Consideration into whether digital textbooks will be provided free just like printed textbooks is being called for by an expert panel of the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry.
The panel, in its draft interim report drawn up Monday, wants the discussions to be based on a nationwide digital textbook demonstration project to be implemented from the 2021 school year, which starts in April.
The education ministry is looking into the full-scale introduction of digital textbooks, so the panel is also considering what the new textbook screening system should entail.
The interim report is scheduled to be published in March, after which the ministry will solicit opinions from the public.
Currently, only printed textbooks are distributed free to elementary and junior high schools. Digital textbooks, which display on a terminal the same content as printed versions, have been available as teaching materials for classes since the 2019 school year.
In the draft interim report, the 2024 school year, when elementary school textbooks are next revised, is positioned as the "first opportunity" for the full-scale introduction of digital textbooks. It also noted that printed textbooks "have supported the foundation of school education" and are superior in their ease of browsing.
The panel proposed five options for the use of digital textbooks, from all digital to combined use with printed versions to leaving the choice up to local governments.
Based on the demonstration projects and their popularity, the panel asked the government to consider whether to include digital textbooks in the free textbook program.
As for making video and audio elements of digital textbooks subject to new textbook screening, the draft report said, "It is appropriate to consider this issue with an eye on the screening cycle scheduled for the 2025 to the 2028 school years."
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