Chemical Education in Japan Version 2

Forewords
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FOREWORD

It is my pleasure to be able to present this second version of "Chemical Education in Japan" which has been completed, jointly, and after the enormous effort, by researchers and educators engaging in chemistry related fields in Japan. We would like to solicit opinions about this report from its readers all over the world.

Japan has already experienced major changes in its educational system twice in its history. The first one occurred about 120 years ago during the transition period from the Tokugawa Period to the Meiji era. The second one occurred during the postwar period just after the end of the World War II in 1945. One may characterize those changes as the popularization of education to the masses. Preparing for the dawn of the 21st century, Japan is now undergoing a major change in its educational system, especially aiming at the restructuring of the higher education system which is centered around university education.

Education in chemical sciences is being carried out as a part of the educational policy of Japan. This report summarizes the chemical education at large which is given to pupils at primary and high schools and students at universities and graduate schools, as well as to the full-fledged members of the society. It is noted that it also describes the problems associated with the education of young researchers who, after graduation from the universities, are now working for companies which are engaged in chemistry related fields such as the chemical industries.

This report has been published through the joint efforts of the Committee for the Promotion of Chemical Education and the Working Group for the International Relations, the Chemical Society of Japan. Since these task force members were selected out of the 37,000 members of the Chemical Society of Japan who work as researchers and engineers in chemistry related fields, a broad range of problems associated with chemical education in Japan have been pointed out.

Finally we wish to acknowledge a Grant-in-Aid from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan, without which this report would not have appeared.

June 30, 1994


Hiroo INOKUCHI
President
The Chemical Society of Japan


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FOREWORD

Japan is one of the countries that experienced remarkable social changes in the past half a century. About forty years ago when my wife and I returned Japan from three year stay in Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.A. with our one-year old twin daughters, the cost of milk for the babies was equivalent to one third of my income in Japan. Since then the economy of Japan has been improved at a rate much higher than most of Japanese people actually expected.

As the economy was developed, various social matters such as, for instance, the manufacturing systems in industry, communication media, changed correspondingly. Consequently, the education of young people who will support the society in some decades to go had to change according to the changes in the social needs. Since education for young people has to anticipate the changes in the future and adapt to the future needs, we have to make constant efforts to modify the education to respond to the future changes in the society.

In this book such efforts we had to make in Japan in the field of chemical education are described, and the readers will, I hope, understand not only the present situation in Japan, but also the changes we had to have in this field.

10 July, 1994


Kenji TAMARU
Representative
The Research Group; Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research
"Chemical Education in Japan"


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PREFACE to the FIRST VERSION

In 1951, a special committee on chemical education was established by the Chemical Society of Japan, it had grown to become the Division of Chemical Education with more than 2,300 members already by 1975. Meanwhile, the Chemical Society of Japan celebrated its centennial anniversary in 1978, and expects to hold a joint congress with the American Chemical Society in Hawaii in April 1979. On this occasion, the Division of Chemical Education has compiled this English booklet to provide a survey of the historical background and present state of chemical education in Japan.

I hope this booklet will be welcome by those who feel the necessity of international cooperation in chemical education.

Tokyo
February, 1979


Yukichi YOSHINO
President
Division of Chemical Education,
The Chemical Society of Japan


Committee Member

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PREFACE to Part II of FIRST VERSION

The booklet "Chemical Education in Japan" was published in 1979 as an introduction to the subject in English for the participants at the joint meeting of the US and Japanese Chemical Societies in Hawaii. This publication has subsequently been circulated throughout the world and has been well received as an introduction to chemical education in Japan, particularly in the field of pure chemistry. This booklet was the first description of our country's chemical education published in English. Although the work of Japanese chemists has been widely disseminated through their research publications, the educational basis for their achievements had not hitherto been described.

The progress of the Japanese chemical industry during the last century has, along with numerous other industries, been thought of as "phenomenal" by people in foreign countries who could have no insight into the real workings of the system. Many such people have asked the Chemical Society of Japan to explain the basis for the cultivation of industrial workers in this country.

In order to respond to this request, the Division of Chemical Education of the Chemical Society of Japan constituted a special committee to describe the real situation in the Japanese chemical industry and its approach to the development of good industrial chemists.

