children with and without disabilities, but rather to integrate them.
Second, the society recognizes the individual educational needs of each child and youth, identifies the contents of those needs, and actively investigates better methods of special educational care and training,including education for children with disabilities if necessary, from the viewpoints of both practice and academic studies.
Third, the society regards practical research on the content, methods and techniques, and materials and equipment of education as one of its major themes.
In that context, the purposes of the society were set, with the expectation of establishing an educational science having to do with the right to learn and develop (Article 3 of the Articles of Association), as follows:
1. Considering the disabilities and development of children with disabilities, exploring appropriate educational approaches in various forms, not only special schools and special classes for children with disabilities.
2. Recommending the conduct of studies required for the realization of the right to learn and develop of children who disabilities are not identified specifically but who need special educational consideration.
3. Recommending the conduct of basic and practical studies required for maximum realization of the co-learning or cooperative learning of students with and without disabilities together in the same classroom.
In March, 1996, volume 1 of the Society's journal, "SNE Journal", was published (publisher: Bunrikaku).The work plan for 1996 includes a second interim research meeting on June 8, the second seminar for graduate schools on June 9, and the second research conference on November 16 and 17. All these meetings will be held at Tokyo Gakugel University.
4. Report of the Meeting of Cooperating Researchers Studying Occupational Education at High School Departments for Children with Visual Disabilities, Hearing Disabilities, and Other Mental and Physical Disabilities.
We have been working on this research since 1994; the Report was presented March 18,1996. The outline of the report is as follows:
Because of rapid changes in society and in employment conditions, and an increased proportion of students having severe and multiple disabilities, the rate of employment of adults with disabilities in companies has not increased. For promoting occupational independence after graduation, such as employment in companies, we must tackle tasks such as (a) development of new fields and new kinds of jobs, (b) training of specific occupational skills, (c) increasing the variety of occupations covered in occupational education, (d) strengthening cooperation with companies, and (e) promotion of synthetic and systematic approaches.
In order to implement these general tasks more specifically, the following proposals were made: (a)promote revision of the current curricula and prepare new subjects or courses, such as a synthetic subject of vocational training sensitive to the students' various vocational dreams and aptitudes, taking the local situation and students' traits into consideration; (b) implement high level and diverse vocational education, and promote a variety of types of vocational education through the enrichment of teaching, utilizing the specialized functions of schools for children with visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, and other mental and physical disabilities, and by the enhancement of the specialties of teaching interacting with professional schools; (c) consider the establishment of advanced courses on subjects of special study,taking into account expansion and modification of high schools departments for children with mental and physical disabilities; (d) try to improve teaching by establishing a continuous cooperation system with companies, and devising the form and content of the implementation of job site training according to the students' condition and courses taken after graduation; (e) try to enrich systematic teaching from the early years of school, effective training in school by improving the educational conditions, and vocational education included in the general course; (f) execute appropriate and effective career consultation
