Parliament approved Wednesday legislation to allow the use of digital textbooks as official teaching materials in classes.
With amendments to the school education law and other relevant laws enacted at a plenary meeting of the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of the country¡¯s legislative body, digital textbooks are no longer supplementary materials, becoming eligible for free-of-charge distribution to students at public elementary, junior high and high schools.
Under the new legal framework, local education boards will decide which type of textbooks schools under their jurisdiction should adopt ¡ª print, digital or a digital-print ¡°hybrid.¡±
The use of official digital textbooks is expected to start as early as April 2030, after they go through government inspections in fiscal 2028.
While e-textbooks have the advantage of enabling children to better understand lessons thanks to video and audio aid, some fear they may cause health problems, such as deteriorating eyesight.
In response, the education ministry plans to draw up guidelines for their use this autumn, at the earliest, people familiar with the matter said.
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