The committee members were as follows:
Urawa
1982


Sakugoro SASAOKA
John T. SHIMOZAWA


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PREFACE

When the first version of "Chemical Education in Japan" was issued in 1979, the "environment" surrounding chemistry had already changed to a certain extent in that chemistry as accepted by young people is by no means a popular subject for study or as a source of employment. This loss of popularity for the subject of chemistry is a world-wide phenomenon, which seems to have accelerated over the last fifteen years and Japan is, we believe, one of the countries which suffer seriously from this loss.

On the other hand, the economic prosperity of Japan, as is indicated by very strong Yen, tends to be regarded as a sign of success of chemical and science education in Japan, since it is generally accepted that the high productivity of Japanese industry is at least in part due to the high quality of employees.

When we are often asked to disclose "the secret of success" for chemical education in Japan, we feel rather embarrassed because we cannot believe what is currently occurring in our chemical education system will serve as a good example for others to follow. We feel, however, that it is our responsibility to report details of our science education program to the present time, our plans to improve our chemical education in the near future, based on what we think are the important lessons of the past, the current trends jeopardizing our high standards, and reasonable measures to overcome these difficulties.

In April, 1991, the Committee for the Promotion of Chemical Education was organized with Prof. Kenji Tamaru as the chairperson. A Subcommittee for the International Relations was organized together with four other subcommittees. The Subcommittee for the International Relations chose as its first and main activity to promote chemical education worldwide. An attempt had previously been made by the Division of Chemical Education, and particularly by Prof. John T. Shimozawa who had taken a leading role in the international affairs in the Division. The outcome of this effort is "Chemical Education in Japan (First Version)" issued in 1979.

We felt that it is appropriate to renew this effort so that the enormous change in chemical education, as well as in chemistry, and also in the world, can be properly accommodated. After nearly four years' efforts, "Chemical Education in Japan (Second Version)" is now ready to be distributed worldwide.

We hope this book will be of some help to the chemical educator all over the world. We also hope that this kind of publication would be attempted in other countries so that we all are well aware of what is occurring in the world of chemical education and consequently can learn from experiences by all chemical educators.

Finally a word for vocabulary. We found it difficult to find English equivalents for many Japanese words used in the world of education. The glossary we prepared (Appendix F) would be helpful in future when we are forced to coin English equivalents for specific Japanese terms on education. Suggestions for better English equivalents are welcome. We like to apologize that throughout the text we used the Ministry of Education, not the full name, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture just for simplicity.

Tokyo
July 15, 1994

Editor: Yoshito TAKEUCHI
Assistant Editor: Masato M. ITO


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LIST OF CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS



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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We would like to thank the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (Monbu-sho).for a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kaken-hi)) without whose kind help the publication of this book would have been quite difficult.

We would also like to thank the Chemical Society of Japan for giving us to accomplish this interesting attempt.

Special thanks are due to Mr. Kevin T. Sullivan, J.D., for his careful and thoughtful efforts to improve the quality of English of the manuscripts written by many contributors, and hence in different styles.

We also like to thank contributors who have spent so much time and energy in discussing the policy and plot of the intended book, in collecting necessary information and finally in taking the time to write their share in the added complexity of a foreign language. Thanks must also be extended to those who cooperate us by providing photos; Mr. Mitsugu Anraku(Sugamo Upper Secondary School), Mr. Fumio Nakadai (Funabashi Municipal Upper Secondary School), Mr. Shigeki Furusawa (Nagano Prefectural Education Center), Mr. Satoshi Suganuma (The University of Tokyo.), Keirinkan Publishing Co., Soka University, and The Chemical Society of Japan.


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CONTENTS

of Book Version 

FOREWORD		i
FOREWORD		ii
PREFACE to the FIRST VERSION	iii
PREFACE to PART II of FIRST VERSION	iv
PREFACE			v
LIST of CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS	vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	vii
CONTENTS		viii


Chapter 1	HISTORICAL BACKGROUND	1

	1.1 	The Edo Era	2
				Yoshito Takeuchi (The University of Tokyo)
	1.2 	The Modern Era	3
				Shousuke Teratani (Tokyo Gakugei University)


