Japan: Panasonic Education Foundation Receives Letter of Appreciation from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Kazuhiko Yano, Director-General, Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), handed a letter of appreciation on December 21, 2023, to Motoyuki Ono, Director of the Panasonic Education Foundation, in recognition of what it has contributed to education over many long years through aid and award activities.

The foundation was established as the Matsushita Audiovisual Education Research Foundation in December 1973. The initial idea came from a letter sent by Tatsuo Morito, the Minister of Education after the war, to Masaharu Matsushita, then President of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. In the letter Mr. Morito, who had devoted himself to transforming education, described the importance of audiovisual education. After changing its name to the Panasonic Education Foundation in 2008, in 2011 it became a public interest incorporated foundation, and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

The foundation is mainly involved in two types of activities. One is subsidies for practical research to elementary, junior high, senior high and special needs schools. Each year it accepts practical research plans to improve educational issues using ICT and decides which ones will receive subsidies. It has provided over 3,400 subsidies since it started to do so in 1975.

The other activity is the General Forum to Nurture the Heart, which began in 2005. This has been involved in holding symposiums and publishing proposals considering the nature of the spiritual heart of Japanese people, together with members active in various fields. In 2008 the foundation started to give awards to NPOs, social welfare corporations, and regional private organizations active in unique ways throughout Japan to nurture the hearts of children. Since 2019 it has continued these awards through its second term members chaired by Kiyokazu Washida (professor emeritus of Osaka University). So far it has given 140 awards.

The foundation intends to continue to support diverse people engaged in education in schools and local communities, hoping for the healthy growth of the children who will live through times that no one can predict.