Unstable educational administration: Problems implied in the national achievement test system and the teacher certification renewal system

摘要

The above-cited issue, which this author had proposed, was adopted at the Editorial Committee held on August 20. At that time, public opinion about transfer of political power had already been considered unshakable; ten days later, this assessment proved to be correct when election results of the House of Representatives were announced; and on September 16, the political power was actually transferred. I must confess that I was confused about how to write this article when I faced the shift of the core administrative pillar. Before assuming the reins of new government, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) had unveiled the 2009 DPJ Manifesto on July 27. The Manifesto stipulates DPJ's five "pledges," including the second one, "Children and Education," which promises to pay a "child allowance" for all children until they finish junior high school, and to make high school education effectively free and make the university scholarship system much more inclusive. The Manifesto also describes detailed policies, including "Provide a high-quality education to all." Under this title, [Policy Objectives] are defined as "Enhance the educational environment in schools, improve the quality of teachers and increase their numbers." One of its [Specific Measures] is described as "Fundamentally review the teacher certification system in order to improve teacher quality."