Japanese High Schools to Abandon `Yutori` Principle

Following policies at elementary and middle schools, Japanese high schools will be lifted from the "yutori (relaxed)" educational policy.

The Japanese Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry has announced new high school education guidelines that greatly enhance basic education in subjects such as Japanese, English and math.

The guidelines urge teachers to conduct English lessons in English to help students acquire practical skills in the language and increase high school vocabulary 40 percent to 1,800 words from 1,300.

Under the “yutori (relaxed) education” principle, science and math teachers are been barred from teaching difficult content. The new guidelines, however, allow all lessons regardless of difficulty.

Class hours will become flexible as well. Combined class hours under existing rules cannot exceed 30 hours a week or 50 minutes per hour.

After gathering opinions, the ministry will put the guidelines on public notice and implement them from 2013. Science and math education will follow the new guidelines from 2012.

sya@donga.com