The Japanese government is pushing to recognize digital textbooks along with paper textbooks as official textbooks in elementary and middle school classes, allowing schools to choose and apply them.
Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun said Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is considering introducing a “textbook selection system” that will allow local education committees to decide whether to use paper or digital after recognizing digital textbooks as official textbooks. According to the newspaper, the working group of the Central Education Council under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will present the future direction of textbooks based on these contents on the 21st. Specifically, digital textbooks will be recognized as official textbooks in the future, and local education committees will be able to choose between paper and digital textbooks.
Previously, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology provided each tablet-type electronic device to students and started using it as an “alternative textbook” for paper textbooks. Currently, only paper textbooks are recognized as official textbooks under the School Education Act. Digital textbooks are categorized as “textbooks that can be used as substitutes for paper,” and cannot function as official textbooks without paper textbooks. However, if the new plan is realized, students may be able to study using tablets without paper textbooks. To this end, the Japanese government has also prepared a plan to complete revision of related laws by 2026 and allow full introduction of digital textbooks according to schools’ choice from 2030.
However, the Yomiuri Shimbun said, “It is expected to be controversial because it greatly changes the appearance of textbooks, which are the basis of school education,” and pointed out, “There are studies that show that the learning effect of digital textbooks is not memorable compared to paper, and there are concerns about side effects such as poor eyesight. In fact, it is pointed out that it is too hasty to push for the adoption of formal textbooks at a time when digital textbooks have not been proven to have the same learning effect as paper textbooks for young students. On the 16th, the Yomiuri Shimbun asked 188 principals of elementary and middle schools nationwide, “How paper textbooks and digital textbooks should be operated,” and 95.1% answered that “paper textbooks should be written together.” Only 4.3% said they would only use digital textbooks without paper.
Tohoku University Professor Fujio Oomori (Educational Policy Studies) criticized the Yomiuri Shimbun, “The results of changes in the form of textbooks on school education are very large. If you don’t have enough scientific knowledge about the educational effects of digital textbooks, isn’t it passing the buck?”
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
