Experience and Perspectives on Japanese Aid to Basic Education with Particular Reference to Facility Construction of Primary Schools <Articles>

Basic education is a priority area in Japan's foreign assistance in line with the mainstream of international aid policies in education. The International Conference on Education for All in 1990 greatly influenced educational aid. Japan has been exploring new aid modalities for basic education since the early 1990s. However, Japanese aid to basic education is still biased towards the hardware aspects of education like the construction of primary schools. The energies poured into aid to basic education in the 1990s appear less than those of around 1970, when Japan was actively involved in UNESCO's work and eagerly trying to act in international development and cooperation. The increasing volume of Japanese aid capital may have hindered its human and intellectual contribution. The Japanese Government has recently committed itself to placing priority on basic education on several international occasions. The country seems to be ready to give aid to basic education in terms of policy. Primary school construction projects have taken a lead in Japanese aid to basic education since 1990. But they have critical problems including the high cost of construction. School construction is not sufficient to increase the access to education any more than to improve the quality of education. Such an approach would be criticized as an anachronism and a waste of limited financial resources. Japan cannot be excused any more on the grounds that its aid system is different from other countries and organizations. Much more effort should be made to provide aid more effectively and efficiently in collaboration with other development partners. It is an urgent matter to change Japanese practices and to examine more appropriate approaches. In order to promote Japanese educational aid and enhance its quality, it seems important to increase the involvement of higher education institutions in Japan. Universities have potential to play a key role particularly in evaluation activities and may become generators to develop aid modalities more suitable for the current situations in developing countries