The government's plan to make martial arts a compulsory subject at middle schools has a small snag. There are not enough physical education teachers that have the skills or experience to properly instruct students in these arts. In a bid to improve the abilities of teachers in charge of martial arts at public middle and high schools, the government plans to set up "martial arts promotion associations" comprising experts in martial arts education in each prefecture from next academic year, according to sources. The government also is considering allowing teachers to study instructional methods at private dojo or sports-science universities that offer martial arts courses. A proposal to make martial arts compulsory was included in an interim report on school teaching guidelines released on Oct. 30 by the Central Council for Education, an advisory body to Education, Science and Technology Minister Kisaburo Tokai. The panel suggested the measure could be implemented in the 2011 academic year at the earliest. However, Tokai has suggested this date could be brought forward to the 2009 academic year. Middle school students can select the martial art they wish to study, with the current school teaching guideline mentioning judo, kendo and sumo as examples of martial arts. Some schools teach naginata (pike sparring), kyudo archery and karate, but kendo and judo are the most widely taught. If martial arts are made compulsory, a number of students, mostly girls, are expected to opt for naginata or kyudo classes. The ministry deemed it necessary to create a learning environment where physical education teachers acquire expertise and knowledge of a wider range of martial arts. The ministry has allocated about 50 million yen in its budget request for next fiscal year for setting up the associations and training teachers at universities.Wouldn't this be a wonderful concept to implement in schools worldwide, with the life skills & values that martial arts teaches we would be ensured of a better, friendlier & safer world.
Yours in Karate do,
Shihan
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