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Under the background of globalization and informatization, the future social development becomes more and more unpredictable. In the torrent of accelerated evolution of knowledge, information and technology, whether artificial intelligence will crowd out human employment opportunities, and whether the contents taught by schools can adapt to the development and changes of the times, all kinds of doubts and concerns have triggered the Japanese government to re-examine school education. Facing the unpredictable future society, preschool education is also facing brand-new challenges.
With the aging of Japanese children, the interpersonal relationship in the community is gradually alienated, and Japan's early childhood education is facing problems that need to be solved urgently, such as insufficient life experience of children and poor connection between early childhood education and primary education. How to lay a solid foundation for personal future development through early childhood education, and how to ensure that young children acquire the qualifications and abilities needed to cope with future challenges through education and conservation are the key issues that the Japanese government is particularly concerned about.
On March 3, 2065438 1 day, Japan officially released a new issue of Essentials of Kindergarten Education (officially implemented on April 20 18/day), which pointed out the direction and content of kindergarten education curriculum reform in Japan in the next decade. On this basis, Japan has successively promulgated top-level plans such as Revision of Kindergarten Facilities (April 20 18) and Kindergarten Education Manual (February 201June 9), and changed from 20 19/KLOC-0. From the above-mentioned series of bills and policy plans, it is not difficult to see the new trends and new characteristics of preschool education and conservation in Japan.
The development direction of children | "10 core literacy" is for preschool children.
Through the education from kindergarten to high school, the Japanese government believes that students should have a balanced grasp of the three core qualities: "knowledge and skills", "thinking, judging and expressing ability", "learning enthusiasm and enriching humanity". As a preparatory institution of school education, kindergarten needs to cultivate children's basic ability to form three core qualities, and the training method is to help children form their comprehensive ability to smoothly connect with school education in the future through games.
The Japanese government put forward "10 core literacy" around the qualifications that children should have before entering primary school, namely, "healthy body and mind", "self-reliance", "cooperation", "germination of moral and normative consciousness", "germination of thinking ability", "contact with nature and respect for life" and "forming certain interest in quantity, graphics, logos and characters".
The Japanese government and educational circles believe that every child is a unique individual, and teachers need to observe every child from the above-mentioned 10 perspective or even a more diversified perspective, and provide timely and necessary support according to each child's growth stage. At the same time, with the help of the content framework of "10 core literacy", preschool education and primary school teachers can share the information of individual children's development and personality characteristics in a concrete and comprehensive way, thus creating conditions for the smooth connection between preschool education and primary school education.
Realizing the connection between children and children with an equal attitude | From "adapting to primary school" to attaching importance to "early childhood"
As a think tank of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the report published by Japan's National Institute of Education Policy points out that the educational curriculum of early childhood transition should be divided into two sections. One is the "5-year-old children's course dedicated to applying children's learning to primary school life and study", also known as the "introductory course"; The second is "comprehensive related courses after primary school entrance", also known as "introductory courses". Specifically, it is to truly realize the cooperation between kindergarten and primary school, and continue to carry out the initial course after entering primary school on the basis of the introductory course for 5-year-old children in kindergarten.
Attract more parents to participate | Construct an "educational curriculum open to the society"
"Educational curriculum open to society" is the key element that runs through the newly issued Essentials of Kindergarten Education and Essentials of Learning Guidance for Primary and Secondary Schools in Japan, that is, school education needs to cater to social changes and give back to society through better school education. At the same time, school education needs the cooperation of parents, local residents and social education related personnel, and gathers the strength of society to cultivate children together.
To this end, the Japanese government proposes to make kindergartens a peaceful and pleasant place for parents, local residents and people in the field of early childhood education and parenting to learn from each other, help each other and communicate with each other. Specifically, it is to provide a place for parents to communicate in kindergartens, a place for parents to communicate when children go to school, and a place for teachers to discuss with parents in teachers' offices. At the same time, set up the route to and from school in a planned way, so that children, parents and teachers can fully contact and communicate with local residents.
