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MEXT Survey Results: Are Students on Track to Meet National 2027 Targets?

公開： 2026年6月24日
Mext English Survey 2025 Results Feature En
MEXT's FY2025 survey shows Japan’s public schools are not on pace to reach 2027 English targets, but national figures don’t tell the whole story: general and international programs are already past the line.
目次
MEXT Annual Survey
Numbers Fall Short
Averages Don’t Tell the Whole Story

日本語版はこちら.

MEXT Annual Survey

Since 2013, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has conducted an annual survey on the state of English education in public middle and high schools in the country. The latest 2025 survey results were made available on June 18th.

While some figures appear to fall short of the pace required to meet 2027 targets, some programs actually cross the finish line for the first time.

English proficiency is benchmarked against the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR), a six-level scale that the government maps onto Eiken grades.

CEFR          SummaryEIKEN
C2Near-native fluency, with the ability to understand virtually everything heard or read.—
C1Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes.Grade 1
B2Can interact fluently, understand complex texts, and communicate effectively in academic or professional contexts.Grade Pre-1
B1Can handle everyday situations, express opinions, and understand the main points of clear speech.Grade 2
A2Can communicate in simple, routine tasks and understand frequently used phrases.Grade Pre-2
A1Can understand and use very basic expressions and introduce themselves.Grade 3

In 2013, MEXT’s target was 50% of students reaching CEFR A1 by the end of middle school and A2 by the end of high school. In June 2023, the government raised both to 60%, added a 30% B1 goal for high schoolers, and set a 2027 deadline.

Schools determine whether a student has met the CEFR level in one of two ways: the student holds a qualification like an equivalent EIKEN grade, or their teacher judges them to be at that level based on in-school performance tests, partial-skill test scores, and similar evidence.

Numbers Fall Short

According to the survey, as of February 2026, 54.6% of third-year middle schoolers reached at least A1, short of the 60% target. Still, middle schoolers are nearly on pace; at their current rate they would reach about 59% by 2027, just shy of the goal.

Middle School Students, CEFR A1 Level or Above

At the high-school level, 52.4% of third-year students reached at least A2, short of the 60% target. Only 23.9% reached the higher B1 level, short of the 30% target. Both also fall short of the pace required to meet their targets by 2027.

High School Students, CEFR A2 Level or Above and CEFR B1 Level or Above

Averages Don’t Tell the Whole Story

While the figures suggest that Japan’s public school students are broadly behind, the picture changes once you break down the results by program.

Mext English Survey High School Students English Proficiency Department General

High School Students, English Proficiency by Department, General Course
CEFR A2 Level or Above and CEFR B1 Level or Above

This year, for the first time, high school students in general programs actually cleared both targets, with 65.8% at A2 and 30.6% at B1.

Mext English Survey High School Students English Proficiency Department International

High School Students, English Proficiency by Department, Departments Specializing in English Education or Related to International Relations
CEFR A2 Level or Above and CEFR B1 Level or Above

The news is even better for high school students in English and international-relations departments. Around 94% of these students reached A2, compared to 52.4% nationally, and 71.8% of these students reached B1, compared to 23.9% nationally.

Mext English Survey High School Students English Proficiency Department Specialized Integrated

High School Students English Proficiency by Department, Other Specialized and Integrated Courses
CEFR A2 Level or Above and CEFR B1 Level or Above

The gap between figures from these groups and the national figures comes from specialized (including vocational schools) and integrated programs, where English simply isn’t the focus. Just 22.5% of these students reached A2 and 7.4% reached B1.

This is why the national figures say less about Japanese students as a whole and more about the programs they are in. Of course, the gap here remains an area to address for policymakers and administrators.

Overall, while the results show steady progress each year, it is worth remembering that A2 is a low bar, still far from being able to have comfortable conversations in English. Perhaps expectations are still far too low, and standards can and should be raised much further.

Vision 2035, Pillar 1: Raise the Bar

Japan ranks 92nd in global English proficiency. Pillar 1 of Vision 2035 argues that real change starts with raising expectations and treating English as a core skill.

For families, it’s clear that the kind of program a child is enrolled in can make a huge difference.

Almost-International Schools, Part 1: Why Salesian International Primary School’s International Class Is Growing in Popularity

The International Class at Salesian International Primary School is rapidly gaining popularity. For the 2026 admissions cycle, applications reached 400, up 253 from the previous year. This shows that families seeking an English-learning environment are expanding their search beyond international schools to the international classes of private elementary schools.

この記事の記者

ジェレマイヤ・イェ

ジェレマイヤ・イェ

ジェレマイヤ・イェ

ジェレマイヤ・イェは、帰国子女アカデミーにおいて、国際教育・バイリンガル教育向けの教材および教員研修プログラムの開発を率いています。カリフォルニア大学サンディエゴ校で言語学を専攻し、第二言語習得を中心に学びました。生徒と教育者の双方に向けた教材・リソースの開発を通じて、日本の教育の質の向上を目指しています。