The importance of making right knowledge about radiation popular. Activity of 'radiation education forum'

Radiation and radionuclides are not only indispensable in medical diagnoses and treatments, but are widely used in fundamental researches in various fields and in industry, thus contribute much to humans for elevating the quality of life. Nuclear power production is also playing an important role in saving the nonrenewable natural energy resources, without producing potentially problematic carbon dioxide. However, a majority of people has an excessive concern for radiation and radioactivity even for very minute quantities. This is due to the following three facts: (1) the first use of nuclear energy as the disastrous weapon in 1945 has resulted a profound after-effect in socio-psychological sense especially in Japan, (2) the major accidents of nuclear power plants which occurred in 1980's have been repeatedly reported in mass media with undue sensationalism, and (3) the proposition, that every ray of ionizing radiation may destroy DNA of human cells and is harmful by bringing carcinogenic or hereditary effects, has fixed as a suspicion-free common sense for general public. This proposition has its basis on the recommendation by ICRP of adopting the LNT (linear non-threshold), model even for low dose of radiations comparative with the natural radiation level. Thus the majority of people shows the syndrome of radio phobia'. Because there are so many risks other than radiation in the present day civilization, the extremely severe regulation only of radiation has many social demerits, and it is highly necessary that this situation be improved, by making the correct scientific information popular to the public. As an approach to this goal, a voluntary group, 'Radiation Education Forum', comprised of scientists, schoolteachers, journalists and citizens, has been established in 1994 in Japan, and has continued various types of activities. Because the social education has its basis on the school education, we have focussed our energy mainly for improving the education circumstances of radiation and the nuclear related matters in schools. The followings are what we have done up to present: (1) We have studies the present educational systems at schools in Japan, related with radiation and nuclear related matters, including the scrutiny of the description of textbooks used in high schools. Since we have found several problems to be amended, we presented a document for asking the improvement of the present curricula of high schools to Japanese Government (Monbusho). (2) We organized study groups for summarizing the recent information of a few important topics into a standard text and preparing teaching materials. The topics which are being studied are experimental methodology, how to understand and teach the effect of low-level radiation, risk education, ect. (3) We have held several meetings and symposia for reporting the educational experience, presenting some new educational methodology, and discussing how to improve the curricula concerning radiation. (4) We have published 'newsletter' 2 or 3 times per year and a journal, 'Radiation Education' once per year (totally 14 numbers and 2 volumes, respectively, as of August 1999 since 1984). (all in Japanese). (5) We have organized 'International Symposium on Radiation Education' (ISRE 98) on Dec. 11-14 in Hayama, Japan. In this presentation, we will report the following topics: (1) Some general educational problems in Japan in the curricula treating radiation and nuclear related matters; some typical errors and general tendencies found in the textbooks currently used in high schools; and what we have asked to Japanese Government for the improvement of the present status. (2) Results of international comparison of the present statuses among various countries concerning radiation education, which have been revealed in ISRE 98, (3) Our future plans both in domestic and international approaches. (author)