Japan to give schools more discretion over class hours

The plan was included in a draft summary of discussions at a special subcommittee of the Central Council for Education, an advisory body for the education minister, which held a meeting the same day.

The council is set to make recommendations to the minister around winter. Based on the recommendations, the ministry will change the curriculum guidelines and then notify kindergartens and elementary and junior high schools of the revised guidelines at the end of the current fiscal year next March.

The revised guidelines will be fully implemented at kindergartens in fiscal 2028, at elementary schools in fiscal 2030 and at junior high schools in fiscal 2031. High schools will be notified at the end of fiscal 2027 of guideline changes, which will be implemented in stages beginning with students enrolling in fiscal 2032.

The curriculum guidelines will be revised based on the basic principle of ensuring deeper learning for diverse children. The revised versions will call for proactive, interactive and deeper learning, embracing diversity and ensuring feasibility of such measures.

By encouraging students to pursue their interests and improve their strengths further, the new guidelines will help foster individuals who can engage in dialogue and reach agreements with others while forming their own opinions.

The draft summary calls for easing pressure on children and teachers by increasing flexibility in school curricula and carefully selecting textbooks and class content while not increasing the standard annual class hours.

Under the so-called adjustable class hours system, elementary and junior high schools will be allowed to reduce class hours for some subjects to a certain extent and use the freed-up time for other subjects or for "discretionary" uses such as study support for specific students and training for teachers.

Schools across the country will be allowed to introduce the system in fiscal 2028 before the implementation of the revised curriculum guidelines.

The draft summary includes a measure to enable schools to compile special curricula for students who are often absent from school or have exceptional talent in specific areas, as part of efforts to accommodate diverse individuals. A digital version of the guidelines will be created to make it easier for teachers to use them when designing classes.

The summary also calls for reviewing the way students are graded on their attitudes toward proactive engagement in studies, following complaints that it is difficult to make objective assessments.

Other items in the summary include expanding education on information amid the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence technology and the widespread use of social media. Information will be included as a topic in the subject of interdisciplinary study at elementary schools, and a new subject of information and technology will be created in the junior high school curriculum.

The new education on information will be rolled out in stages from fiscal 2028, giving students in elementary, junior high and high schools systematic education on programming, information literacy and AI use.

Under the planned revision of the high school curriculum, the minimum unit of class credits will be reduced to about half the current level in order to give students more discretion in course selection. Elective classes in Japanese language and mathematics will be reorganized, while new class content called "guidance" will be added to teach junior high and high school students about how mathematics and science are linked to society and professions.