Instead of being handed a stack of text books for their studies, children across Japan will from 2020 be given a tablet device designed to help them visualize science experiments and hear a native speaker’s pronunciation of a foreign language. The board of education in Saga Prefecture, southern Japan, has drawn up plans to cover 30,000 yen ($290) of the 80,000 yen purchase price of devices for students, but pupils of less well-off parents may struggle to find the money, The Japan News reported. Other local education authorities are looking into the possibility of leasing devices, at no cost to the students. While pilot programs have indicated that digital learning has many benefits, some parents concerned that the long-term implications of such extensive exposure to digital technology are not fully understood yet.
