Japan’s education ministry wants children to start learning how to spot misinformation as soon as they enter primary school.
In Japan, there has been growing concern about the effects of social media and the rapid spread of artificial intelligence, which have made false and misleading information far easier to encounter and share. Until now, elementary schools have had no dedicated subject covering these issues. Instead, children have picked up “information ethics” (guidance on using the internet responsibly) within their moral education and other lessons.
Currently, media literacy itself, including the skill of judging whether information is genuine, has no fixed place in the curriculum, so teaching has varied widely from school to school.
Time to learn media literacy
Japan’s government now wants elementary and junior high schools to devote class time to information education and media literacy, as part of the next set of national curriculum guidelines due to take effect from 2030.
The plan is set to create two new subjects. Elementary schools would gain an “information domain” for pupils in the third grade and above, while junior highs would introduce “information and technology”. The education ministry may begin phasing in versions of both from 2028.
The content will become more detailed with age. So, for example, primary school pupils would learn to recognise risks such as internet addiction, check whether information can be trusted, and follow basic rules and etiquette online. Junior high pupils would go further, developing judgement about how their own posts and messages might affect other people, alongside a broader sense of responsibility for what they share.
Subjects trimmed to make way
The ministry does not intend to add extra teaching hours overall. Instead, subjects such as Japanese language and social studies would see their annual class numbers trimmed slightly, with relevant content already taught within other subjects merging into the new ones.
References
- Information education, media literacy set to get more class time at elementary, junior high schools in Japan. Available at: https://asianews.network/information-education-media-literacy-set-to-get-more-class-time-at-elementary-junior-high-schools-in-japan/. (Accessed 14 July 2026)
