Digital Textbooks DiTT Results Report: Cabinet Approves Proposed Amendments to the School Education Act and Other Laws On February 23, 2018, a bill to amend the School Education Act and other laws—which would recognize “digital textbooks” as official textbooks—was approved by the Cabinet and is set to be submitted to the Diet.
Under the School Education Act and the Copyright Act, textbooks are defined as “books,” and they cannot be certified as textbooks unless they are in “paper” form. This bill allows digital textbooks to be used in place of standard paper textbooks and grants the same special provisions under the Copyright Act for textbook production as those applicable to paper textbooks.
http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/houan/an/detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2018/02/23/1401720_001.pdf
This is an issue that the Digital Textbook and Teaching Materials Council (DiTT) has been advocating for ever since it made a policy proposal in 2012.
Today, DiTT issued a statement raising three points regarding this matter.
1. We commend and welcome the Cabinet’s approval and submission to the Diet of the proposed amendments to the School Education Act and the Copyright Act, which promote the digitization of education—including the formal recognition of “digital textbooks” as official textbooks.
2. We call for the early passage and smooth implementation of the bills.
3. At the same time, the “Bill to Promote the Use of Information and Communications Technology in Education,” currently being drafted by the “Parliamentary League for Promoting the Use of Information and Communications Technology in Education”—composed of cross-party Diet members—is intended to support the digitization of education as a whole; we call for its submission to the Diet and enactment.
“DiTT Results Report: Cabinet Approves Amendments to the School Education Act, etc.”
http://ditt.jp/news/?id=2378
Professor, Keio University; Ph.D. (Policy and Media)
Director, B Lab
Chairperson, Learning of Tomorrow (General Incorporated Association)
Chairperson, CANVAS
After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, he served as a visiting researcher at the MIT Media Lab before founding the NPO CANVAS and the Learning of Tomorrow Association, a General Incorporated Association, and assuming the role of representative. He serves as an outside director for Matsuya Co., Ltd., Fuji Media Holdings, Inc., and Digital Garage, Inc.
He has served on various government committees, including the Information and Communications Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as well as the NHK Central Broadcasting Program Council. He also serves as a director of the Digital Signage Consortium, among other roles. He holds a Ph.D. in Policy and Media.
His publications include *Turning On Children’s Creativity!*, *What Are Smart Kids Doing on Their Smartphones?*, *The Forefront of Online Education in Japan: Considering Learning in the Post-COVID Era*,“What Is Programming Education? 45 Questions Parents Want to Know,” and “Declaration on Digital Education.” He has also provided supervision for numerous works, including “Ah, I See! Programming Education for Parents and Children Through Manga.”
