ECEC System in JapanECEC System in Japan

Kindergartens, Day-care Centres and Centres for ECECKindergartens, Day-care Centres and Centres for ECEC

22

Kindergarten Day-Care centre

Target From age 3 to 6 (before entering primary school)

From age 0 to 6 (before entering primary school)* Children with needs for care (Eligibility determined by municipal governments)

ChildcareTime

4 hours a day, as educational standard 8 hours a day, in principle

LegalFoundation

School Education Act Child Welfare Act

GoverningBody

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)

Standards National Curriculum Standards for Kindergartens

Day Care Guideline

Number ofChildren

1,705,000 (2007) Public 338,000 Private 1,368,000

2,015,000 (2007) Public 　　 945,000 Private 1,071,000

Number ofFacilities

14,000 (2007) Public 5,500 Private 8,500

23,000 (2007) Public 　　 12,000 Private 　　 11,000

2 types of facilities are provided to the children of the same age 3-6.

ECEC Facilities in JapanECEC Facilities in Japan

3

25.8% 32.2% 42.0%

0.0%14.6% 85.4%

0.0%24.8% 75.2%

0.0%33.0% 67.0%

38.8% 38.8% 22.3%

54.1% 40.7% 5.2%

57.3% 40.3%2.4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

合計

0歳児

1歳児

2歳児

3歳児

4歳児

5歳児

• Significant part of age 3-6 (most part of age 4-6) is enrolled in kindergarten or day-care centre. • About 20% of age 0-2 is enrolled in day-care centre.

Status of the implementation of ECEC (2007fy)Status of the implementation of ECEC (2007fy)

Number ofChildren

1,157,500

1,134,500

1,105,500

1,072,500

1,064,500

1,085,500

6,721,000

Age 0 Class (0-1)

Age 1 Class (1-2)

Age 2 Class (2-3)

Age 3 Class (3-4)

Age 4 Class (4-5)

Age 5 Class (5-6)

total

Kindergarten Day-care centre Others

44

Minister ofMEXT

Minister ofMHLW

Prefectural Boardof Education

Prefectural Governor

Municipal Boardof Education

Schooljuridical person

Social Welfarejuridical person

MunicipalKindergarten

PrivateKindergarten

MunicipalDay Care

PrivateDay Care

(Prefecture)

(Municipality)

(Government)

・ Establishment・ Management

・ Permission for establishment・ Guidance, advice etc.

・ Permission for establishment

・ Administrative guidance,advice etc.

・ Establishment・ Management・ Establishment

・ Management

・ Establishment・ Management

・ Permission for establishment

・ Administrative guidance,advice etc.

・ Permission for establishment・ Guidance, advice etc.

・ BudgetMayor

(Establisher)

(Facilities)

Administrative System of ECECAdministrative System of ECEC

55

MEXT MHLW

Prefecture

MunicipalEducational Board

Municipality

PrivateKindergarten

PrivateDay Care

(Prefecture)

(Municipality)

(Government)

Parents

・ Payment of budget (1/2 of cost by government)

・ Payment of budget (1/4 of cost by prefecture)

・ Payment of budget (1/4 of cost by municipality)

・ Promotional grants for Kindergarten enrollment

・ Subsidies for Private School ordinary expenses

＊ Public ECEC facilities are mainly funded by municipalities.

・ Subsidies for Private School ordinary expenses

Funding System of Private ECEC FacilitiesFunding System of Private ECEC Facilities

6

Establishment of the system of Centre for Early Childhood Education and CareTo provide preschool education and childcare services coherently and support for child-rearing practices, the government has established an certification system of Centre for ECEC. (2006)

Co-establishment of the Ministries’ officeThe Ministries (MEXT and MHLW) co-established the “Office for Advancing Kindergarten and Day-care Centre” (2006)

a.Shared use of the facilities A guideline about shared use of the facilities between kindergarten and day-care centre was

formulated. (1998)b.Ensuring consistency between “National Curriculum Standards for Kindergartens” and “Day

Care Guideline” They exchanged their commissioners when both curriculum was revised.

c. Promotion of dual qualification and joint training courses Kindergarten teachers and nursery teachers are promoted to entry each training courses organized

for others. Eligibility requirements for qualifying examination to become a nursery teacher for kindergarten

teachers has been relaxed. (2004) Established a qualifying examination to become a kindergarten teacher for nursery teachers. (2005)

d.Dissemination of Good practice of cooperation A case book of cooperation between kindergarten and day-care centre has been published. (2002) A case book of cooperation between primary school and day-care centre, kindergarten, etc. has

been published. (2009)e.Universalization of extraordinary regulation relaxation in joint activities in kindergarten and

day-care centre Universalized a extraordinary relaxation which has been needed to do joint activities between

kindergarten and day-care centre. (2005)

Approaches for Cooperation between Kindergarten and Day-care CentreApproaches for Cooperation between Kindergarten and Day-care Centre

7

• Which facility to use is constraint by whether the parents work or not. (If the parents works, the children goes to day-care. Otherwise, kindergarten.)

