MESSAGE FROM MASAYUKI INOUE DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS JAPANESE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MEXT)

I would like to offer my hearty congratulations to the U.S. Department of Education for another successful International Education Week. The building of international education skills in classrooms throughout the world is an excellent way to ensure rich global relationships. The highlighting of international education and international exchange is a worthy goal of International Education Week.

Amid the rapid advancement of globalization, it is crucial for children living in the twenty-first century to have a broad, worldly perspective. One way this can be achieved is by acquiring important communication skills by learning foreign languages, which would enable our young citizens to conduct free and open discussions with their international peers. By so doing, the goal of international understanding and harmony can be fulfilled.

Towards this end, Japan has been implementing a variety of programs to enhance the teaching and learning of foreign languages. The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme was started with the purpose of increasing mutual understanding between the people of Japan and the people of other nations. The JET programme hopes to promote language education and regional internationalisation by inviting young overseas college graduates to work in local schools and government organisations throughout Japan.

6,100 college graduates from 41 nations participated in the JET Programme in 2004 by teaching English and other foreign languages in Japanese schools. Participants from the United States accounted for the largest group (2, 814) from any one country.

In addition, MEXT believes that improving the teacher quality of foreign language instructors is vital for increasing children’s foreign language abilities. MEXT supports professional development opportunities for teachers with both domestic and overseas language training at universities, which targets English language instructions in particular.

In the past three years, MEXT has designated 88 high schools that give priority to English instruction as Super English-Language High Schools (SELHi). In this way, MEXT has been developing curricula that stress instruction in English, and it is able to conduct practical research on teaching some courses in the English language. Methods have also been developed for effective collaboration with schools and universities abroad.

While the study of foreign languages is not mandatory at the elementary school level, it has now become possible to integrate foreign language conversation into classes concerned with international understanding. In order to build rewarding relationships by engaging in meaningful dialogues with people around the world, Japan has been promoting the teaching of foreign languages and encouraging international exchange.

Once again, congratulations on International Education Week 2005. I hope that everyone who participated in activities during the week had a very fruitful and enjoyable time.