Chapter IV Elementary School

The purpose of elementary school is to provide the fundamentals of general education provided as compulsory education, in accordance with the children's mental and physical development.

①Education in elementary school is to be provided with the aim of achieving the objectives stated in each item of Article 21 as required in order to realize the purpose provided in the preceding Article.

②In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, in order to foster the foundation of study throughout one's life, it must be kept in mind especially to acquire fundamental knowledge and skills, and nurture abilities to resolve issues by utilizing such knowledge and skills, which include the ability to think, make judgements, and express thoughts and feelings, as well as develop an attitude to engage proactively in studies.

In elementary school, in order to contribute to the achievement of objectives under the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, efforts are to be made towards the enhancement of experiential study activities for pupils, especially volunteering activities, social service experience activities, nature-based experiential activities, and other experiential activities, when providing educational guidance. In this case, sufficient considerations must be given towards the collaboration between organizations relating to social education, and other bodies and institutions concerned.

The course term for elementary school is to be 6 years.

Matters regarding the elementary school curriculum are to be prescribed by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, in compliance under the provisions of Articles 29 and 30.

①In elementary school, textbooks authorized by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, or textbooks under the authorship of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology must be used.

②If there are teaching materials which are electronic or magnetic records (meaning a record used in computerized information processing which is created in electronic form, magnetic form, or any other form that cannot be perceived by human senses) of the contents of textbooks provided in the preceding paragraph (referred to below as "textbooks" in this Article), which were recorded as provided for by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the relevant teaching materials may be used in place of the textbooks, in part of the curriculum found to be necessary in order to enhance education for pupils, as provided by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, notwithstanding the provision of that paragraph.

③In the case provided for under the preceding paragraph, when it is found necessary to reduce the level of difficulty in learning for the relevant pupils, by giving guidance using methods enabled by using the teaching materials provided in that paragraph in electronic computers, including enlarging figures and characters used in textbooks or converting them to audio, for pupils with difficulty learning using textbooks on grounds specified by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology including visual impairment and developmental disorders, the relevant teaching materials may be used in place of the textbooks, in part or all of the curriculum, as provided for by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

④Teaching materials except textbooks and teaching materials provided in paragraph (2), may be used, as long as they are beneficial and appropriate.

⑤Councils, etc. (meaning an organization provided in Article 8 of the National Government Organization Act (Act No. 120 of 1948); the same applies below), for study and deliberation on textbooks in relation to applications for authorization under paragraph (1), are to be prescribed by Cabinet Order.

①When there is a pupil whose delinquent acts are found to interfere with other pupils' studies, such as repeatedly committing one or more of the following acts, a municipal board of education may order the suspension of that pupil to its custodians:

②When a municipal board of education orders the suspension of an elementary school pupil pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, it must hear the opinions of the custodians in advance, and issue a document stating the reason and period.

③Beyond what is provided for in the preceding paragraph, the necessary matters for procedure to order suspension are to be prescribed by the board of education regulations.

④A municipal board of education is to take necessary measures for education, including supporting the learning of thepupil in relation to the suspension order during the period of the pupil's suspension.

A child under school age may not be enrolled in an elementary school.

①Elementary school must have a school principal, vice principal, teachers, yogo teachers, and administrative staff.

②Elementary schools may have a deputy principal, senior teacher, advanced skill teacher, chief teacher, diet and nutrition teacher, and other necessary staff, beyond what is provided for in the preceding paragraph.

③Notwithstanding the provision of paragraph (1), it may not be necessary to have a vice principal when staffed with a deputy principal or when there are other special circumstances, a teacher when there is a chief teacher (excluding one placed pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (20) (limited to the part pertaining to item (ii))), a yogo teacher if there is a senior teacher or chief teacher taking charge of protective care, or administrative staff if there are special circumstances.

④The school principal is to take charge of school duties, and supervise staff members.

⑤The deputy principal is to aid the school principal, and take charge of school duties under school principal's orders.