• Because of low birthrate, group size of children that is important for children’s growth comes to small in situation that kindergartens and day-care centres are split. Moreover, it is inefficient for administration.

• The number of kindergarten pupils has decreased 100,000, while there are 20,000 waiting list for day-care.

• Support for non-working mothers, which have uncertainty in child-rearing, is deeply absent.

It became to be difficult to handle with the problems accompanied by the

low birthrate and diversification of needs on education/child-care.

To meet the diverse needs of users

• Universal use regardless of whether the parents work or not• Adequate size of children for their development• Resolution of waiting list for day-care by using existing

kindergarten• Enrichment of support for child-rearing activities in

community, including non-working mothers

Established the system of Centre for ECECas another option

Background of the Foundation of “Centre for ECEC”Background of the Foundation of “Centre for ECEC”

8

“Basic Policies for Economic and Fiscal Management and Structural Reform 2003” (Cabinet decision, Jun 2003) (trial translation)

To establish comprehensive facilities which coherently provide preschool education and childcare services, the government will do variety of preparatory measures, including development of legal systems, such as setting a fundamental idea in 2004fy, executing pilot programs in 2005fy, etc. And then, set the system into practice from 2006fy.

Investigation in the joint session of the “Committee on Early

Childhood Education, Central Council for Education” (MEXT)

and the “Committee on Children, Social Security Council” (MHLW)

Investigation in the joint session of the “Committee on Early

Childhood Education, Central Council for Education” (MEXT)

and the “Committee on Children, Social Security Council” (MHLW)

• Pilot programs at 35 facilities

• Institutional design based on the evaluation on the pilot programs

• Budget for practice (were allocated to the budgets for kindergarten and day-care centre separately.)

• Submit of the bill

• Pilot programs at 35 facilities

• Institutional design based on the evaluation on the pilot programs

• Budget for practice (were allocated to the budgets for kindergarten and day-care centre separately.)

• Submit of the bill

enforcementenforcement

2004fy 2004fy 2004fy 2004fy 2005fy2005fy2005fy2005fy 2006fy2006fy2006fy2006fy

Investigation in the related councils, etc.

• The joint session of the “Committee on Early Childhood Education, Central Council for Education” (MEXT) and the “Committee on Children, Social Security Council” (MHLW) has investigated the issue from May 2004 and released a report in December 2004.

• A committee evaluated the pilot programs on the basis of content of education and care, staffing, facilities and so on, and released a report in May 2006.

Investigation in the related councils, etc.

• The joint session of the “Committee on Early Childhood Education, Central Council for Education” (MEXT) and the “Committee on Children, Social Security Council” (MHLW) has investigated the issue from May 2004 and released a report in December 2004.

• A committee evaluated the pilot programs on the basis of content of education and care, staffing, facilities and so on, and released a report in May 2006.

Chronology of the System of “Centre for ECEC”Chronology of the System of “Centre for ECEC”

999

Combined kindergarten and day-care center

model

Day-Care

Day-Care

Kindergarten(education)

Day-Care(childcare)

Supporting function for child care

Ce

ntre

for E

arly

Ch

ildh

oo

d E

du

ca

tion

an

d C

are

(ce

rtified

by

pre

fec

tura

l go

ve

rnm

en

t)

Ce

ntre

s m

ay

ch

oo

se

the

ir typ

es

ac

co

rdin

g to

ne

ed

s o

f the

lo

ca

lity

＋

Gap betweentwo system

Functional Day-Care

Functional Kindergarten

Functional Kindergarten+

Functional Day-Care

Kindergarten kindergarten model

day-care center model

Local discretion model

Kindergarten

4 Types of Centre for ECEC4 Types of Centre for ECEC

+

+

+

10

Evaluation on the system of Centre for ECEC

About 80% of parents using Centre for ECEC and more than 90% of the facilities think highly of the system of Centre for ECEC. Moreover, about 90% of parents responded that the system should be promoted.

