Recommendations by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's advisory panel on education reform has drawn praise from some quarters, but other experts are questioning whether the proposals will be effective in improving the quality of public education.
The Education Rebuilding Council, comprising 17 experts from business, academia and government, proposed in its report released Friday such measures as upgrading moral education as a special subject and giving schools the option of holding Saturday classes.
It said teachers at public schools should work under a performance-based salary system. Also, universities and graduate schools should accept more foreign professors and students, and some some classes should be conducted in English.