公立小に「３５人学級」導入　義務教育標準法改正案を決定

　政府は２日の閣議で、公立小学校の学級人数の上限を３５人に引き下げる義務教育標準法改正案を決定した。２０２５年度までに段階的に「３５人学級」を導入し、きめ細かな指導体制を築く。まず２１年度は小２を対象とし、それ以降は毎年１学年ずつ低学年から順に３５人学級に移行させる。
　現行の上限人数は小２～小６が４０人で、小１のみ１１年度に３５人学級へ移行済み。小学校全体で人数を引き下げるのは約４０年ぶりとなる。改正案には、少人数化が教育に与える影響や効果を研究する規定も盛り込んだ。（2021/02/02-10:51）

The Japanese government adopted a bill on Tuesday to reduce the maximum number of students per class at public elementary schools to 35 by fiscal 2025 from the current 40.
   The bill calls for reducing the class size for the second grade in fiscal 2021, which begins in April, and for a higher grade in each of the following years.
   It will be the first time in some 40 years for Japan to downsize public elementary school classes for entire grades. The class size was already reduced to 35 for the first grade in fiscal 2011.
   "We'll look after each student carefully to bring out their potentials, as the downsized classes will function collaboratively with the utilization of information and communications technology in education," education minister Koichi Hagiuda told a press conference.
   The education ministry had called for reducing the class size for public elementary and junior high schools to 30, in order to strengthen countermeasures against the novel coronavirus and promote education utilizing personal computers.