John R. Yamamoto-Wilson wrote:
> Hi. Can anyone bring me up to speed on this subject? Basically I need to 
> know as much as possible about the following:
> 
> 1. What reforms does the new prime minister have in mind for primary 
> schools?
> 
> 2. Apparently, he has praised the UK's educational system. In what ways, 
> exactly, does he consider it superior to the Japanese system (again, 
> particularly with reference to primary education)?

Relevant article from The Japan Times:
Schools finding it hard to keep up with reforms (Oct 22)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20061022a4.html

Excerpt:

Asked whether they believe education reform is "happening too quickly 
and hard to keep up with," 30 percent said they "strongly agree" and 55 
percent said "agree." Only 15 percent said they either "disagree" or 
"totally disagree."

An overwhelming 79 percent agreed that "education reform does not 
reflect actual problems faced by schools."