## (3) Primary and secondary education

In the light of matters like the revisions to the Basic Act on Education, deliberations were conducted in a concentrated manner over: (1) revisions to school’s aims and objectives and policies establishing organization and management systems in schools, etc., (2) the introduction of a system for renewing educational personnel certificates, etc., and (3) modalities for boards of education and the sharing of roles between the national and local governments. A report entitled “Revisions to the Educational System Urgently Needed following Revisions to the Basic Act on Education” was compiled on March 10, 2007 (refer to Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 2).

Moreover, discussions on reappraisals the wages of teachers were carried out by the “Working Group on the Modality of Wages for Teachers.” These were based on information like the results of a survey of actual conditions for teachers, which was performed for the first time in some 40 years since 1966 targeting teachers at public elementary and lower secondary schools. A report entitled “Future Modalities of Wages for Teachers” was compiled on March 29, 2007 that was based on this (refer to Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 4).

Furthermore, in terms of reappraisals of the curriculum as a whole, a report entitled “Improving Courses of Study at Kindergartens, Elementary Schools, Lower and Upper Secondary Schools, and Schools for Special Needs Education” was compiled on January 17, 2008 following repeated discussions at the Educational Program Section that began in April 2005. This report expressed an orientation aimed at realizing the principle of nurturing a “zest for living” and revising courses of study in the interest of establishing the specific means to do so (refer to Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 3).

## (4) Higher education

Deliberations have been conducted over investigation subjects that include modalities for baccalaureate degree program education and modalities for education at colleges of technology. Furthermore, a report on the progress of deliberations entitled “Toward the Rebuilding of Baccalaureate Degree Program Education” was compiled in September 2007 on modalities for baccalaureate degree program education, and a report on the progress of deliberations entitled “Enhancing Education at Colleges of Technology” was compiled in October on enhancing education at colleges of technology (refer to Part 2, Chapter 3, Section 1-1).

## (5) Sports and youth

It is extremely important that a safe and secure environment be ensured, the mental and physical health of children be protected, and a reliable instruction system that is capable of nurturing them be created at schools in order for children to grow healthily in the future both mentally and physically. For this reason, in March 2007 inquiries were made on the “Measures to Promote Initiatives on the Part of Schools as a Whole to Protect the Mental and Physical Health of Children and Ensure Their Safety and Security,” and deliberations were held at the School Health and Safety Section established in the Subdivision on Sports and Youth. The findings from this were compiled in January 2008, and in addition to aiming to enhance structures within schools, proposals were also made regarding specific measures to promote cooperation between schools, families, and local communities in order to protect the health and safety of children.

## Section 4 The Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education

## 1 Progress on the Considering the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education

In order to realize the principles of the new Basic Act on Education, the overall picture for actions related to the promotion of education must be clarified and educational measures must be realized. For this reason, the following article has been stipulated as Article 17 of the Basic Act on Education.