[2.25.2023]
ID:51037
School libraries are defined by the School Library Law as basic facilities indispensable for school education. Schools in Okayama City support children's developmental stages with reading and providing places where children can read with peace of mind.
The school librarians aim to cultivate the foundations of lifelong readers and lifelong learners who can continue to read and learn throughout their lives.
School Library Education (Okayama City)
In order to promote support for children's reading and learning activities, Okayama City has been promoting the assignment of school librarians.
In 2022, 126 school librarians are assigned to each school to support learning and reading activities using school libraries. Librarians guide and consult children how to read. Teachers in classes utilize school library in collaboration with librarians.
*(Reference) National public school librarian assignment rate in FY2020: 69.1% for elementary schools, 65.9% for junior high schools
Okayama City is also working to enhance its book collection as part of its efforts to improve school libraries. As of March 31, 2022, 100% of elementary schools and 97.4% of junior high schools have achieved the School Library Book Standards (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), which specify the number of books to be provided in accordance with the number of classes.
The city is making efforts to enrich and update its library collection. All public schools have introduced a database and management system for their library collections to facilitate efficient use and management. Through these efforts, the city is striving to create an important environment that supports children's rich reading activities.
1 Percentage of schools nationwide that have achieved this goal as of March 31, 2020: 71.2% in elementary schools and 61.1% in junior high schools.
2 Achievement rate of schools nationwide as of May 2020: 80.5% in elementary schools and 79.3% in junior high schools.
School libraries are expected to play a role to increase the number of children who love to read, fostering solid academic skills and a rich sense of humanity, fostering children's ability to use information through inquiry-based learning activities, and fostering the ability to think, make judgments, and express oneself.
In order to enhance these activities, it is necessary to enrich materials of libraries and foster human resources such as school librarians. Okayama City is proactively working on these issues.
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