No.165 Policy on Club Activities at Inagi City Junior High Schools

In our city, regarding community collaboration and regional development related to junior high school club activities, we conducted surveys of students and school faculty and staff as well as investigations into the actual conditions of club activities at schools. After careful discussions, the Board of Education has formulated the "Policy on Club Activities at Inagi City Junior High Schools." We report here the background and ideas leading to this policy.

Trends and Past Responses of the National Government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Japan Sports Agency, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs formulated the "Comprehensive Guidelines on School Club Activities and New Regional Club Activities" in December 2022 to address issues such as correcting long working hours for teachers and securing more diverse and higher-quality activity opportunities for students. This notification designates the three years from Fiscal Year 2023 to Fiscal Year 2025 as the reform promotion period, and particularly indicates a phased transition of club activities on holidays to the community.

In response to this, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government formulated the "Comprehensive Guidelines on Regional Collaboration and Regional Transition of School Club Activities" and the "Promotion Plan on Regional Collaboration and Regional Transition of School Club Activities" in March of Reiwa 5 (2023), and instructed municipalities to promote initiatives based on this plan.

In our city, the "Policy on Club Activities at Inagi City Junior High Schools" was formulated in April 2017. While recognizing the certain significance of club activities, they are extracurricular activities, and concrete efforts toward reforms such as reducing the burden on teachers and establishing a sustainable management system had not been achieved.

Based on the recent notifications from the national and metropolitan governments, we recognize that supporting the healthy growth of students in club activities, reducing the burden on teachers, and establishing a sustainable system are urgent issues. However, it is completely unacceptable that the national government, which proposed the regional transition, attempted to forcibly implement the regional transition with a three-year deadline without addressing issues such as the preparation of regional clubs as recipients, cost burdens, the relationship with existing school club activities, and conditions for participation in higher-level tournaments. The National Association of Mayors expressed concerns, resulting in the withdrawal of the three-year promotion period and the change from a mandatory "regional transition" to a "regional expansion."

Basic Policy of Inagi City: Balancing the Reduction of Teachers' Burden and the Maintenance of School Club Activities

Various methods are being considered nationwide, and there seem to be extreme cases where all club activities are abolished by the end of fiscal year 2025.

In our city, we will not choose the path of immediately abolishing school-based club activities and transitioning to community club activities. Instead, we will work to reduce the burden on teachers while strengthening external instructors and others, and basically maintain school-based club activities. Additionally, depending on the number of club members and the guidance system at each school, we will establish multiple patterns such as "independent club activities, joint club activities, hub school method club activities, and community club development," and aim to build a sustainable system.

The background behind this decision is as follows.

(1) Emphasizing the significance for students

School club activities have played a significant role in the healthy development of students by building relationships beyond grade levels and learning discipline and cooperation as part of educational activities, and we fully respect this educational significance.

(2) Challenges of Regional Transition

It is difficult to secure organizations and instructors to support activities in all categories. A hasty transition carries the risk of creating students who lose opportunities to participate, and there are also challenges related to cost burdens such as monthly fees.

(3) Ensuring the definite implementation of reducing teachers' burdens

Reducing the burden on teachers is an essential issue, but advisory duties also involve elements of student guidance originating from the school, so simply outsourcing everything externally poses problems. We believe that strengthening the technical guidance system while dividing and coordinating advisory duties with teachers is the most realistic approach and will produce results quickly.

Specific Initiatives of the City

Since April 1990, the city has introduced the "External Instructor A" system, involving local human resources in club activities. From October 2022, the "External Instructor B" system was launched, utilizing funds from the corporate hometown tax donation program for individuals with skills and expertise. Moving forward, we aim to deepen collaboration with the community and build a system where the community and schools work together to support club activities.

In this policy, while valuing the educational significance of school club activities, we aim to solve problems with a dual approach that realizes the reform of teachers' working styles, which is a demand of the times. We will seek the best path for students to have more fulfilling activities, and we ask for the understanding and cooperation of all citizens.