Sustainability

Less than 20% Awareness of STEAM Education Penetration in Local Communities ~From the Post-Survey of the “School for a Compassionate Future” Held in FY2024~

January 24, 2025

Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President, and CEO: Shinji Shimomura; hereinafter “SHI”) conducted a survey (hereinafter “Survey”) on the awareness of parents of elementary, junior high and high school students in the Tokyo metropolitan area regarding the penetration of STEAM education(*1).
The Survey was conducted on 1,000 people living in the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama Prefectures), as well as Ehime Prefecture, where the workshops were held in order to understand the current state of penetration of SHI’s corporate activities and image after holding the “School for a Compassionate Future” workshops, which SHI is conducting with the aim of promoting STEAM education in local communities.

■12-15% penetration rate; current state is that STEAM education is not considered to be sufficiently penetrated

Of these, a total of 146 parentsanswered regarding the penetration of STEAM education.
When asked how much STEAM education for their own children had penetrated in their area, 12.2% of parents in the Tokyo metropolitan area answered “I think it has really penetrated” or “I think it has penetrated somewhat,” while the corresponding figure for Ehime Prefecture was 15.3%, showing that STEAM education has not yet penetrated sufficiently in either area.


■SHI’s “School for a Compassionate Future” initiative
As science and technology advance, programming classes are becoming compulsory in elementary and junior high schools in Japan, and there is a growing need for people to be able to think for themselves about the future.
However, the Survey also revealed that opportunities to develop thinking skills, centered around STEAM education, and the penetration of such education, are still not sufficient when viewed from a societal perspective(*2).
SHI sees this as one of the social issues that it needs to address, and has therefore been holding the “School for a Compassionate Future” STEAM education workshop since 2023 in order to increase opportunities for children to experience STEAM education. The “School for a Compassionate Future” is a unique program run by a company with specialized knowledge where children can learn how to think about others and create the future through fun hands-on activities.
The second “School for a Compassionate Future” was held in Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture, on Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22, 2024, with approximately 80 elementary school students participating over the two days.
As STEAM education is also being promoted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(*3), SHI will continue to work to let STEAM education further penetrate and improve educational opportunities through the “School for a Compassionate Future,” striving to operate the program in a way that is well received by as many people as possible.

Children who participated in the “School for a Compassionate Future” held in September 2024

■Reactions of parents who participated in the “School for a Compassionate Future”
SHI received responses to its questionnaire from 49 parents of elementary school students who attended the workshop. The results were as follows.
• When asked “Do you feel that this event was a memorable experience?,” 98% of parents responded “I think it was memorable.”
• When asked “How satisfied were you with this event?,” 92% of parents responded “I’m satisfied.”
• When asked “Did this event provide a chance for communication within your family?,” 100% of parents responded “Yes.”
• When asked “Would you like to participate in an event like this again?”, 100% of parents responded “Yes.”

In general, the responses from the parental questionnaire were positive, and it can be seen that these workshops are a meaningful initiative for children and the local community.

Opinions and impressions from the parental questionnaire (excerpts)
•I think it was good that the event was run with the stance of leaving things to the children's own initiative.
•I think the children were able to imagine that they can build a bright future by combining social issues (problems), their own ideas, and technology.
•I think the children thought about what they would like to have in the future using their own ideas and free thinking.
•The children were really enjoying themselves. The parents watching also enjoyed it.
•It was a chance for them to think about compassion towards people other than themselves and their family.

The results of the Survey also revealed that the “School for a Compassionate Future” was the most popular of SHI’s public relations measures.


■Overview of “Questions about corporate image” from the Survey
•Survey period: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 - Thursday, November 7, 2024
•Survey organization: Dentsu Macromill Insight Inc.
•Survey respondents: 1,000 men and women aged 18 to 69 (including 146 parents of elementary, junior high, and high school students who responded about the penetration of STEAM education)
•Survey method: Internet survey
•Survey areas: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, and Ehime Prefectures in Japan

■Related links
•“School for a Compassionate Future” special site (Japanese Only): https://mirai-gakko.shi.co.jp/
•Diamond Online (Japanese Only): “The Next Generation Will Be Opened Up by ‘Scientific Thinking and Creativity’! The Contents of STEAM Education “School for a Compassionate Future” that Renowned Manufacturing Company Sumitomo Heavy Industries is Seriously Taking on” https://diamond.jp/articles/-/351707
•Sumitomo Group Public Affairs Committee website: “Sumitomo and Co-Creation: Articulating a Vision - Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. ‘School for a Compassionate Future’: Nurturing people and building the future”
https://www.sumitomo.gr.jp/english/act/vision/shi/

(*1)
An educational philosophy that combines science and math education—which covers the five areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and liberal arts, and mathematics—with creativity education. (Adapted from STEAM JAPAN, “What is STEAM education?” (https://steam-japan.com/about/))
(*2)
In STEAM education, and particularly in programming education, it has become clear in numerous surveys other than the Survey that there is a shortage of specialist personnel (ICT support staff) in elementary schools and that many parents feel that programming education in schools is inadequate.
•Shortage of specialist personnel: According to information released by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2019, one of the main issues involved in implementing programming education in elementary schools is the shortage of specialist personnel (ICT support staff). (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, “Status of Initiatives by Boards of Education, etc. Regarding Programming Education in Elementary Schools” (https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/zyouhou/detail/1406307.htm))
•Many parents feel that programming education at school is inadequate: Among parents who send their children to robot classes, 74% feel that programming education at school is inadequate. (Human Academy Children's Education Research Institute, “Survey of Attitudes towards STEAM Education (Based on Interviews with Over 1,100 Parents)” (https://kids.athuman.com/cecoe/articles/000210/))
(*3)
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, “Promotion of STEAM Education and Other Cross-Curricular Learning”
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/new-cs/mext_01592.html