Higher standards for teachers have come to be expected today in Japanese society. As educators, teachers should have not only a thorough understanding of the growth and development of human beings but also sufficient knowledge, ideas, background, methods and technique to teach effectively.
The Naruto University of Education was established on October 1, 1981 by the Japanese government to respond with a new approach to such social demands. The university is a new kind of University for teachers in that it is designed to retrain teachers from nation-wide schools through advanced course work and research in graduate programs as well as to produce elementary and secondary school teachers in undergraduate programs. In April of 1984, the first students were enrolled into the graduate program. The first students in the school education department entered in April of 1986.
Based on the social expectations for schools and teachers, the University established a new professional degree course as teacher education in 2008 to make investigations on teacher education and to produce the well-qualified teachers having specialised knowledge and teaching competence.
Master's program aims to produce elementary and secondary school teachers who have specialized knowledge concerning the areas and subjects and enough teaching competence. Professional degree course aims to produce elementary and secondary school teachers who have problem-solving abilities and will be leaders in their schools and societies.
The object of the undergraduate programs (College of Education) is to produce elementary and secondary school teachers who are well qualified for teaching in all areas and subjects on the basis of comprehensive understanding of children's growth and development.
