Hiroshima Prefecture is set to open an International Baccalaureate boarding school next spring — a rare move by a local government that officials hope will help schools shift away from Japan's typically passive style of education.

The prefectural government, with a goal of nurturing future global leaders, is launching Hiroshima Global Academy (HiGA), where it will offer IB programs for junior and senior high school students with a particular focus on English-language education. And unlike many IB programs, tuition will be free for most pupils.

Rie Hirakawa, superintendent of the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education, said opening the school is part of the prefecture's efforts to break away from the country's conventional teaching methods.