The Super Global High School (SGH) program is a groundbreaking educational policy that deserves far more attention than it has garnered since it was announced a year ago by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The project, a key part of the government's plan to reverse two decades of economic decline and growing insularity among the young, tasks 56 schools with creating a new generation of global leaders, with financial and supervisory support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
Under the program, which starts this year, high school students will be expected to hone their communication and problem-solving skills as they tackle global humanitarian issues in concert with Japan-based universities and international organizations, industry and nonprofit groups.
Hiromi Kawamura, deputy director of the International Education Division of MEXT's Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau, says the program is about developing "unique Japanese global human resources."