Japanese IT Strategies in Public Schools : A Case Study of Policies and Practices of Hiroshima Prefecture 【Report】

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) has tried tosupplement Information Technology (IT) education in school curriculum. New national curriculum stan-dards2which will be implemented from fiscal year 2002 and 2003, introduced “Information andComputer" in the compulsory subject “Technique and homemaking" for lower secondary schools, and anew subject “Information" for upper secondary schools. Moreover, the national curriculum standardshave urged schools to use computer and telecommunication networks in all subjects. In response to thenew national curriculum standards, each prefecture has improved the educational environment andteacher training related to IT, with support from MEXT and Ministry of Public Management, HomeAffairs, Posts and Telecommunications in Japan. This paper describes the IT strategies in school education in Japan through case studies in HiroshimaPrefecture. Then it will suggest towards innovations in IT education in Hiroshima. The paper is based onboth secondary materials and primary sources, such as interviews and school visits.