The document analyzes the state of digitalization in Japanese schools and highlights the significant gap between students' access to technology at home versus school. Despite a high percentage of students owning devices, schools remain resistant to fully integrating digital tools into their curriculum, influenced by traditional teaching methods and a rigid national curriculum. Recommendations include learning from the educational approaches of Scandinavian countries and emphasizing 21st-century skills for a more modern educational framework.

1. International
Comparative Studies in
School Digitalization
Shimpei TOYOFUKU
GLOCOM IUJ

2. Critical Gap between Home and School
Students using PC
in home
80.8%
5-6 Gr. Female
Students Own
Mobile Phone
59.0%
Students Own
Potable Game
Machine
73.3%
Forced Hand Writing
Printed Matters in vain
No e-mail No SNS
http://www.hakuhodody-
media.co.jp/newsrelease/report/20120725_6344.html
Survey for Elementary School Children in 2012

3. Behind 20 years 
Why Japanese schools are negative for digitalization ?
How to change our system by learning from uniqueness
of Scandinavian countries ?

4. Companies are heating up
for ICT use in home education

5. Young Edu-Tech Companies

6. JP School systems
http://www.mext.go.jp/english/introduction/1303952.htm

7. JP General Statistics
Population 127,130,000
E gr.1-6 J gr.7-9 H gr.10-12 Total
Schools 21,131 10,628 4,981 36,740
Students 6,676,920 3,536,182 3,319,640 13,532,742
Teachers 417,553 254,235 235,062 906,850
e-stat http://www.e-stat.go.jp/ population 2014.03 / education stats 2013.04

8. JP Schools Digitalization #1
http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/zyouhou/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2014/08/08/1350411_01.pdf
http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/List.do?bid=000001050381&cycode=0
Ratio of students to computers 6.5
Internet accessible general classroom 85.5% Wi-Fi 21.2%
High-Speed Internet Access (over 30Mbps) 79.0%
Computers for teachers 111.1%
e-mail for teachers 62.9% (E/J 53% H 91%)

9. JP Schools Digitalization #2
http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/zyouhou/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2014/08/08/1350411_01.pdf
http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/List.do?bid=000001050381&cycode=0
IWB : Interactive White Board 76.4% 2.2 /school
OHC : Over Head Camera 4.4 /school
Tablet PC for instruction 2.0 /school
System for office-work in school 80.3%

10. General ICT Teaching Set in Class / Netherlands 2010
Suspended
Projector
Desktop PC
for teacher
Fixed IWB

11. Temporary ICT Teaching Set in Class / model case in Japan 2012
Temporary
Screen
Temporary
Note-PC &
Projector

12. Digital Environment in school
JP FI/DK/SE
Facilities
Computers in general class
No
Only 1 PC room in
school
Yes
Projector, Screen or IWB Temporary
Need to set up
Fixed
Ready to use
Platform
Services
Website, Blogs or CMS Yes Yes
e-mail for students No Yes
SNS for Students & Parents No Yes

13. Difference of Teaching & Learning Style
99.2 99.1 98.9 98.7 98.5
97.1
94.5
83.5
81.4
DK FI NL NO SE AU OECD
average
KR JP
Percentage of students who use a desktop,
laptop or tablet computer at home
94 94
92
89
88 87
72
60
43
NL AU NO FI SE DK OECD
average
JP KR
Percentage of students who use a desktop,
laptop, or tablet computer at school
PISA 2012 Results: Skills for Life (Volume V): Student Performance in Problem Solving - © OECD 2014
Light Blue Items means No significance in test score between groups

14. Even if the model case …
• 21st Century Skills & Key
Competencies
• Digital Textbook
• Tablet PC and Wi-Fi
• Mooc and Flipped Classroom
• Collaborative Learning

15. Even if the model case …
JP FI/DK/SE
Smart Device Ownership / Control
Teaching
Material
Learners’
Stationary
Digitalized Textbook Reference
A part of
Learning
Resources
In-class Central Control /
Screen Sharing System
Yes No
Cloud Service to mobile their own work
(ex. Google Apps for Edu)
No Yes

16. Ethis class / 6 grade in 2013
Over 80% in lesson tablets are shut down by teacher

17. Students must do quickly simple tasks given by teacher

18. Japanese Teachers want use
ICT as Something Special Magic Wand
• Rarely use computers in regular classes
• Assign short work time to do simple task
• All works & items are completed in one-shot class
•Teaching Items – Black Board or Video
• Teaching Machine – Drill and Practice for Bottoming up results
• Method to Control Students’ Behavior
• Cause high stress on teachers

19. FI/DK/SE Case studies show
ICT is the Air to breeze for better learning
• Using for daily life including learning in school
• Long enough work time for projects in class
• Sharing items through cloud between members
•Environment for Knowledge Creation
• Notes and Stationaries for learners
• Guaranteed their own space
• Effect for Writing, Editing, Composing Abilities

20. Why JP Schools are Negative for Digitalization?
Thinkable some reasons #1
• Hand Writing Religion
• Over 3000 Kanji characters to learn
• First Japanese Word Processor was
released in 1978

21. Why JP Schools are Negative for Digitalization?
Thinkable some reasons #2
• Printed Matter Lovers
• High Speed Replicators
• Low-Cost / Low Quality

22. Why JP Schools are Negative for Digitalization?
Thinkable some reasons #3
• Teaching > Learning
• Finely defined national curriculum
• Getting class period competition between subjects
• Putting more amount of knowledge to learn
• Restricted school autonomy for managing curriculum
• National authorization system of textbooks
Free of charge textbook in mandatory education

23. How to change JP education system ?
• New Concept for Education
• 21st Century Skills & Key Competencies
• And learn from whole school education style
• Not only from hardware / service environment
• Also from Curriculum, Philosophy and School Management