Political Pulse

Flexible Curriculums Foster Well-being at Schools

By Makoto Hattori

8:00 JST, July 5, 2025

To ensure that all students in Japan receive a high-quality education regardless of their school, the national government sets curriculum standards. These standards specify what must be taught at each grade and for how many hours. Textbooks and class schedules are strictly aligned with these standards. However, within this rigid system, more and more students are losing sight of why they are learning, and they are struggling to engage with their studies. A once-in-a-decade revision of the curriculum standards is now underway, with the aim of creating schools where everyone can enjoy learning and lead a happy school life.

With special permission from the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, public elementary and junior high schools in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward have changed their allocation of class hours since last year. The schools divide their days into two parts: Mornings are devoted to core subjects like Japanese, math and science, while afternoons are focused on inquiry-based learning including “integrated studies time.” Inquiry-based learning is a process aimed at developing the problem-solving skills needed to thrive in an unpredictable future. Integrated studies employ cross-disciplinary, inquiry-based learning and form an integral part of the current national curriculum standards.

Since Shibuya’s approach was presented as a model in discussions at the Central Council for Education, I visited the ward’s Jinnan Elementary School at the end of May. With the school set to be rebuilt next year, the sixth-grade classes chose “the school of the future” as their shared theme for this year’s inquiry-based learning. Students have been envisioning the ideal learning environments, school events and classroom designs for their new school. Their results will eventually be presented to the local government and could bring real changes.

On the day I visited, a class was held in the gymnasium and an employee of tech giant DeNA was working alongside teachers as a guest instructor. At the students’ request, DeNA prepared a video introducing overseas education systems. The video was paused at intervals for the class to discuss it. Watching American high school students go from passive learning to active exploration, some children remarked, “It’s similar to what we’re doing.”

Inquiry-based learning for Shibuya’s elementary and junior high students is comprised of three parts: “foundations,” a “grade-level shared theme” and “personal themes.” During the first 30–50 hours, students develop foundational skills, learning among other things how to use graphic organizers to structure and analyze information, how to give effective presentations and how to leverage digital tools for research and sharing ideas.

Simultaneously, students spend another 70–90 hours exploring a theme shared across their grade. At Jinnan Elementary, for instance, while sixth graders plan “the school of the future,” fifth graders focus on disaster prevention and fourth graders on welfare. By working on these common themes, students learn the process of problem-solving: defining a question, gathering information, analyzing it and presenting the results and findings.

While many schools focus only on common themes, students in Shibuya explore both common and individual themes, and ample instructional time is provided to this end. Students spend 15–35 hours on “my inquiry learning.”

At Jinnan, each student has a small pouch attached to their desk in which they can deposit notes with questions or topics they are curious about. These help form the questions each student should explore. For example, students who learned how to draw portraits in art class explored online techniques to improve their work. Others, inspired by their history class, researched their favorite era more deeply.

According to Principal Nobutada Yamaguchi: “The questions that students hit upon in class tend to be topics worth exploring. Many students now look forward to the afternoons because they can ask their own questions and learn at their own pace.”

The students have acquired a variety of skills. “I naturally developed thinking skills, communication skills and the ability to express myself,” said sixth-grader Koki Itano. Another sixth grader, Kohei Denda, added: “Once you find a conclusion, a new question arises. This built up my ability to keep learning and to keep pushing ahead.” Hanako Nakamura, 11, said: “Digital devices are only there to support people in what they’re doing. There are many ways they can help with inquiries, but we shouldn’t forget that it’s still us doing the investigating.”

To provide this enriching learning, the schools partner with outside groups. Shibutan, a support organization founded by former and current PTA leaders, works with the local board of education and connects schools with businesses, universities and organizations. Yusuke Yamada, a 45-year-old company employee and the organization’s executive director, noted: “We’ve heard from some schools that children who were reluctant to come to school now attend regularly. That may be because they can do what they want to do.”

“We must value children’s interests and their curiosity,” said Superintendent Rintaro Ito, sounding hopeful about expanding inquiry-based learning, and not so concerned about core subjects getting less time. “Teachers are helping students to tackle challenges they have set for themselves, and so we are shifting from traditional ‘teaching’ to ‘learning together’ or ‘running alongside’ students. Some students have even visited central government offices as part of their inquiries.”

Following a request by the education minister last December for a review of curriculum standards, the Central Council for Education has begun in-depth deliberations, aiming to introduce a revised curriculum in fiscal 2030 or later.

At issue for this revision is the growing number of students who cannot learn on their own because they do not understand the reasons for learning. Some find classes too difficult or too easy. Others are absent from school altogether. Recently, there are students who have academic potential but who struggle with Japanese due to their international background, as well as those who only excel in specific areas. Even students without notable challenges have diverse interests and needs.

To embrace this diversity, the education ministry has proposed a two-tier curriculum. In the first tier, all children — regardless of their background — can enjoy and engage in active learning. This includes flexible decisions about what is learned at which grade and for how many hours. Where that isn’t sufficient, the second tier allows for special exceptions. In the first tier, schools may introduce new subjects or even use part of class time for teacher training. Expanding inquiry-based learning, as in Shibuya Ward, is also viewed as a viable option.

The current curriculum standards already emphasize inquiry-based learning together with “education open to society” to prepare children for unpredictable times. However, this emphasis has been limited in impact due to obstacles like the COVID-19 pandemic. The council is looking at how to further enhance inquiry-based learning, especially through integrated studies, and how to cultivate skills like effective information use in the age of generative AI.

Not only does inquiry-based learning allow for spontaneous problem-solving — it also has great potential to include diverse learners. If lessons are designed based on individuals’ interests, strengths and traits, they can be made enjoyable for everyone, helping to build inclusive and welcoming classrooms. For teachers, this approach can be fulfilling and reduce stress. Even students who need Japanese language support can now participate in discussions using AI translation tools, fostering a richer, more multicultural learning environment.

With inquiry-based learning likely to expand under flexible curriculum standards, teachers are starting to think about what they want to do in their classrooms. In late June, I visited Yamagata City for the national conference of the Japanese Association for the Education for Living Studies and Integrated Studies.

Among the more than 700 people who attended this event, it was the young participants who stood out. High school students invited as panelists impressed researchers and teachers with their insights on learning. In themed workshops, young teachers listened intently to presentations, and in some cases even made presentations themselves. In many places, young teachers could be seen exchanging information and views about inquiry-based learning.

To ensure that all students can enjoy learning and have a happy school life, we must at the very least avoid obstructing their passions. And similarly, enthusiastic young teachers should be supported in shaping this kind of learning through policy and systems. If students acquire a taste for learning, they will be able to take charge of their own lives in uncertain times and ultimately blossom into a wealth of possibilities.

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