## Revisions to the Law Concerning Organization and Functions of Local Education

(1) Clarifying the structure of responsibility for boards of education

○ Clarifies the basic principles for local educational administration.

O Stipulates that the collegiate system of boards of education are to conduct their own management and execution with regard to: (1) formulating basic policies, (2) enacting and revising board of education rules, (3) establishing and abolishing educational institutions, (4) personnel affairs for staff members, (5) examining and evaluating activities, and (6) the submission of opinions for budgets and the like.

○ Provides that the expertise of persons with an academic background is to be utilized in conducting inspections and evaluations on the status of activities.

## (2) Enhancing the board of education system

○ Provides that municipalities are to promote cooperation, such as working together with neighboring municipalities to establish joint boards of education, and to strive toward improving and enhancing systems for educational administration.

○ Provides that municipal boards of education are to strive to allocate senior advising teachers.

○ Provides that the responsibilities of board members are to be clarified and that the national government and prefectures are to promote the training of board members and so on.

## (3) Promoting decentralization in education

○ Allows flexibility in the number of board members and mandates the election of parents as board members.

○ Provides that a leader can take charge of affairs about culture and sports.

○ Provides that transfers of teachers financed by prefectures within the same municipality are to be conducted by prefectural boards of education based on confidential reports by municipal boards of education.

## (4) Means for the national government to fulfill its responsibilities for education

O Establishes a provision to the effect that the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology can issue “orders” for correction and improvement in cases where the need arises to urgently protect the lives or persons of students and others due to the violation or neglect of legal ordinances by a board of education, and where aiming to correct said issues would be difficult through other measures.

O Establishes a provision to the effect that the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology shall indicate the details of measures which must be taken and issues “demands for correction” of the Local Autonomy Law in cases where it is clear that the right of students and others to receive an education has been infringed due to the violation or neglect of legal ordinances by a board of education.

In the event that an “order” or “demand for correction” mentioned above is issued, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology shall notify the head and council of the local government in question of their intent.

## (5) Educational administration related to private schools

○ Establishes a provision to the effect that, for affairs concerning private schools, prefectural governors shall be able to seek advice and assistance regarding specialized matters concerning school education from boards of education when it has been deemed necessary.