Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2007
Next PageMain Text > Part II ODA DISBURSEMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2005 > Chapter 2 Details about Japan's ODA > Section 2. Measures for Each of the Priority Issues > 2. Support for Social Development > (1) Education
(1) Education
<Record for FY2006>
For the education sector in FY2006, Japan provided ¥10.9 billion in grant aid (to 15 countries) and ¥27.9 billion in loan aid (to two countries). Through technical cooperation Japan accepted 1,871 trainees and dispatched 535 experts and 320 JOCV.
<Current Status>
Education plays an important role in the socioeconomic development of each country. It also enables each and every individual to develop their own talents and abilities and to lead their lives with dignity.
However, worldwide there are more than 77 million children who are currently unable to attend school for a variety of reasons, with girls comprising roughly 60% of this figure. The total number of adults who do not possess the minimum literacy ability is 780 million people, of which two-thirds are women.22
To improve this situation, since 1990 the international community has been working toward the realization of Education for All (EFA)23, which provides everyone with access to basic education. In 2000 specific objectives were established by the EFA-Dakar Framework for Action. Some targets of the Dakar Framework for Action, such as the achievement of universal primary education by 2015, have been adapted in the MDGs.
Chart II-13. Relationships between Dakar Framework and MDGs
<Japan's Efforts>
Japan has emphasized "nation building" and "human resource development." Japan supports human resource development in a wide range of fields by providing support to expand basic education, higher education, and technical and vocational education and training as well as accepting foreign students to Japan's institutes of higher education, Japan is working to support human resource development in a wide range of fields.
In 2002 Japan announced the Basic Education for Growth Initiative (BEGIN), which supports efforts for the achievement of EFA in developing countries. Based on BEGIN, Japan proactively provides supports both for "hard" assistance such as building schools with "soft" assistance like teacher training with the emphasis on the three points of ensuring opportunities for education, raising its quality, and improving management as priorities.
In addition to this, there is also the Fast Track Initiative (FTI)24, which was launched in 2002 under the leadership of the World Bank as a global partnership to achieve international education goals such as "achieving universal primary education by 2015." FTI supports many developing countries, including FTI endorsed countries, through both bilateral and multilateral assistance. In addition to this, in 2007 Japan announced that it would newly contribute around ¥278.4 million to FTI-related trust funds. Furthermore, as a G8 representative, Japan will be a FTI co-chair in 2008, and will be deeply involved in the FTI. At the G8 Heiligendamm Summit in June 2007, the G8 agreed support for the FTI.
Japan also provides support which contributes to developing the human resources that bolster developing countries' economies and enhancing the social infrastructure through technical and higher education. For example, it implements technical education suited to the local employment conditions and promotes effective partnerships with industry. It also provides support for vocational training combined with Microfinance to promote the independence of women. Japan also increases the quantity and quality of its assistance to the higher education sector, and in recent years it has been promoting transnational networking of institutes of higher education.
Japan proposed the decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)25 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in August 2002. Following the adoption of this proposal at the United Nations General Assembly in December of that year, UNESCO has become a leading organization of the decade, which formulated and adopted the International Implementation Scheme in order to globally promote the decade of ESD. While encouraging UNESCO and its member states to strengthen their support for the scheme, Japan has been contributing Funds-in-Trust for the Promotion of ESD to UNESCO since 2005. It has also provided active support for related projects by proposing and getting adopted the resolution for further promoting the decade of ESD at the 34th UNESCO General Assembly in 2007.
<Assistance to Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education>
Science and mathematics education is indispensable for developing countries to achieve both progress in science and technology and to enhance economic and social development. Such education also plays a role to cultivate creative and rich humanity, fostering humankind's spirit of inquiry, logical thinking, and capacity for innovation and invention. Along with modernizing its education since Meiji Era, Japan developed the human resources which support its current economic development by expanding education in science, mathematics and engineering. Based on this experience, Japan actively supports the improvement of the quality of the science, mathematics, and engineering education in developing countries. Japan's support for science, mathematics, and engineering education expands to broad-based cooperation in various regions. Some examples are the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education Project in Western, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (SMASSE-WECSA) and the ¡Me Gusta Matemática! Project26 in Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Chart II-14. Japan's Assistance for Science and Mathematics Education
<Aid Coordination in Nepal>
In relation to assistance for the basic education sector in Nepal, Japan has been providing assistance in line with aid coordination and Nepalese Government programs since the 1990s. Currently, various donor countries and organizations are coordinating with one another to provide assistance for EFA program from 2004 to 2009. More specifically, aid coordination is being advanced in a format whereby the World Bank, Norway, the United Kingdom, Finland, and Denmark provide budget support, while Japan, UNESCO, and UNICEF provide assistance other than budget support. Examples of support from Japan include the construction of elementary schools by grant aid and awareness-raising activities for local communities in cooperation with NGOs. For the construction of elementary schools, while Japan provided the materials needed for the construction, the transportation and allocation of materials, as well as supervision of the construction, were conducted by the Nepal side with support from Japan. The construction work was then carried out with the participation of residents. In this manner, an implementation method with excellent efficiency and ownership was established. As a result, 8,024 classrooms have been built as of 2005,27 and the project has garnered high praise from Nepal and other donor countries and organizations.