In addition, the Japanese government also stressed that kindergarten facilities will be accessible to disabled children, consciously create a corresponding environment that can help children learn to avoid danger independently, and will also be equipped with facilities and equipment that can prevent or reduce external noise.
Strengthen child care assistance | Improve kindergarten care function
Whether it is temporary care or nursery assistance, it is an extension and expansion of the educational function of kindergartens. In order to cope with the declining birthrate and the diversification of family and social requirements, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology began to require kindergartens to incorporate temporary care into the system of kindergarten education activities, and to design and implement it as a whole. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan emphasizes that kindergartens should work closely with families, and at the same time cooperate with professionals in psychology and health care and people with rich parenting experience in the community to do a good job in parenting assistance.
From 20 19 to 10, the survey results released by Japan's Bilesheng Education Research Institute show that the available time of kindergartens and nurseries in Japan has been greatly improved compared with 20 12, showing a trend of prolonging the time of children in kindergartens. Specifically, the daily available hours of kindergartens, nurseries and certified children's parks (a new integrated child care institution established by the Japanese government in 2006) are: 7 hours and 29 minutes for state and public kindergartens, 9 hours and 29 minutes for private kindergartens, 25 minutes for public nurseries 1 1 hour, and 2 hours and 2 minutes for private nurseries1hour.
Compared with 20 12, the available time of kindergartens and nurseries has been greatly improved. At the same time, the implementation rate of private kindergartens is 96.7%, and the average closing time is 5: 46 pm. Compared with the past, the proportion of kindergartens with disabled children or children in need of special care is increasing year by year. The results of this survey show that about 90% of national, public and public kindergartens and 70%-80% of private and private kindergartens have disabled children or children who need special care. It can be said that Japan's early childhood education and care institutions are recruiting more diverse children.
Promote the "educational revolution" | comprehensively promote free preschool education and conservation.
Since 20 19 10 1, Japan has fully implemented the policy of free early childhood education and child care according to the amendment to the Law on Children and Parenting Support adopted by the Cabinet meeting in February of 20 19. At present, in Japan, families of children aged 3-5 who use recognized nurseries, kindergartens and recognized children's parks, as well as poor families of children aged 0-2 who are exempt from resident tax, are exempted from their care and education expenses. Families of children who use recognized external care institutions also enjoy similar free treatment. The Japanese government provides assistance in the form of subsidies, but it will set a subsidy ceiling.
Japan has accelerated the policy of free early childhood education and childcare for the following two reasons:
1. From June 20 19 to June 20 10, Japan's consumption tax was officially raised from 8% to 10%, and the consumption burden of the people was increasing day by day. This policy can reduce people's burden of child care to a certain extent, which is conducive to making quality early childhood education and care benefit more children. After raising the consumption tax, the Japanese government has increased its fiscal revenue by about 5 trillion yen every year, of which 2 trillion yen is used for the "education revolution" focusing on free early childhood education.
Second, early childhood is an important period of personality formation, and reducing the burden of early childhood education and care is also a key link to alleviate the problem of declining birthrate in Japan. At the same time, Japan is actively transforming into a welfare society for all. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to give some help to parenting families, which is not only the need of Japan's long-term development, but also caters to the current public opinion of Japanese society.
After the implementation of the free policy of early childhood education and childcare, it does not mean that parents need zero fees in the early childhood education stage. The core of the policy of free preschool education is to waive the cost of care and education, but the content of free preschool education does not include children's diet and meals.
It should be noted that the early education expenses of Japanese children include the expenses of conservation education, transportation to and from the park, meals and activities in the park. "Free of charge" means that the cost of care and education that parents need to bear is almost reduced to zero through various detailed rules, while other expenses such as transportation, meals and activities in the park are still borne by parents as usual. However, due to the high proportion of early education expenses when children enter the park, parents need to bear very little, which in essence greatly reduces the burden of parenting and is infinitely close to free.
(The author is from the Education Development Research Center of Beijing Academy of Educational Sciences)
China Teachers' Newspaper, 3rd edition, July 2020, 15.
Author: Li Dongmei