Overview
- The National Diet approved the amendment on Wednesday to the School Education Law to make digital textbooks formal, certified textbooks eligible for free distribution to students.
- The law creates three official textbook forms—paper, fully digital, and paper-digital hybrid—and gives local boards of education the authority to choose which format schools will use.
- Digital materials and linked content such as QR-code destinations will enter the national textbook certification process, with the government targeting enforcement in April 2027, certification in 2028, and classroom rollout tied to the 2030 curriculum implementation.
- MEXT will publish grade- and subject-specific guidance within fiscal 2026 and has said it will not permit fully digital textbooks for fourth grade and below or for Japanese, social studies, and moral education while promoting accessibility features such as audio reading for students with learning difficulties.
- Supporters cite multimedia advantages for children with learning disabilities and non-native speakers, while parents, teachers, and publishers warn of practical challenges including device management, staffing, procurement costs, and possible vision and concentration effects.