EDU-JPN:How much do parents know about the STEM Curriculum?

 Education in japan(Natalie Collor)

In a recent JustSystems Corporation survey of over 1,600 parents with elementary school children, it was reported that just under 40% of parents knew that programming will become a required subject as of 2020. Almost half the parents responded that they send their children to programming lessons in order to increase their creative power, and about 40% of parents believe skills built during programming lessons are applicable to other subjects. Building programming skills is the first step for success within the STEM Curriculum.

Around 70% of parents see the merits of the STEM Curriculum and around the same percentage feel this type of curriculum is important, but only 11% feel that they can explain the curriculum and its goals to another person.

From the results of this survey, the administers can infer that the general awareness of the STEM Curriculum among parents has spread widely, but most of these parents do not know the specific details of the curriculum and how it will affect future generations of children. In the coming months and years, more detailed information will surely reach these parents. MEXT and other educational organizations have already decided to start promoting programming educational materials aimed at elementary school students.

•  excite.ニュース「「STEM教育」重視の母親、約7割で対策済み　プログラミング教育必修化の認知は約4割」,2017/4/26. http://www.excite.co.jp/News/column_g/20170426/Economic_73582.html
• ICT教育ニュースict-enews.net「「STEM教育」を重要視する母親の7割が、すでに対策を開始」,2017/4/12.http://ict-enews.net/2017/04/12justsystem/