Chapter 2	JAPANESE CHEMICAL EDUCATION 	8

	2.1 	Introduction. A  General Survey  of Chemical Education	9
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
	2.2 	The Educational System of Japan	11
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
	2.3 	The Course of Study	11
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
	2.4	Approval of Textbooks	13
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
	2.5	The Law of the Promotion of Science and Technology Education in Schools	14
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
	2.6	Entrance Examination to Higher Education 	14
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)


Chapter 3	CURRENT STATUS OF THE INDIVIDUAL STAGES
	 		IN CHEMICAL EDUCATION 	17

	3.1	Introduction	18
				Haruo Hosoya (Ochanomizu University)
	3.2	Elementary Schools	18
				Haruo Hosoya (Ochanomizu University)
	3.3	Lower Secondary Schools	20
				Haruo Hosoya (Ochanomizu University)
	3.4	Upper Secondary Schools	24
				Haruo Hosoya (Ochanomizu University)
	3.5	Colleges of Technology	26
				Shiro Haruyama (Tokyo College of Technology)
	3.6	Universities	27
				Haruo Hosoya (Ochanomizu University)
	3.7	Institutes of Technological Sciences	32
				Haruo Hosoya (Ochanomizu University)
	3.8	Graduate Schools	32
				Tatsuaki Yashima (Tokyo Institute of Technology)



Chapter 4	TEACHER TRAINING--PAST AND PRESENT	34

	4.1	Teacher Training System before World War II	35
				Tadashi Hasegawa (Tokyo Gakugei University)
	4.2	Teacher Training System after World War II	36
				Tadashi Hasegawa (Tokyo Gakugei University)
	4.3	Increase of Upper Secondary School Students	40
				Tadashi Hasegawa (Tokyo Gakugei University)
	4.4	Increase of College/University Students	41
				Tadashi Hasegawa (Tokyo Gakugei University)
	4.5	Gakugei University and the Faculty of Education	43
				Tadashi Hasegawa (Tokyo Gakugei University)
	4.6	Graduate Schools for Teachers and Expected-Teachers	46
				Nobutaka Itoh(ex. Hyogo University of Teacher Education)
				and Yukio Masui (Kansai Women's College)
	4.7	Examination for Service for Teachers--Condition of Obtaining Teaching Position	49
				Yukio Masui (Kansai Women's College)
	4.8	Part-time Teachers	51
				Yukio Masui (Kansai Women's College)
	4.9	In-Service Training of Teachers	51
				Yukio Masui (Kansai Women's College)
	4.10	School Teaching as a Profession--the View of Younger Generation 	53
				Tsutomu Koide (Osaka Kyoiku University}


Chapter 5	PRESENT STATE OF CONTINUING
			PUBLIC EDUCATION 	56

	5.1	Continuing Public and Mass-Media Education	57
				Takashi Ito (Yokohama National University)
	5.2	Whole-Life Education (Shogai Kyoiku)
		-Recurrent or Refreshment Education Systems 	61
				Takashi Ito (Yokohama National University)
	5.3	Publications Related to Chemical Education	61
				Akira Takaesu (Musashi Upper Secondary School)


Chapter 6	CHEMICAL EDUCATION AS RELATED
		 	TO THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY 	65

	6.1	Historical Background of the Japanese Chemical Industry -The Meiji Era	66
				Keiji Yamamoto (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
	6.2	Features of the Japanese Chemical Industry
		-The Role of Government and the Employer-Employee Relationships	67
				Keiji Yamamoto (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
	6.3	Educational System Related to Chemical Industry	69
				Shohei Inoue (Science Univeristy of Tokyo)
	6.4	Relationships between Universities and Industry	73
				Shohei Inoue (Science Univeristy of Tokyo)
	6.5	In-Company Training and Chemical Education 	75
				Shohei Inoue (Science Univeristy of Tokyo)


Chapter 7	CHEMICAL EDUCATION IN THE MOVING AGE	78

	7.1	Introduction	79
				Yoshito Takeuchi (The Univeristy of Tokyo)
	7.2	Rapid Decrease of School AgeChildren	80
				AkiraTakaesu (Musashi Upper Secondary School)
	7.3	A Proposal For a New "Course of Study"	82
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)

