Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe would increase the role of the prime minister's office in setting key policies in education and national security if he becomes the country's leader, sources close to him said Friday.
The sources said he would appoint special advisers to the prime minister to assist in creating the policies. He is also considering establishing an education reform promotion council reporting directly to the prime minister.
Abe is also considering a national assessment of public schools, requiring periodic updating of teachers' licenses to help get rid of "problem" teachers, and setting up a voucher system to open up student options in school choices, they said.