NTUT Education of Disabilities, 2006 Vol. 5
Implementation and Impact of Japanese New National Curriculum Standards on Education in Schools for the Blind
and Schools for the Deaf
KATOH Hiroshi
Research and Support Center on Higher Education for the Hearing and Visually Impaired Tsukuba University of Technology
4-12-7 Kasuga, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 305-8521 Japan
Abstract: The Japanese Government reformed the national curriculum standards of K-12 and schools for children with impairments to help all children to be sound members of society living independently in the 21st century. As far as the upper-secondary level is concerned, a new curriculum had been adopted since the 2003 school year. We conducted a survey of the achievements of the new curriculum, and also an evaluation of the new system from teachers in schools for the blind and schools for the deaf. The survey was carried out from October to December of 2004. Survey forms were delivered to all upper-secondary level schools for the blind and for the deaf. Forty-five of the sixty schools for the blind and fifty-three of the sixty nine schools for the deaf answered. There are broad discrepancies in the adoption rate of elective subjects in various academic areas between schools.
Teachers certainly appreciated the new curriculum in that it helped students develop their individualities. At the same time however, they do not expect to see the new system yielding strong educational improvements, but are expecting improvement from the new university for the hearing and visually impaired, Tsukuba University of Technology.
Key Words: Reform of the National Curriculum Standards , Schools for the Blind, Schools for the Deaf, Teachers' Evaluation for the Education Reform
1. Introduction
The Curriculum Council of Japan received an inquiry from the Minister of Education in August 1996 about "reform of the national curriculum standards of kindergarten, elementary school, lower and upper secondary schools and schools for the visually disabled, the hearing impaired and the otherwise disabled". The Council comprehensively discussed this and reached the conclusion that the national curriculum standards should be reformed. Targets of the new curriculum are helping children's well- balanced development and how to educate them to be sound members of the nation and the society living independently in the 21st century. [1-5]
In conjunction with this reform, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) carries out the education for the disabled from
"special education," which means providing education at special places depending on
disabled pupils and students. Thus, MEXT promotes that disabled children will be able to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve their independence and
participate in the society. [6]
Coincidentally, the new national university for the deaf and the blind, Tsukuba University of Technology was launched as a higher education institution exclusively for the hearing or visually impaired. Future contributions to education for the disabled are
expected from this new university.
2. Purpose of the Research
The new national curriculum has been carried out from the school year of 2003 in upper-secondary level schools for the disabled. This curriculum forced some new concepts, e.g., selected contents of subjects, correspondence to information society, cultivating the "zest for living" such as ability to learn and think independently in the 21st century. Schools all over the country were required to implement the concurrent operation of the old and this new curriculum system in the school. On the other hand, the slimming of subject contents invites the criticism that this will provoke the deterioration of students' scholastic abilities
In this transitional phase, as well as for the practical attainment of the new curriculum, we would like to know how teachers realize the concepts of the new curriculum and what they feel are the practical difficulties in implementation of the new system. Additionally, we will ask what expectations or requests they have for the new national university for the deaf and the blind, Tsukuba University of Technology, as a university their graduates will be expected to go on to.
2.1. Survey Procedure
The research was based on a survey. We sent a questionnaire to the principals of upper-secondary level schools for the deaf and for the blind across the country in October, 2004. Answers were collected by the middle of December.
The questionnaire consisted of questions related to, "attainment of new curriculum",
"evaluation of the reform of the national curriculum", and "expectations and requests for our new university."
3. Results and Discussion
Forty-five schools of the sixty schools for the blind and fifty-three schools of the sixty nine schools for the deaf answered. Percentages df collection are 75% for- schools for the blind and 76.8% for schools for the deaf. Respondents were principals, head
teachers, etc.
3.1. The Attainments of New Curriculum in Schools for the Deaf and Schools for the Blind
Under the new curriculum, the adoption ratio of each academic subject of schools for the deaf and for the blind is shown in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively. There is big difference in adoption in terms of subjects in the same area for both schools for the deaf and for the blind.
