Make Japanese Teachers the Happiest in the World. AI as the Best Partner, Creating Peace of Mind in Education!
EduTechnology Inc. and Saibi Heisei Secondary School launch a "Co-creation Challenge" to achieve teacher work style reform and personalized learning using AI.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 19:00
EduTechnology Inc. (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yoshihiro Sakaue https://www.edutechnology.co.jp/) supports educational settings to develop and continue learning foundations built by the GIGA School Concept, aiming to realize teacher well-being.
Our company endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to announce dreams. This press release is the dream of "EduTechnology Inc."
[A Challenge by a Local Private School to Transform Japanese Education]
EduTechnology Inc. and Saibi Heisei Secondary School in Ehime Prefecture (Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture; Principal: Kunihiko Mori) have partnered in EduTechnology's nationwide public call for schools, "AI Education Co-creation Challenge 2026 to Create the Future of Japanese Education," and have launched a one-year demonstration project to create a next-generation education model.
This project is a challenge to deeply integrate generative AI into on-site educational activities and find organizational solutions to the common issues facing Japanese education: "severe overwork of teachers" and "realization of individualized optimal learning tailored to each student."
■ Background of the Project Launch and the Lack of "Practical Know-how" on Site
Currently, in Japanese education, the deployment of devices under the "GIGA School Concept" has completed one cycle, and the focus is now on how to utilize digital devices at a high level. Furthermore, the rise of generative AI is poised to fundamentally change the nature of education. However, teachers are still burdened by outdated administrative tasks and document creation, and there is an overwhelming lack of practical know-how to connect "latest technology" with "actual lessons."
Moreover, there are still few examples of rapidly evolving generative AI being utilized in educational settings, and the time has come to consider its school-wide application in a way that firmly captures the needs of on-site teachers.
EduTechnology and Saibi Heisei Secondary School will challenge the transformation of the entire school organization by positioning generative AI not merely as a convenient tool, but as a "strong partner" that draws out the abilities of both teachers and students.
■ Reasons for the Collaboration ~The Significance of a Local Private School Wielding Generative AI~
The biggest reason EduTechnology selected Saibi Heisei Secondary School as a partner from numerous applicants, and why the two teamed up, is that the school's management recognized generative AI as a "trump card to overcome the geographical and resource constraints of local education," and envisioned the future role of teachers and the deepening of student learning based on AI.
Local educational settings face barriers such as limited access to the latest information and external specialized personnel compared to urban areas. However, if teachers and students can master generative AI as an "environment for drawing out wisdom," these barriers will disappear. We are confident that Saibi Heisei Secondary School's strong determination and practice to "transform Japanese education from the regions through technology" will serve as a powerful model case for next-generation education for schools nationwide.
■ Comment from Kunihiko Mori, Principal of Saibi Heisei Secondary School
Since its opening, our school has constantly sought new forms of education. The rapid spread of generative AI is a major turning point that fundamentally re-examines the nature of education. The reason we challenged this project is not simply to shorten work hours with AI. It is to utilize AI as an intellectual partner, allowing teachers to focus on more creative educational activities, creating an environment where they can take on a new role as facilitators, and above all, enabling students to learn about and utilize AI correctly to further advance their career-forming activities. Through this one-year collaboration with EduTechnology, we have strong expectations of disseminating a new educational model originating from a local private school to the entire nation.
■ Comment from Yoshihiro Sakaue, Representative Director of EduTechnology Inc.
At EduTechnology, under the purpose of "realizing next-generation learning and contributing to the development of Japanese education," we have been providing accompanying support to educational settings. Currently, the overwork of teachers is extremely serious, depriving them of the essential time to face children. The true solution to this problem is not merely introducing cutting-edge generative AI, but lies only in the gritty practice of connecting it to "educational value" together with teachers on the ground. This time, we deeply resonated with Saibi Heisei Secondary School's strong determination to "change Japanese education from the regions." Through this one-year collaboration, we will jointly create an "AI-era new education model" that will be a beacon of hope for schools nationwide, demonstrating how technology can unleash the potential of teachers and students.
■ One-Year Initiative Roadmap (Planned)
Over the one-year period until March 2027, we will promote organizational and phased AI utilization through the following steps:
[Foundation Building] Generative AI Basic and Application Training for Faculty and Staff
All teachers and administrative staff will correctly understand the characteristics of AI, such as its potential to generate inaccurate information, and acquire effective prompt design skills specialized for educational settings.
[School Operations Reform] AI-powered Evaluation Indicators and Automation Support for School Tasks
Generative AI will support the creation of difficult-to-make "inquiry-based learning evaluation indicators (rubrics)" and draft lesson plans, significantly reducing the workload of teachers.
[Student Benefit] "New Inquiry-Based Learning" Utilizing NotebookLM and Gemini
Students themselves will use generative AI as a sounding board to deepen their own questions from vast amounts of information, building lessons tailored to the AI era.
■ Future Information Dissemination and Request to Media
The true value of this project lies not only in its successes but also in the "conflicts" and "trial and error" processes that arise as schools grapple with unknown technologies. Therefore, EduTechnology and Saibi Heisei Secondary School will continuously disseminate the real trajectory of this one-year transformation through note, SNS, and press releases.
We kindly ask media representatives to continuously cover and follow this information as a record of how Japanese education collaborates with generative AI and evolves at the forefront.
■ The Story Behind the Co-creation and Teachers' Thoughts are Available on Our Column and Note
What future of education does the "AI Education Co-creation Challenge" aim for? You can find interviews with educators challenging this project and the background of its launch here.
Column URL: https://www.edutechnology.co.jp/casestudy
Note URL: https://note.com/edutechnology
【 Special Interview 🎤】
▼ Special interview for this project here
[About Saibi Heisei Secondary School]
Established in 1997 as a full co-educational junior and senior high school, it transitioned to Ehime Prefecture's first secondary school in 2002. Upholding "Autonomy, Creation, Dialogue" as its educational pillars, it practices meticulous continuous education divided into three stages over six years: "Foundation Period," "Enrichment Period," and "Development Period." For many years, it has maintained a unique tradition of inquiry-based activities, such as students independently formulating questions and writing essays tens of thousands of characters long. Through this "AI Education Co-creation Challenge," the school aims to integrate its solid foundation of human education with the latest technology to foster "individualized optimal learning" and "the ability to solve unknown problems" for students who will lead the next generation.
・Location: 5-6-3 Airport-dori, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture
・Founded: 1997 (Heisei 9)
・Principal: Kunihiko Mori
・URL: https://www.saibi-heisei.ed.jp/
《Inquiries regarding this matter》[email protected] (Contact: Hamada)
[About EduTechnology Inc.]
FAQ
What is the "AI Education Co-creation Challenge 2026"?
It is a one-year demonstration project by EduTechnology Inc. and Saibi Heisei Secondary School, aiming to reduce teacher workload and achieve personalized learning for students using generative AI.
Why was a regional school chosen as a partner?
Saibi Heisei Secondary School was selected because it viewed generative AI as a breakthrough for regional educational challenges, envisioning future teacher roles and deeper student learning with AI.
How will teachers be supported in this project?
Teachers will receive basic and advanced generative AI training, support for automating school tasks (like creating evaluation rubrics and lesson plans), and assistance for student inquiry-based learning, allowing them to focus on creative activities.