DRAFT education ministerial guidelines concerning an approach to digital textbooks, which are set to be introduced in elementary, junior high and high schools beginning in the 2030 academic year, call for textbook formats to be primarily paper based, with digital versions to be used for supplementary and complementary purposes.

According to the draft guidelines, fully digital textbooks will not be permitted for students in fourth grade and below in elementary school, while for fifth graders and above, their use will be limited to English and practical subjects, among other purposes. The draft guidelines also call for evaluating the impact on students’ learning and health as well as making adjustments as necessary after the introduction of digital textbooks.

The ministerial guidelines are expected to be presented at an expert panel meeting of the Education, Culture, Sports Science and Technology Ministry scheduled to be held this week.

In June, amendments to the School Education Law and related legislation were enacted, establishing three formats for textbooks from the 2030 academic year: print-digital hybrid, digital only and paper only. The ministry is set to present ministerial guidelines that will provide specific details regarding the new formats of textbooks.

Digital textbooks are set to be formally introduced as textbooks beginning in the 2030 academic year. Digital materials such as video and audio will become subject to the government’s certification, and their use will be mandatory.

The draft guidelines specify that new textbooks will be hybrid across all grades and subjects, in principle. For fifth grade in elementary school and above, textbooks would be “mainly paper based,” while for fourth grade and below, they will be “mostly paper based” with digital content to be more limited. The draft guidelines call for digital elements to be incorporated in a supplementary and complementary manner.

On the other hand, digital-only textbooks will not be permitted for fourth grade and below, according to the draft guidelines.

For fifth grade and above, their use will be limited to chiefly English and practical subjects such as music and art.

The ministry’s intention to promote a paper-centered approach partly stems from the opinions of experts in developmental psychology and other members at a meeting of the panel, with one member saying, “As young children’s cognitive functions are still developing, digital versions have a significant impact on them,” and another saying, “The use of paper-based [textbooks] is effective for learning.”

Regarding ministerial guidelines for textbooks, a parliamentary league for print culture, which is a suprapartisan group of lawmakers chaired by former Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, has submitted a petition calling for preserving paper-based learning and examining the impacts of digital textbooks on academic performance and the health of students.

Concerning health issues such as eyesight, the draft guidelines call for continuous monitoring. Even after the introduction of digital textbooks, the correlation between the use of digital textbooks and their impact on health would be examined. The ideal formats of textbooks will be reviewed as necessary, based on empirical studies conducted in schools and other factors.

The draft guidelines also recognise the importance of handwriting and specify the need to “ensure time for writing activities during class.”

Regarding the incorporation of artificial intelligence into textbooks, the draft merely states that the matter will be considered while close attention will be given to empirical studies and other developments. Measures would be also taken to support students with disabilities.

The ministry plans to solicit public comments on the draft guidelines and finalise the ministerial guidelines by the end of the year. The ministry intends to incorporate the guidelines into the rules for textbook certification, and based on the new rules, textbook publishers will produce textbooks. The new formats of textbooks are scheduled to be introduced sequentially: in elementary schools from the 2030 academic year, in junior high schools from the 2031 academic year and in high schools from the 2032 academic year.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2026