【Notes】 Level 5: Students have a full and detailed understanding of a text.

# Developing social competencies for survival:

Active abilities for independence and collaboration in a diversified and rapidly changing society

## Achievement Target

## Solid cultivation of zest for life (from Kindergarten to Upper secondary school)

## Cultivating abilities to learn, think and act by oneself as the basis of lifelong learning

##

☑ Averages at to the top level in international student assessment surveys

☑ Improvement of bullying situations, decrease in students' non-attendance and dropout rates in upper secondary school

Aiming to surpass the level of children’s physical fitness from 1985 level in the next decade

##

● Improvement of language activities under the new Course of Study, which serves as the fundamental standards for school curriculum

● Promotion of collaborative and interactive learning with ICT

● Promotion of educational activities on Saturdays according to local circumstances

● Improvement and enhancement of upper secondary school education, including introduction of a new exam that assesses students’ learning achievements

Level 4: Students can demonstrate an accurate understanding of long or complex texts.

Promotion of moral education (improvement and distribution of the book Kokoro no Note [Notebook for Moral Education] and study of the idea to make moral education a school subject

Source: OECD, PISA 2009 Results

● Thorough approaches to bullying and acts of violence

● Improvement of teacher quality and ability (comprehensive reform for initial teacher education, teacher employment, and teacher training)

● National Assessment of Academic Ability (the government continues to monitor the results of all )

☑ Consideration of developing flexible education system according to student growth, including modalities for the 6-3-3-4 system

## Achievement Target

## Acquisition of the ability to explore and tackle issues (undergraduate or above)

Source: MEXT, FY2011 Physical Fitness Survey (Japan Fitness Test)

## Developing abilities to find the best solutions for unsolved issues in any circumstance

##

Increase in student study hours (aiming at same level as the Europe and the US)

Improvement in the curriculum system across all universities (e.g., systematization of the curriculum, improvement of syllabus)

##

☑ Establishment of better learning environment in university, such as increasing and enhancing educational support staff and active learning, and strengthening the function of libraries

☑ Change of the start period of job hunting and employment activities to ensure students’ learning hours and opportunities for various experiences such as studying abroad

☑ Establishment of a comprehensive system for quality assurance of university education (e.g., the Standards for the Establishment of Universities, Approval System of the Establishment of Universities, and Certified Evaluation and Accreditation)

Dlastic reform of university entrance exams, including the use of achievement test results

# Developing social competencies for survival:

Active abilities for independence and collaboration in a diversified and rapidly changing society

## Achievement Target

## Development of competencies for independence, collaboration, and creativity over one's lifetime

Enabling every person to develop social competencies for survival over his/her lifetime

##

● Promotion of learning as a means to solve current social issues

● Promotion of various experiential activities and reading activities

● Promotion of learning quality assurance and assessing/using learning outcomes

## Achievement Target

## Developing abilities for social and vocational independence

##

☑ Increased efforts to improve employment rate and early job-leaving rate (as following)

• Improvement of implement situation of internship projects

• Greater adult student enrollment in universities, junior colleges, colleges of technology, and specialized training colleges

##

● Enhancement of career education to develop the abilities required for social and vocational independence

Promotion of vocational education in each school (from preschool to higher education)

● Enhancement of reeducation opportunities (including development of practical programs in collaboration with educational institutions and industry, and flexible administration of scholarship loan programs)

## Basic Direction 2

## Developing Human Resources for a Brighter Future:

Human resources to initiate and create changes and new values through leadership in various fields in society

## Development of global human resources, as well as human resources to create new values

##

50% of all secondary school students achieve the expected English skills $ ^{*} $

Doubling of the number of research universities that are internationally competitive in the next 10 years

Improvement of universities’ international reputation

Increase in the number of universities that set targets for students' English skills $ ^{*} $ at graduation, and students who achieve such targets

50% of lower secondary school and 75% of upper secondary school English teachers have the expected English skills $ ^{*} $

Increase in the number of Japanese students studying abroad and international students studying in Japan

• Doubling of the number of Japanese students studying abroad by 2020 (University students: 60,000 to 120,000; Upper secondary school students: 30,000 to 60,000)

• Realizing the “300,000 International Students Plan”

##

● Discussion of early graduation from upper secondary school

● Discussion of English education as a school subject in elementary schools

● Launch “Super Global High School” program

● Provision of new programs to reduce the financial burden for Japanese students studying abroad through collaboration of the government and private sectors, and promotion of the strategic acceptance of excellent international students

● Primarily support focused on universities that address thorough internationalization

## $ ^{*} $ Expected English skills

Lower secondary school: grade 3 of the EIKEN Test, which assesses practical English proficiency, or above

Upper secondary school: grade pre-2 to 2 of the EIKEN Test or above

University: e.g., 80 points on the TOEFL iBT

English teachers: grade pre-1 of the EIKEN Test, 80 points on the TOEFL iBT, 730 points on the TOEIC or above