The Tokushima Prefectural Board of Education announced that all four high schools in the prefecture that applied for the "High School Education Promotion Project for Human Resource Development for Industrial Innovation (Next High School Program)" to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) on May 15, Reiwa 8, have been selected as "Reform Leading Hubs." With this, "Tokushima Prefecture High School Education N-E.X.T.2040 ~Whirlpool Innovation Strategy Involving Industry, Government, Academia, and the Community~" will be launched. This project aims to create a pilot case for a new model of high school education looking towards 2040 and disseminate its results throughout the prefecture. The project will be developed from Reiwa 8 to Reiwa 10.

Background of Next High School Program Promotion

In Tokushima Prefecture in 2040, it is predicted that the prefecture will face structural crises such as a shortage of human resources in fields like science and technology and skilled labor, the outflow of young women to other prefectures, and a decrease in high school students in the western and southern regions. To overcome these challenges, this project will foster strong collaboration between industry, government, academia, and the community to transition to an educational system that looks towards the future. Utilizing the "High School Education Reform Promotion Fund" established in each prefecture, educational reforms will be promoted according to three categories.

Project Details for the Four "Reform Leading Hub" Schools

The four selected schools have a maximum total budget of 6.2 billion yen allocated according to the three categories, and plans will be developed leveraging their respective characteristics.

【Category 1】Strengthening and Advancing the Functions of Specialized High Schools

Tokushima Technical High School (Maximum budget: 1.87 billion yen)

Nurturing "Digital x Fieldwork Fusion" human resources (Tech Experts)

Developing "immediately employable manufacturing personnel" in collaboration with local companies, etc.

Improving technical standards and problem-solving abilities with robots as a hub

Training human resources in battery technology, and implementing school-wide cross-curricular education in AI, data science, etc.

Tokushima Commercial High School (Maximum budget: 1.45 billion yen)

Nurturing "Tokusho Advanced Business Essential Workers"

Developing business research programs to foster human resources who support the development of the regional economy

Establishing a "Tokusho Innovation Consortium" in collaboration with universities and companies

Developing a hub for commercial education that offers learning open to the real world, etc.

【Category 2】General Curriculum Reform and Science/Mathematics Human Resource Development

Wakimachi High School (Maximum budget: 1.58 billion yen)

Nurturing "INTEGRATOR" human resources in science and technology who can solve regional issues

Developing science and mathematics human resources through collaboration with world-class researchers and interdisciplinary, practical learning

Expanding the base of students aspiring to science and mathematics fields by presenting diverse role models, etc.

Conducting cutting-edge experiments and research through high school-university connections, etc.

【Category 3】Ensuring Diverse Learning Opportunities Unhindered by Geographical Access Constraints

Kaifu High School (Maximum budget: 1.30 billion yen)

Nurturing human resources who can "transcend boundaries and make their own choices and decisions"

Establishing a "Free Inquiry Curriculum" centered on PBL (Project-Based Learning) that connects individuals with their communities and the world

Implementing distance learning and establishing public cram schools to support academic improvement and self-realization, catering to diverse learning needs

Future human resource circulation with the school as a hub, etc.

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: 教育改革