Abstract
Since the 1950s, Japan has lacked any survey which indicates how many persons have difficulties to read and write. However, we can find many adults who learn at literacy classes in the community and evening classes of lower secondary schools because they could not receive compulsory education in their childhood as the result of discrimination, poverty, disease, disability or colonization. Recently the number of Japanese classes for people who speak other languages is increasing.As it is necessary to promote the study of basic education including literacy,
numeracy and Japanese, we established the Japan Assosiation for the Study of Basic Education and Literacies (JASBEL) in 2016, which connects researchers,practitioners, learners and policy-makers, widening networks and partnerships for basic education. JASBEL has made policy proposals to national and local institutions based on the Law for Insuring Educational Opportunities Equivalent to Compulsory Education which was enacted in 2016. More efforts are needed to improve and create curriculum as well as teaching and learning processes through interdisciplinary research into basic education. UNESCO holds that literacy as part of education is a fundamental human right and it is needed to participate fully in society. We must cooperate with UNESCO and other nations, especially Asian countries which have made efforts for developing basic education.