2
Implementation and Impact of Japanese New National Curriculum Standards on Education in Schools for the Blind and Schools for the Deaf
Table 1 Adoption Ratios of Subjects of Schools for the Deaf
Subject Area
Japanese Language
Geography and History
Civics
Mathematics
Science
Foreign Language
Information
Subject
Japanese Language Expression 1 Japanese Language Expression 2 Integrated Japanese Language Contemporary Japanese Language Classics
Appreciation of Classics World History A World History B Japanese History A Japanese History B Geography A Geography B Contemporary Society Ethics
Politics and Economy Basic Mathematics Mathematics 1 Mathematics 2 Mathematics 3 Mathematics A Mathematics B Mathematics C Basic Science Integrated Science A Integrated Science B Physics 1
Physics 2 Chemistry 1 Chemistry 2 Biology 1 Biology 2 Earth Science 1 Earth Science 2 Oral Communication 1 Oral Communication 2 English 1
English 2 Reading Writing Information A Information B Information C Special Activities Period for Integrated Study Homeroom Activities Additional Subjects
Standard Number of Credits
2 2 4 4 4 2 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 2 3 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 4 3 4 4 4 2 2 2 6-9 3-6
number of schools or courses 53 schools with 65 courses
compulsory(a)
47 25 63 42 11 4 49 12 16 8 32 5 62 0 5 10 61 42 6 41 8 1 25 41 28 22 0 17 1 14 0 3 0 20 1 61 40 6 10 58 5 7 65 65 65 20
elective(b)
7 9 0 5 8 6 3 7 14 11 14 9 0 6 17 5 2 8 5 10 14 6 9 4 4 24 10 20 9 22 5 12 4 6 3 1 5 13 7 4 12 11 0 0 0 10
unadopted
11 31 2 18 46 55 13 46 35 46 19 51 3 59 43 50 2 15 54 14 43 58 31 20 33 19 55 28 55 29 60 50 61 39 61 3 20 46 48 3 48 47 0 0 0 35
adoption ratio
%of(a+b)/all
cources
83.1 52.3 96.9 72.3 29.2 15.4 80 29.2 46.2 29.2 70.8 21.5 95.4 9.2 33.8 23.1 96.9 76.9 16.9 78.5 33.8 10.8 52.3 69.2 49.2 70.8 15.4 56.9 15.4 55.4 7.7 23.1 6.2 40
6.2
95.4
69.2
29.2
26.2
95.4
26.2
27.7
100
100
100
46.2
Subject Area
Japanese Language
Geography and History
Civics
Mathematics
Science
Foreign Language
Information
Subject
Japanese Language Expression 1 Japanese Language Expression 2 Integrated Japanese Language Contemporary Japanese Language Classics
Appreciation of Classics World History A World History B Japanese History A Japanese History B Geography A Geography B Contemporary Society Ethics
Politics and Economy Basic Mathematics Mathematics 1 Mathematics 2 Mathematics 3 Mathematics A Mathematics B Mathematics C Basic Science Integrated Science A Integrated Science B Physics 1
Physics 2 Chemistry 1 Chemistry 2 Biology 1 Biology 2 Earth Science 1 Earth Science 2 Oral Communication 1 Oral Communication 2 English 1
English 2 Reading Writing Information A Information B Information C Special Activities Period for Integrated Study Homeroom Activities Additional Subjects
Number of Credits
2 2 4 4 4 2 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 2 3 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 4 3 4 4 4 2 2 2 6-9 3-6
45 schools with 59 courses
compulsory(a)
27 8 53 34 21
0 30 27 20 12 25 3 52 4 10 11 52 29 3 35 7 0 18 42 32 3 0 20 0 38 4 0 0 44 7 52 34 11 4 51 2 1 57 57 57 8
elective(b)
11 14 2 8 8 6 4 4 12 11 10 8 1 6 7 3 2 13 1 9 8 3 0 2 0 17 7 22 8 16 17 11 5 7 6 3 9 9 8 3 6 5 0 0 0 14
unadopted
21 37 4 17 30 53 25 28 27 36 24 48 6 49 42 45 5 17 55 15 44 56 41 15 27 39 52 17 51 5 38 48 54 8 46 4 16 39 47 5 51 53 2 2 2 37
%of(a+b)/all
cources
