In 2002, National Center for Education Research (NCER) began with three research grant competitions--one focused on reading instruction, one on preschool curricula, and one on student learning from a cognitive science perspective. These competitions resulted in a total of 24 research grants. Since that auspicious beginning, the grant competitions…

This document comprises volume I of the national reports on the elementary/primary school curriculum in Asia and the Pacific sponsored by the National Institute for Educational Research (NIER) in Tokyo, Japan. Each nation's report is organized under the following topics: (1) general information on the geography and population, educational system,…