Let’s tend to the computerization of education

  I gave the following presentation at a diet meeting on the computerization of education.

 Some say that the computerization of education will cost money. I say let’s spend it. According to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), Japan is in the lowest rank when it comes to education spending as a percentage of GDP. We aren’t spending enough. If we spend 10,000 yen on totally 10,000,000 children then the cost will be 100 billion yen. That represents 1/100^th of the road budget. It’s a small price to pay for such an important future asset. It’s something that only the politics can decide.

 In the 21^st century, it is recognized by the OECD, the EU, and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology that the ability to operate digital technology is extremely important. It’s past the point of debate. It’s time to act. It’s time for the government to decide and to act.

 It is only Japan that continues to debate the merits and demerits of computerization. Korea is introducing digital textbooks to all elementary school students. They have decided to take a cloud approach in which any kind of terminal will do. Classes, homework, and guardian communication takes place over social media. There has been almost no movement in Japan. They are three steps ahead.

 There are large political and systemic hurdles to the implementation of digital textbooks in Japan. In Japan, elementary and middle school books are given out freely. However, legally speaking this only applies to paper books, so the problem is that digital textbooks are not covered.  The government’s IP plan proposes that measures be taken to fix this, but this is still in the early planning stage.

 We are now putting out energy into three points. 1) Selecting 100 of the best teachers and offering to support them. 2) Announcing 100 candidates for mayoral and gubernatorial elections. 3) Offering a service menu of 10,000 yen per person per year to municipalities.

 We are doing what we can do as citizens to promote this.

 We ask three things of political leaders: 1) Expanded budgets, 2) Develop legal systems, and 3) Recognize the importance of the computerization of education. Whether or not this succeeds is up to the politicians. I strongly hope that you proceed enthusiastically.