Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 10.1
UNESCO education and trends of education in Japan and internationally
Position of UNESCO
Education in Japan
Developments in domestic
education in Japan
Developments related to
UNESCO education
Period
1950s to
1970s
First phase of
UNESCO Education
•
Decline of scholastic
abilities
Return to International
Society
•
Associated
Schools Program
(ASP) aimed at
international
understanding
and cooperation
•
Systematization of
Learning content (from
unifi ed Social Studies to
differentiated Social
Studies areas)
•
As part of the citizen's
UNESCO movement,
Sendai UNESCO Support
Association becomes fi rst
established in the world
•
ASP schools served
experimental and
research purposes
1970s to
1990s
•
Stagnation of
UNESCO
Education
•
Education for returnee
children led by MOE
•
International Education
Recommendation by
UNESCO, 1974
•
Development education,
global education,
multicultural education
(education rationales and
theories of practice
introduced domestically)
•
Politicization of
UNESCO : U.S.
withdrawal in 1984
(return in 2003); UK
withdrawal in 1985
(return in 1997)
•
Peace education and
anti-discrimination
education (given by the
teachers' union, etc.)
From the
1990s
onward
Second phase of
UNESCO education
•
Decline of scholastic
abilities
Responsibility to
International Society
(contribution)
•
ESD aimed at
building a
sustainable
society
•
Increase of classroom
hours (reduction of the
Period for Integrated
Studies and strengthening
of education in various
subjects)
•
Development making
UNESCO ASP schools,
etc. into model schools
the context of development education or global education.
3
Here, the authors rethink
the meaning of the Associated Schools' activities in relation to coursework regu-
lated by the National Curriculum Standards, especially in relation to geography
education.
3
Sato (
2007
, p. 216) stated that “At the same time that implementation in the Associated Schools was
ideological, because its scope was restricted, it did not suffi ciently spread. Moreover, because it was
preceded by a lofty rationale, there was a great deal of disparity between the implementations in
different schools.” Evaluations of the Associated Schools Program have not all been positive.
