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Awareness of the need to proactively participate and take an interest in society is nurtured through experiences and education from childhood. Schools, families and communities should work together as a whole to increase opportunities for children to be involved in society.
An Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry panel of experts has compiled an interim report on the future direction of civics education for children to prepare them for the time they become eligible voters. In addition to practical research at model schools and the development of teaching materials, the report proposes measures to be taken at home and in local communities as well as the strengthening of information studies.
The 2015 revision of the Public Offices Election Law introduced the lowered voting age of 18. High schools held classes with mock voting and as a result, voter turnout among 18-year-olds for the following year’s House of Councillors election exceeded 50%. This number has since declined, however.
The voter turnout of young people in Japan is lower than in other countries. The age of adulthood will be lowered to 18 from 20 in fiscal 2022, and high schools will start teaching the new compulsory subject of public affairs to enhance civics education.
While it is important to teach students about the mechanism of elections and how to vote in them, the essence of civics education is to foster the ability of each individual as a member of society to think and judge matters from various perspectives. Schools should recognize the importance of this aspect.
It is important to guide students systematically from the elementary and junior high school levels. At home, parents and children should take part in community events and go to polling stations together so that they can become more aware of their relationship to society at a young age.
The report also pointed out that it is important to develop the ability to read and understand information by using newspaper articles and other materials at home and at school. It can be said that the first step to participation in society is to discuss various social issues and form one’s own opinions.
Many young people use social media and they tend to empathize only with people they can agree with. It is essential to foster abilities to accurately judge the validity and reliability of matters through exposure to information and opinions using such materials as newspapers, public documents and statistical data.
Each political party is making efforts to promote its policies to young people by explaining, for example, its campaign pledges in easy-to-understand ways and introducing them in animated form or as comics. Young people should first pick up these political parties’ pamphlets and other materials, instead of deciding beforehand that they are “too difficult to understand.”
It is also effective for schools to have opportunities to allow students to think for themselves, instead of imposing their own regulations and other rules. Under such a system, students will feel that their voice can change the world, leading them to take responsibility for their choices.
It is also important to nurture teachers engaged in civics education. Many teachers are hesitant to tackle civics education on the grounds that it is difficult to keep politically neutral. Teachers should improve their teaching skills and spend more time being involved in society with their students.