	7.4	From "Common Examination" to "Center Examination"	84
				AkiraTakaesu (Musashi Upper Secondary School)
	7.5	New Trends in University Entrance Examinations	85
				Masahiro Kotani (Gakushuin University)
	7.6	Abolishment of  General Education--Fundamentalization(Taiko-ka)
				Yoshito Takeuchi (The Univeristy of Tokyo)
	7.7	"3K" and Science-Shunning in the Youger Generation 	90
				Haruo Hosoya (Ochanomizu University)
	7.8	A Rapid Increase in the Demand for Social Education	90
				Tatsuaki Yashima (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
	7.9	Internationalization of Chemical Education at Various Stages 	92
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
	7.10 	Research Activities in Chemical Education 	94
				Masakatsu Hirose (Senshu University)
				Yoshinobu Nakamura
				(Saitama Prefectural Koshigaya-kita Upper Secondary School)
	7.11	History and Activities of the Chemical Society of Japan	98
				Atsuo Nakanishi  (The Chemical Society of Japan)
	7.12	"Chemistry and Education"	103
				Yoshito Takeuchi (The Univeristy of Tokyo)
				Masato M. Ito (Soka University)


APPENDIX		106

	A	Statistics 
		A.1 	Elementary  School	107
				Akira Takaesu (Musashi Upper Secondary School)
		A.2 	Lower Secondary School	108
				Akira Takaesu (Musashi Upper Secondary School)
		A.3 	Upper Secondary School	109
				Akira Takaesu (Musashi Upper Secondary School)
		A.4 	Chemists and University Chemistry Majors	109
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
				Masato M. Ito (Soka University)
		A.5	Some Aspects of Recent Chemical Industries	111
				Keiji Yamamoto(Tokyo Institute of Technology)
				Masato M. Ito (Soka University)

	B	The Course of Study 
		B.1	Elementary School	114
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
		B.2	Lower Secondary School	115
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
		B.3	Upper Secondary School
		B.3.1	The Purpose of the Revision 	121
					Kiyoshi Mutai(The University of Tokyo)
		B.3.2	Integrated Science 	122
					John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
		B.3.3	Chemistry IA  	125
					John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
		B.3.4	Chemistry IB 	126
					John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
		B.3.5	Chemistry II  	128
					John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)

	C	Facts and Figures at Schools and Universities
		C.1	Curriculum of "Rika" at Elementary School	129
				Shousuke Teratani (Tokyo Gakugei University)
		C.2	Chemical Education as a Part of "Rika" Education 
			at Lower Secondary School	130
				Osamu Kai (Kawasaki City Education Committee)
				Yoshito Takeuchi (The University of Tokyo)
				Shousuke Teratani (Tokyo Gakugei University)
		C.3	Chemical Education at Upper Secondary School	137
				Toru Tsuchiya (Tokyo Metropolitan Jyoto Upper Secondary School)
				Yoshito Takeuchi (The Univeristy of Tokyo)
				Shousuke Teratani (Tokyo Gakugei University)
		C.4	Curriculum for Students Majoring Chemistry in Universities 	141
				Takashi Ito (Yokohama National University)

	D	Examples of Problems on Entrance Examination 	144
		D.1	Entrance Examination to Private Lower Secondary School	144
				Masahiro Kotani (Gakushuin University)
				Chieko Hirobe (Seisen Women's University)
		D.2	Entrance Examination to Private Upper Secondary School	146
				Masahiro Kotani (Gakushuin University)
				Chieko Hirobe (Seisen Women's University)
		D.3	Entrance Examination to Public Upper Secondary School	146
				Masahiro Kotani (Gakushuin University)
				Chieko Hirobe (Seisen Women's University)
		D.4	Entrance Examination to National Upper Secondary School	146
				Masahiro Kotani (Gakushuin University)
				Chieko Hirobe (Seisen Women's University)
		D.5	Center Examination for University Candidates	146
				Masahiro Kotani (Gakushuin University)
				Chieko Hirobe (Seisen Women's University)
		D.6	Entrance Examination to Private University	147
				Masahiro Kotani (Gakushuin University)
				Chieko Hirobe (Seisen Women's University)
		D.7	Entrance Examination to National Universit	148y
				Masahiro Kotani (Gakushuin University)
				Chieko Hirobe (Seisen Women's University)

	E.	Furthr Readings	149

	F	Equivalent Terms in English and Japanese 	150
				John T. Shimozawa (Saitama University)
				Masato M. Ito (Soka University)


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