4) +22	-	102 (3) 0	68 (2) 0	68 (2) 0	-	102 (3) +12	34 (1) 0	34 (1) 0	-	-	850 (25) +68
Grade 2	315 (9) +35	-	175 (5) +20	-	105 (3) 0	70 (2) 0	70 (2) 0	-	105 (3) +15	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	-	-	910 (26) +70
Grade 3	245 (7) +10	70 (2) 0	175 (5) +25	90 (2.6) +20	-	60 (1.7) 0	60 (1.7) 0	-	105 (3) +15	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	70 (2) -35	-	945 (27) +35
Grade 4	245 (7) +10	90 (2.6) +5	175 (5) +25	105 (3) +15	-	60 (1.7) 0	60 (1.7) 0	-	105 (3) +15	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	70 (2) -35	-	980 (28) +35
Grade 5	175 (5) -5	100 (2.9) +10	175 (5) +25	105 (3) +10	-	50 (1.4) 0	50 (1.4) 0	60 (1.7) 0	90 (2.6) 0	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	70 (2) -40	35 (1) +35	980 (28) +35
Grade 6	175 (5) 0	105 (3) +5	175 (5) +25	105 (3) +10	-	50 (1.4) 0	50 (1.4) 0	55 (1.6) 0	90 (2.6) 0	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	70 (2) -40	35 (1) +35	980 (28) +35
Total	1461 +84	365 +20	1011 +142	405 +55	207 0	358 0	358 0	115 0	597 +57	209 0	209 0	280 -150	70 +70	5645 +278

☐ Lower Secondary School

Japanese Language	Social Studies	Math	Science	Music	Art	Health/ Physical Education	Technology and Home Economics	Foreign Language	Morals	Special Activities	Elective Subjects	Period of Integrated Study	Total Class Activity Hours
Grade 1	140 (4) 0	105 (3) 0	140 (4) +35	105 (3) 0	45 (1.3) 0	45 (1.3) 0	105 (3) +15	70 (2) 0	140 (4) +35	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	-0~-30	50 (1.4) -20~-50	1015 (29) +35
Grade 2	140 (4) +35	105 (3) 0	105 (3) 0	140 (4) +35	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	105 (3) +15	70 (2) 0	140 (4) +35	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	-50~-85	70 (2) -50~-85	1015 (29) +35
Grade 3	105 (3) 0	140 (4) +55	140 (4) +35	140 (4) +60	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	105 (3) +15	35 (1) 0	140 (4) +35	35 (1) 0	35 (1) 0	-105~-165	70 (2) 0~-60	1015 (29) +35
Total	385 +35	350 +55	385 +70	385 +95	115 0	115 0	315 +45	175 0	420 +105	105 0	105 0	-155~-280	190 -20~-145	3045 +105

$ ^{※} $ The upper row is the recommended revision for standard class hours, the periods per week is in parentheses (), and the lower row is the increase or decrease from the existing standard class hours.

The five day school week policy is stipulated to be continued as this is a social system that was implemented in stages over a long period of time through the cooperation of schools, homes and communities under the basic philosophy of raising children by sharing roles in the overall society. Further, cooperation with the community is necessary to provide a variety of experiential learning activity opportunities on Saturdays, within the five day school week policy, to children who desire them.

## (3) Revising the framework of the upper secondary school curriculum

Currently, the upper secondary school is a national educational institution attended by approximately 98% of lower secondary school graduates despite it being not apart of compulsory education, and the interests and paths of the students are numerous. Therefore, deliberations were made particularly from the standpoint of maintaining balance between the point of compulsory subjects (commonality) which is securing the minimum necessary knowledge and skills, and range of education in the compulsory subjects for high school students on the one hand, and the discretion for schools to maximize their originality and ingenuity and the expansion of the variety of choice for students (diversity) on the other.

Specifically, regarding Japanese language, math and foreign language which form the foundation of learning, the clarification of the fact that it is possible to increase and decrease the number of credits or the emphasis of items of guidance in relation to the qualities and abilities of the students of each school is