Students are highly dependent on the emergency planning and evacuation decisions made by policymakers and school personnel when disasters occur. The purpose of this study was to examine selected cases of school-related disasters, highlighting how factors of the school context intersected with natural hazards and subsequently affected…

This book reports on the use of behavioural support -- an evidence-based approach developed in the USA to meet students' special educational needs -- in Australia and selected thriving Asian countries. It brings together key issues and insights into how educational policy and practices in different societies and cultures influence the uptake of…

Governments are challenged with pursuing macro-level interests for the good of the group, while also needing to accommodate and to acknowledge the needs and preferences of people at the micro-level. Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's (MEXT) "English Education Reform Plan corresponding to…

This policy profile on education in Japan is part of the "Education Policy Outlook" series, which presents comparative analysis of education policies and reforms across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Building on the OECD's substantial comparative and sectorial policy knowledge base, the…

Globally, early years policies and documents have set out aspirational outcomes and benefits for children, their families and the wider society. These policies have emphasised the place of early childhood provision within the wider global agenda, by tackling inequality and disadvantage early on in children's lives. However, these strategies have…

Intended for educational policymakers, this bibliography provides detailed analyses of documents in languages not widely used or understood at the international level or of documents that are not available in the original format. The countries included in this bibliography are China, Finland, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, and Japan.…

This article offers guidelines for developing a national climate for creativity and invention. It recalls the post-Sputnik climate in the United States and notes evidence of Japan's increasing commitment to creativity. It recommends encouraging students to imagine themselves as inventors, providing early training in inventing skills, and…

The main components of Japan's educational system are the Ministry of Education, an active teachers' union, and a national college-entrance examination underwritten by education-conscious parents. These components create stability and efficiency in Japan's schools, which play a key role in today's high-tech age just as they did in postwar…

This case study was prepared in conjunction with a Unesco survey of its member states concerning educational services for individuals with handicaps. The case study of Japan focuses on: (1) special education policy; (2) legislation, administration, and organization; (3) special education and vocational education provisions for students with…

Several leaders in education have concluded that the United States should have some form of national achievement testing. Such tests are proposed as part of the "America 2000" education strategy. Believing that the experience of other countries will be useful to educators, policymakers, and concerned citizens, the National Endowment for…

It is important for teachers and students to develop a broad understanding of Japanese education. Americans who are knowledgeable about teaching and learning in Japan gain insights about a different culture, and are better able to think clearly about our own educational system. This digest examines (1) Japanese educational achievements; (2) the…

This study was intended to promote discussion between business leaders and educators in Alberta (Canada) on the quality of Alberta's education system and its relation to the province's economic competitiveness. The study offers an objective comparison of materials used in grades 7 to 12 to teach mathematics, physics, and chemistry in Japan,…

Asserts that Russian society and Russian schools are going through a profound crisis. Maintains that the best approach to solving social and educational problems is to restore and develop national principles and group cohesion. Criticizes the United States and Japanese educational systems and calls for Russia to follow its own path. (CFR)

Summarizes the recent changes in the highly centralized national geography curriculum in Japan. Prominent reforms include the implementation of environmental studies in the elementary schools and a broader emphasis, across the curriculum, on world geography. In teacher education, emphasis is now placed on teaching skills rather than subject…

This guide presents a description of a typical citizens' learning network in a small-sized city in Japan, guidelines for establishing and administering a similar network, and a copy of the regulations of the citizens' learning network in Munakata, Japan. Addressed in the first part of the volume are the following topics: the nature and scope of a…