⑥The deputy principal is to represent duties in place of the school principal when the school principal is unable to perform the school principal's duties, and perform school principal's duties when the position of the school principal becomes vacant. In this case, when there are two or more deputy principals, they are to represent or perform duties in place of the school principal in the order determined in advance by the school principal.

⑦The vice principal is to aid the school principal (in elementary schools with a deputy principal, the school principal and deputy principal), organize school duties, and take charge of education forpupils as necessary.

⑧The vice principal is to represent duties in place of the school principal when the school principal (in elementary schools with a deputy principal; the school principal and deputy principal) is unable to perform the school principal's duties, and perform school principal's duties when the position of the school principal (in elementary schools with a deputy principal; the school principal and deputy principal) becomes vacant. In this case, when there are two or more vice principals, they are to represent or perform duties in place of the school principal in the order determined in advance by the school principal.

⑨The senior teacher is to aid the school principal (in elementary schools with a deputy principal, the school principal and deputy principal) and the vice principal, organize a part of school duties under their orders, and take charge of education for pupils.

⑩The advanced skill teacher is to take charge of education for pupils, and give necessary guidance and advice to staff members including teachers, for the improvement and enhancement of educational guidance.

⑪The chief teacher is to take charge of education for pupils, and, under orders, perform comprehensive coordination among teachers and other staff regarding the educational activities of the relevant elementary school.

⑫Teachers are to take charge of education forpupils.

⑬Yogo teachers are to take charge of protective care for pupils.

⑭Diet and nutrition teachers are to take charge of guidance and management of nutrition for pupils.

⑮Administrative staff is to take charge of clerical work.

⑯Assistant teachers are to assist teachers with their duties.

⑰Lecturers are to engage in duties equivalent to those of teachers or assistant teachers.

⑱Assistant yogo teachers are to assist yogo teachers with their duties.

⑲In case of special circumstances, assistant teachers or lecturers may be positioned in place of teachers, and assistant yogo teachers in place of yogo teachers, notwithstanding the provision of paragraph (1).

⑳When it is found necessary in light of the actual circumstances of the school, the following staff may be positioned, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (9) and (11):

A municipality must establish the elementary schools that are required to allow for the enrollment of the school-aged children in its jurisdictional district; provided, however, that when it is found to be educationally beneficial and appropriate, it may be substituted for the establishment of compulsory education schools.

Municipalities may establish a municipal partnership, when it is found to be appropriate, in order to process all or part of the affairs under the provisions of the preceding Article.

①A municipality may, when it finds it impossible or inappropriate to follow under the provisions of the preceding two Articles, entrust the educational affairs in full or in part related to school-aged children to other municipalities or municipal partnerships, in place of establishing elementary schools or compulsory education schools.

②In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, the term "prefectural governor" in Article 252-2-2, paragraph (2) of the Local Autonomy Act as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the Article 252-14, paragraph (3) of that Act, is to be replaced with "prefectural governor and prefectural board of education".

When the prefectural board of education finds that a town or a village cannot bear the burden under the provisions of the preceding two articles, the prefecture must give necessary assistance to that town or a village.

①Elementary schools must perform evaluations of the state of school management of the relevant elementary schools, including elementary school educational activities as provided by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and must endeavor to increase their educational standards by taking necessary measures to improve school management based on those results.

②An elementary school established by a local government must, in taking the measures referred to in the preceding paragraph, ensure that those measures conform to the workload management and health securing measures implementation plan established by the board of education of the relevant local government, as prescribed in Article 8, paragraph (1) of the Act on Special Measures concerning Salaries and Other Conditions for Education Personnel of Public Compulsory Education Schools, etc. (Act No. 77 of 1971).

Elementary schools are to deepen the understanding of relevant persons including custodians and local residents regarding the relevant elementary schools, and in order to contribute to the promotion of coordination and cooperation with those people, actively provide information relating to school management including educational activities of the relevant elementary schools.

Private elementary schools belongs to the administrative jurisdiction of the prefectural governor.