● From now on, Japan will be unable to avoid a decline in its relative national power in terms of both its population and economy within international society. In order to maintain a certain position within the international environment, it is crucial for Japan to produce a successor generation capable of taking on international activities. I would like to reconsider international education, such as English-language instruction, education for foreign schoolchildren resident in Japan and international understanding education, from such a national perspective. Moreover, when considering nurturing human beings who can be active on the international stage, our focus should be on cultivating people who can participate in the creation of a new order and rules for international society, instead of the type who can only function within an established or given international framework. In other words, this means to nurture people who can contribute positively rather than react passively. ● When considering English language education, we must think not only about improving English skills but also about raising communication abilities and the content transmitted. In this regard, raising skills in our own Japanese language is essential. The Japanese language can be both a "language that favors ambiguity" and a "language capable of strict, logical expression. " We must strive to use "strict, logical Japanese expression" intentionally in order to learn a foreign language such as English. ● There are already more than two million foreigners living in Japan. 70,000 foreign children are enrolled in public schools in this country. 20,000among such children require Japanese-language instruction, and their number is increasing annually. The concepts of "independence and coexistence" should be introduced so as to enable Japan to create a society where diverse cultures coexist from now on. Moreover, since the stability of adults is closely linked to that of children it is imperative to also think about the broad spectrum of issues relating to foreigners in Japan when considering education matters. It is necessary to consider the responsibility of employers and the foreigners' native countries in this regard. ● Considerable international understanding comes about through friction between different cultures and values. In this respect, since it is difficult in Japan to experience friction between different cultures and values, such circumstances ought to be created intentionally and artificially in the area of international understanding education. In addition, our usage of the term international understanding tends to focus on learning about the culture, history and the like of other countries. However, international understanding also entails learning about the history, culture and the like of one's own country and being capable of explaining all that to people from other nations.

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