in- or out-patients. Although the functions of the center will include early diagnosis, professional care and training based on it, development of programs relating to health-related offices, respite care, and so on,one of the central functions of the center is to go into the community and support the care and educational agencies and families respectfully.
In order to establish these centers, many difficult tasks must be managed, such as reconsideration of the system of placement by type of disability and reorganization of the early intervention facilities, the form of management (combining the medical and welfare types), and close cooperation with the medical agencies. Revising the tentative plan made at the Nagoya meeting and maintaining a consensus of the administrators of the three kinds of day care centers nationwide will require pooling the wisdom of those involved in order to realize this goal soon.
D. Education
1. Education
The Japanese compulsory special education system for children with disabilities was implemented in 1979 by the extension of the regular education already available to children without disabilities. Since then, major tasks have included construction of more appropriate curricula, part-time teaching in resource rooms, mainstreaming, social education (education in the community), and lifespan education (education after graduation).
Teaching part of the time in resource rooms was begun in April 1993. In this program, individual or small group teaching is provided in a special classroom during specific hours for students who otherwise are participating in regular classrooms but need some special support. Until then, this kind of program had operated in several places in Japan supported by the local community's budget. It is very important that this has become a national program. Both the number of such classes, and the number of students participating in the program, have gradually increased. However, many tasks remain, such as teacher training, and research on and improvement of pedagogical methods.
A survey of 344 elementary schools throughout Japan conducted between 1991 and 1995 by the National Institute of Special Education (NISE) found that 6.8% of students of all grades, and about 10% of fifth and sixth graders were delayed two years or more in Japanese or arithmetic. This strongly suggests the important of support systems.
To realize normalization and inclusion, mutual understanding with the other children in regular classes is important. It is important to promote mainstreaming in order to prepare opportunities for communication between children with disabilities and the other children. Further, children with disabilities should participate in classes in some subjects and in school events. The Ministry of Education has chosen some schools for research on mainstreaming.
Since April 1995, classes have not been taught two Saturdays each month. Many attempts have been made to utilize this free time for activities in which children with disabilities participate together with various people in the community. At first, these attempts were initiated by the school or the PTA. But they have been shifting gradually to the community's activities. This is important for the enrichment of community living.
2. Social Education Through Extracurricular Activities Accompanied by Five-Days-a-Week School
(a) Trials of Extracurricular Activities
In September 1992, Japanese schools began to be shifted to a five-day-a-week schedule. At that time, the second Saturday of the month became a day off; since April, 1995, the second and fourth Saturdays are both days off. Challenges that resulted because of this change included improvement of the curriculum and teaching methods, retaining a sufficient number of hours for each subject, determining how the students would spend their free Saturdays, and promotion of various activities in the community.
