On 25 October 2021, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) held the first Study Meeting on the Training of Teachers for Special Support Education.

This meeting aims to deliberate on how to train teachers in charge of special needs education. With the increased number of preschoolers, children, and students receiving special needs education, it is time to establish the basic concept of an inclusive education system that would lead to an inclusive society. To this end, it is necessary to secure teachers trained in special needs education and further enhance their expertise.

Given the report of the Expert Panel on the State of Special Needs Education in the New Era compiled in January 2021, the study meeting will work on its recommendations, such as:

• all teachers should have the basic knowledge of special needs education and an understanding of the term, “reasonable accommodation”;
• teachers in charge of special-needs classes and tukyu classroom instruction should play a central role in the special needs education in elementary schools and have the expertise and practical skills in terms of independent activities and developmental disabilities;
• teachers at special needs schools should have a wide range of knowledge and skills that enable them to fully grasp the state and characteristics of disabilities and the stages of physical and mental development, and reflect those in the teaching of various subjects and independent activities;
• all teachers of schools for special needs education should get a special needs education license.

The items to be discussed are as follows:

• How to create a group of high-quality teachers and staff who will be responsible for special needs education
• Obtaining a teacher’s license for special needs education and the core curricula of such a teacher training course
• Other related matters

The study period is from 25 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 and may be extended as necessary.

For more information, please visit the website(Japanese).　https://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chousa/shotou/173/siryo/mext_00026.html