Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the 17th meeting of the Education Rebuilding Implementation Council at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, discussion took place on the future of the education system.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

"So far, the Council exchanged views with external experts and visited schools in considering the future of the education system. From today, I would like the Council to carry out a more extensive discussion according to the specific issues.
Of these issues, today the Council will discuss the system of compulsory education, its duration, and the period of tuition-free education.   
Amid the advancement of the declining birthrate, aging population, and globalization, it is incumbent on us to raise the capabilities of each and every person, more than ever before.
Furthermore, it has been pointed out that children today are developing at a faster pace than they did when the basic model of the current education system was introduced.
Bearing this in mind as well, I would like the Council to discuss how compulsory education should be implemented in the future in order to maximize the potential that children have, and on this basis, discuss what the ideal durations are for compulsory education and tuition-free education.
As this theme that we are discussing concerns a system that has taken hold over many years, I believe we need to proceed carefully with the discussion, including on the subject of the timeframe for carrying out the reforms. However, at the same time, I consider it to be the role of the Education Rebuilding Implementation Council to present a broad vision for changing the current situation, if changes are necessary for the future of education in Japan.
I would like to ask that the members of the Council continue to offer us your frank insights."