Primary or Basic Education

In Japan, the ‘course of study,’ namely the course objectives, approach and content of the school curriculum, is determined by the standard national curriculum set by the Ministry of Education. It is legally compulsory for schools to abide by the national curriculum standard, so that uniformity and standardization of the school curriculum may be attained throughout the country. The course of study has been periodically revised by the Ministry of Education, every ten years or so since 1972. The course of study followed in Japanese schools in the year 2000 was initiated at the elementary school level in 1991, while the lower and higher secondary schools adopted it in 1992 and 1993 respectively. As recommended by the Curriculum Council, the science and technology syllabus is a selection of quintessential topics such as scientific phenomena commonly encountered by students in day-to-day life. The aim is to train students in the practical aspects of scientific learning through laboratory and other experiments, develop their powers of observation and hone their ability to interpret and apply their knowledge. Although private companies produce textbooks, they require mandatory authorization from the Ministry of Education. The elementary and lower secondary school textbooks are distributed free of charge.