<Support for Education in Post-conflict Nation Building>
In nation building, education not only serves as a basis for reconstruction, it also facilitates mutual understanding and acts as a cornerstone for peace. In addition, it is also important from the point of view of promoting "human security" in that it furnishes individuals with the ability to protect themselves from threats by enhancing individuals' capabilities. For example, Japan provides support such as literacy education and skills training for social reintegration of demobilized soldiers in Afghanistan. Furthermore, it also provides support for raising the income of the poor, such as through basic vocational training in post-conflict countries like Sudan, Eritrea, and Rwanda.
Afghanistan "Support for Literacy Education"
In Afghanistan, as a result of civil war and Taliban rule the nation's educational system was in ruins, and most of the people missed out on the opportunity to receive an education. As a consequence of this, it is estimated that adult literacy rates remain low at 30% for men and 5% for women, while the illiterate population numbers 7 million people or more. Promoting literacy education has become an important and pressing issue in terms of raising the problem-solving abilities of individuals who were unable to obtain an education, the improvement of their lives, as well as their involvement in development. It is also essential for future consolidation of peace and democracy in Afghanistan, as well as for economic and social development.
Based on the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan in January 2002, Japan has provided support for the LAND AFGHAN Project from September of the same year. This project is designed to promote literacy education and non-formal education* through the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Capacity Development of Human Resources established in UNESCO. After the adoption of the literacy education curriculum developed through LAND AFGHAN as the national curriculum, introductory primers for literacy were created in the Dali and Pashto languages. These results have been praised by Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Minister of Education, who said "This will serve as the cornerstone for Afghanistan's educational development." Since March 2006, through JICA, Japan has been providing support the Literacy Department of the Ministry of Education, which constitutes the core of Afghanistan's promotion of literacy education. Examples of this include improving the data management and inventory control system for things like textbooks and teaching materials, and conducting training as well. In addition, for the development of classrooms for literacy education, Japan has supported efforts such as conducting a needs survey, formulating detailed plans, and implementing projects via NGOs.**
* Non-formal education: Organized educational activities that take place outside of the formal education system and which target children and adults who have not received a formal education.
** Support for Expansion and Improvement of Literacy Education in Afghanistan
Literacy education in Kabul (Photo: JICA)
In Afghanistan, as a result of civil war and Taliban rule the nation's educational system was in ruins, and most of the people missed out on the opportunity to receive an education. As a consequence of this, it is estimated that adult literacy rates remain low at 30% for men and 5% for women, while the illiterate population numbers 7 million people or more. Promoting literacy education has become an important and pressing issue in terms of raising the problem-solving abilities of individuals who were unable to obtain an education, the improvement of their lives, as well as their involvement in development. It is also essential for future consolidation of peace and democracy in Afghanistan, as well as for economic and social development.
Based on the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan in January 2002, Japan has provided support for the LAND AFGHAN Project from September of the same year. This project is designed to promote literacy education and non-formal education* through the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Capacity Development of Human Resources established in UNESCO. After the adoption of the literacy education curriculum developed through LAND AFGHAN as the national curriculum, introductory primers for literacy were created in the Dali and Pashto languages. These results have been praised by Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Minister of Education, who said "This will serve as the cornerstone for Afghanistan's educational development." Since March 2006, through JICA, Japan has been providing support the Literacy Department of the Ministry of Education, which constitutes the core of Afghanistan's promotion of literacy education. Examples of this include improving the data management and inventory control system for things like textbooks and teaching materials, and conducting training as well. In addition, for the development of classrooms for literacy education, Japan has supported efforts such as conducting a needs survey, formulating detailed plans, and implementing projects via NGOs.**
* Non-formal education: Organized educational activities that take place outside of the formal education system and which target children and adults who have not received a formal education.
** Support for Expansion and Improvement of Literacy Education in Afghanistan
Literacy education in Kabul (Photo: JICA)
<Utilizing the Expertise of People Involved in Education Research and In-service Teachers>
In order to contribute to the sustainable development of developing countries, Japan promotes the International Cooperation Initiative led by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Specifically, it is working toward a number of initiatives designed to promote international cooperation activities through the use of universities' knowledge. These initiatives include: (1) creating and publicizing teaching materials and guidelines based on the expertise possessed by Japanese educational academies (2) collecting information that Japanese universities can provide (human resources, education research capability, etc.) and universities in developing countries are in need of, and then analyzing the matching status; and (3) developing a human resource network based on sector-specific committees comprised of experts, analyzing and consulting sector-specific trends.
For the advancement of international cooperation which utilizes Japan's educational experience, it is highly beneficial for in-service Japanese teachers to engage in cooperative activities in developing countries. Moreover, it is anticipated that having in-service teachers engage in cooperative activities in developing countries will improve the quality and capabilities of teachers such as increasing their capacity to deal with problems and their leadership ability as well as broadening their perspectives. In addition, it will allow teachers to make use of their valuable experience in their schools and classroom after they return home, thereby leading to enhancing the quality of education in Japan. From this perspective, in FY2001 Japan launched the Special Participation System for In-Service Teachers in the framework of JOCV,28 in order to promote the participation of in-service teachers as JOCV. In total, 437 in-service teachers were dispatched over the six year period from FY2002 to FY2007, and they have actively engaged in educational cooperation activities in many countries.