REPORT #8
NEE ANNUAL MEETINGS 2008
Date: September 6 (Sat), 2008
Place: Neiseikan, Doshisha University, Kyoto
Keynote Speech: "'New' Official Teaching Guidelines"
After a brief opening address by Doshisha University Professor Soichi
Shinohara, Mr. Yasuhiro Ohkura (National Institute for Educational
Policy Research) gave a keynote speech on "'New' Official Teaching
Guidelines," where he focused on recent changes in the official
teaching guidelines for social studies including economics for middle
schools.
Particularly in the subject of civil society (Kohmin), such terms as
"conflicts vs. agreements" and "efficiency vs. justice (equity)" should
be taken up as fundamental concepts to understand the contemporary
economy and society. Also the role and function of finance should be
explained by referring to the concepts of direct and indirect financing
in connection with changing economic and social conditions. It is
important that students be encouraged to think themselves of the roles
of the markets, public finance, etc., based on fundamental concepts
that they learn in class.
Symposium 1: "On Textbooks"
The first symposium, moderated by Prof. Eiji Yamane (Mie University),
took up various issues on textbooks in "Kohmin" (Civil Society) at
middle schools, "Gendai Shakai" (Contemporary Society) and "Seiji
Keizai" (Politics and Economy) at high schools. Prof. Yamane as well as
Prof. Takenori Inose (Hirosaki University) joined the panel as textbook
writers, while Ms. Sakae Nakaoki (Shimizu Shoin) joined as a textbook
editor, and Mr. Katsuya Takahashi (Tokyo-toritsu Ohshuhkan Middle-High)
and Mr. Ken Ito (Hachinohe-shiritu Konakano Middle School) as textbook
users.
Several interesting points emerged as a result of their interaction,
such as (1) the most widely used (best -selling) textbooks are those
that cover most of the key concepts with few omissions, thus may
readily used by anyone, (2) those textbooks that emphasize stories to
attract students' interest are generally unpopular among teachers due
to the lack of freedom and discretion left for teachers, and (3) the
widely used textbooks are generally boring for students, so teachers
tend to deviate from the textbooks if they try to give interesting
lectures to students.
In conclusion, textbook writes and publishers are advised to appeal to
schools and teachers regarding the strengths and characteristics of
their textbooks for their information.
Symposium 2: "How to Support School Education in Economics"
In the second symposium, moderated by Prof. Hisashi Kuhihara (Shinshu
University), the issue of how to support economic education at schools
was discussed by Mr. Soichi Nakagawa (Consumer Education Support
Center), Ms. Kikuko Harada (Entrepreneurship Development Center) and
Mr. Yojiro Nagayasu (Bank of Kyoto).
The three panelists first explained what they have been doing in
supporting school children and students at schools and elsewhere in
their respective fields, such as consumer education, social
entrepreneurship, and money and finance.
Their challenges include how to attract human and finacial resources to
their volunteer activities, and how to enhance the effectiveness of
their support by maintaining their contacts and feedback with children
and students over time.
Concluding Remarks:
In his concuding remarks, Prof. Fumio Ohtake (Osaka University)
summarized various presentations and discussions, and pointed out that
one of the charactersitics of economics textbooks for middle and high
schools in Japan seems to be less emphasis on the merits of the market
economy and more emphasis on its demerits, as well as negative
descriptions of government activities, compared to the corresponding
textbooks in other countries such as the U.S. and Europe.
At any rate, at least some parts of textbooks and reading materials in
economics at the middle and high school level should be rewritten, and
this annual meetings were quite useful in making us realize the
necessity to do so, according to Prof. Ohtake.
Finally, a closing address was given by Prof. Inose, but heated
discussions continued among participants at the Konshinkai party after
the meetings.
References:
NEE Annual Meetings Program:
http://www.econ-edu.net/modules/tinyd3/index.php?id=35
For Photos and a Japanese version of this report, see:
http://miyao-blog.blog.so-net.ne.jp/archive/20080907