1	gVIII Teacher's Qualifications/Training/Appointmenth	Previous	Next	JAPANESE
	Teachers teach children using educational contents that are based on educational values derived from science, art and culture that have been created and compiled through human life experiences, and that are based on the developmental level of children. Children select future jobs by learning from and mastering these educational contents and then utilizing the associated skills to help direct their own lives. The professionalism of teachers depends upon a deep understanding of both educational contents and children, including the ability to use and develop educational activities though teaching. Japan prefers diversity rather than uniformity in teachers, considering the fact that teachers need to have a practical capacity for providing guidance, an appropriate personality as well as specialty skills as seen from an international point of view. At the present, inadequate capacities of teachers to provide appropriate guidance has emerged as a problem, and that has forced a change in the concept of the status and skill requirements of teachers. Also, policies are being adopted to increase teaching guidance skills by reformulating and clarifying the system of evaluating teachers, such as through personnel reports. An emerging educational feature of Japan is demonstrated by its promotion of the concept that teachers guidance and teaching skills should also be reflected in their own professional development as teachers. In order to improve professionalism, training of teachers is conducted at universities. Teachers require certificates to become teachers meeting national standards. There is also an accompanying training system to maintain and improve professionalism. There are various policies to improve professionalism. Among others these include introducing teachers' evaluations through personnel reports, and improving teachers' professional capacity through the introduction of training programs for teachers who have accumulated 10 years of teaching experience.

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Center for Research on International Cooperation in Educational Development(CRICED) University of Tsukuba
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