On 23rd – 26th July 2015, Centre Director Professor James Arthur visited the Ministry of Education in Tokyo, to discuss character education with Ministry officials. During the trip, Professor Arthur spoke at an International Symposium held in Tokyo, then at Hiroshima University, introducing the work of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues. As part of the work of the Research Initiative for the Development of Learning Systems at Hiroshima University, the International Symposium explored dignity and virtue in education. Taking place at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Education the Symposium formed part of an international project for citizenship and invited international speakers to come together to discuss character education.
Education in Japan recognises the importance of character development, but there is a need to revise the National Curriculum to embed character education within it, ensuring it is implemented in every school. The Ministry of Education will be introducing a new moral education curriculum in 2018 (primary schools) and 2019 (secondary schools).
During the visit to Japan, Prof. James Arthur gave a keynote address at a conference on ‘The Importance of Education for Virtue, Character, Moral and Social Responsibility: How do People learn them? at the Campus Innovation Center Tokyo. Details of the conference appear on the Center for Moral Science and Education website here.