[Impressions to be a Centre for ECEC]

Good46.2%

ComparativelyGood 45.4%

ComparativelyBad 6.2%

Bad 0.8%

Facilities

[Reasons of high value]

[evaluation on being a Centre for ECEC]

(1) Time flexibility (46.5%)(2) Seamless use regardless of whether parents

have jobs or not (45.7%)(3) Enrichment on educational activities (30.9%)(4) Exchange between various ages (27.3%)(5) Enrichment on support for child-rearing

practice (24.6%)(6) School provided lunch (14.4%)(7) Others (5.6%)

Parents

High-value 58.2%

Comparatively high-value 17.3%

Comparatively low-value 2.4%

Low-value 0.8%

No answer21.4%

To be enhanced　　 86.6%

No needs to be enhanced 2.6%

Ignorant10.8%

[What the system of centre for ECEC should be?]

What administrative authorities should do?

<Administrative authorities> “should enhance relationship between the Ministries”, “should improve financial status”, “should simplify accounting control”, etc.

Facilities say that…

Municipalities say that…

Prefectures say that…

Questionnaire on the System of Centre for ECECQuestionnaire on the System of Centre for ECEC

<National government> “should improve financial aid”, “should enhance relationship between the Ministries”, “should PR on the system”, etc.<Prefectures> “should improve financial aid”, “should simplify subscription procedure”, “should relate with the municipalities”, etc<Municipalities> “should relate with the prefectures”, “should PR of the system”, “should establish financial aid by their own”, etc.

<National government> “should improve financial aid”, “should simplify accounting control”, “should simplify subscription procedure”, etc.<Prefectures> “should relate with the municipalities”, “should smooth the way for judgment”, “should PR on the system”, etc

11

　

Number of the “Centre for ECEC”Number of the “Centre for ECEC”

Number of certification : 358 (April 1, 2009 )Number of certification prospected : about 2,000

(as a result of the survey thorough prefectures)

Number of Certification to be Centres for ECECNumber of Certification to be Centres for ECEC

2055125158358Number of certification

Local discretion

model

Day-care centre model

Kindergarten model

Combined kindergarten and day-care centre

model

(detailed content)Whole models

12

• The government will investigate on the ideal institution for coherent provision of education, childcare and child-rearing support based on the situation in each area.

• The government will prove the efforts based on the new “National Curriculum Standard for Kindergartens” and “Day Care Guideline”, and the efforts in the Centres for ECEC.

• Regarding administrative systems for kindergarten and day-care centre, it is necessary to take relationships such as with compulsory education, sound growth of children, maternal and child health, welfare of disabled children, labor administration, etc. into account. And it is necessary to functional enhancement of co-established “Office for Advancing Kindergarten and Day-care Centre” and general coordination by the cabinet office.

Present status (problems) Direction of reform

• The system is not so spread despite of getting high-value from parents and facilities.

• The government aims to increase the number of certification more than 2,000 by end of 2011fy, on the basis of users needs and facilities’ interest for the certification.

• Insufficient financial support

• The government will create financial supports for “functional day-care in the kindergarten model”, “functional kindergarten in the day-care centre model” and “local discretion model” by founding “Child Security Fund”, etc.

• Complicated financial regulation and application procedure

• Lack of relationship between the Ministries or local governments

• The government will institutionalize “child grant” to unify the subsidy desks, application procedures and execution.

• The government will quickly unify and simplify the administrative procedures. For example, to unify the desks, to combine or eliminate documents overlapped, and simplification of audit.

• It is necessary to build a mechanism to coherently provide education, childcare and child-rearing support based on the situation in each area.

• To maintain and improve teachers’ competency is needed.

• In the future, the centre for ECEC should be integrated into combined kindergarten and day-care centre model.

• The Centres will enrich their function of child-rearing support for the families and communities.

• To enrichment quality of education and care, training courses and measures in facility operations are important.

• It is important to allow more flexibility in the teacher-training course and qualification examination.

• The government will follow up the status of these reformation.• The government will promote concrete institutional investigation based on the direction of the reformation of childcare system.• The government will rethink about the system of Centre for ECEC in tandem with investigation in the reformation of childcare

system because the investigation for reformation at 5 years after enforcement is stipulated in the Law

Urgent equipment of the Centres for ECEC

Financial support

Ideal institution of preschool education and care

schedule

Dissolution of double administration

Comprehensive provide of education, childcare and child-rearing support / maintenance and improvement of teacher’s competency

The Report of the Committee on the System of Centre for ECECThe Report of the Committee on the System of Centre for ECEC