Japan may set a limit on textbook pages

Japan's Ministry^*1 of Education wants school textbooks to be shorter. On October 13, the ministry held a meeting with a group of experts^*2 who check school textbooks. The ministry asked the experts to think about a new idea. For each kind of textbook, there could be a limit on the number of pages.

For many years, textbooks in Japan have been getting longer. The books have also been getting bigger in size. The ministry says that shorter books will give teachers and children more free time.

There is another reason. Japan is making a new curriculum^*3. Under a new system, schools will be able to plan up to about 15 percent fewer class hours than the standard number. Textbooks must fit into these shorter hours. The ministry says the size of textbooks, the use of digital materials^*4, and the guides for teachers must all match the new hours.

The ministry also asked the experts to think about two other things. One is choosing more carefully what goes into textbooks. The other is changing the rules for checking textbooks.

The ministry has not said how many pages the limit will be. It expects to announce the new curriculum for elementary schools^*5 and junior high schools^*6 by the end of March 2027. The new curriculum for high schools will come in the school year that starts in April 2027.

1. *1 Ministry: a part of the national government. The Ministry of Education is in charge of schools.
2. *2 experts: people who know a lot about one subject
3. *3 curriculum: the national plan that says what schools must teach
4. *4 digital materials: learning materials that children use on a computer or tablet, not on paper
5. *5 elementary schools: schools for younger children, from about age 6 to 12
6. *6 junior high schools: schools for children from about age 12 to 15