providing them with a portion of the necessary expenses for the program (budget amount in FY2007: approximately 18.4 billion yen).

• System of reduction or waiver of tuition fees, etc.

With regard to national universities, the reduction or waiver of tuition and enrollment fees is taken into consideration when calculating Management Expenses Grants. Private universities are also supported by providing overhead expense subsidy measures for initiatives like the tuition fee reduction or waiving measures aimed at students for whom learning is difficult for economic and similar reasons (budget amount in FY2007: approximately 2.6 billion yen).

• Scholarship Loan Programs

Pursuing equal opportunity in education, MEXT aims to reduce the educational costs for students by enhancing the Scholarship Loan Programs, which are operated by the Japan Student Services Organization. The programs are designed to meet the diverse needs of students and help to ensure that highly motivated and talented students are not deprived of learning opportunities on account of their family’s economic situation. (FY2007 budget is approximately 850.3 billion yen.)

In addition, other initiatives continue to be taken, like the system of special tax exemptions for dependants from income tax and municipal inhabitants tax and tax exemption measures for income tax pertaining to tuition fees and the like.

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No.1

# Education Rebuilding Council

The Education Rebuilding Council was established based in the Cabinet by Cabinet approval on October 10, 2006. The council was given the objective of promoting reforms going back to the foundations of education in order to create an education system suited to the 21st century and aim to rebuild education. It is comprised of 16 experts, including the Prime Minister; Chief Cabinet Secretary; Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; and Chairman Ryoji Noyori, and is convened by the Prime Minister.

The Education Rebuilding Council has compiled reports on four occasions in the approximately one year and four month period since its establishment. First, on January 24, 2007 it maintained a tight focus on the bullying issue and other challenges for the immediate

▲ A scene from the Education Rebuilding Council

future for primary and secondary education, mainly compulsory education, and compiled its first report. Referring to this report, the three laws on education were established by an ordinary session of the Diet in 2007 following the deliberations on concrete institutional designs by the Central Council for Education. In addition, in response to the issue of bullying, reviews were conducted on the notices of the late 1940s and early 1950s concerning firm guidance and punishment for students.

On June 1, 2007 the second report was compiled with emphasis laid on improving academic ability, enhancing moral education, university and graduate school reform, and modalities for education funding. These contents were incorporated into Economic and Fiscal Reform 2007 (approved by the Cabinet on June 19, 2007), and also reflected in the compilation of the FY2008 government budget draft and report on "Improving Courses of Study at Kindergartens, Elementary Schools, Lower and Upper Secondary Schools, and Schools for Special Needs Education" by the Central Council for Education on January 17, 2008. Furthermore, the enforcement regulations for the School Education Law were revised to repeal the general rule of university entrance in April in order to promote university entrance in September.

The third report was compiled on December 25, 2007, and a variety of proposals were made. These included bringing flexibility to the "6-3-3-4 System" and other means of promoting educational continuity between elementary and lower secondary schools; reforming English education establishing systems allowing autonomy to be exercised on the front lines of education; as well as comprehensive support for children, youths, and families.

On January 31, 2008 the final report was compiled, which proposes the concrete implementation of and follow-ups to education rebuilding (refer to http://www.kyouiku-saisei.go.jp for the reports by the Education Rebuilding Council).