EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM & PRACTICE IN JAPAN

63	“II Japanese Educational Administration and Finance”	Previous	Next	JAPANESE

	In order to promote and ensure “Academic Achievement” under the 2002 appeal, three things were done: re-interpretation of Course of Study as a minimum standard; incorporation of contents for promoting improved learning from textbooks; and revision of the Criteria for textbook authorization for various compulsory educational schools. In other words: (1) Following the objectives of the Course of Study of elementary and lower secondary schools and paying attention to contents and treatment; (2) Avoiding insertion of unnecessary elements into the contents of textbooks based on the treatment of contents in the official Course of Study. Regarding the contents of books that are not textbooks, it is possible to link up aspects not covered in the Course of Study with contents that are already there without deviating from the aims and meaning nor burdening students with extraneous information, and (3) The contents of books should corresponded with the levels of mental and physical development of students, and neither be too high or too low in terms of students abilities.