As the Free-Semester Program(FSP) has expanded to every middle school since 2016, It is
needed to examine what ‘freedom’ in FSP exactly means and how we appreciate educational
meanings of this. The purpose of this paper is to explore meanings of freedom in FSP and
educational directions it suggests. According to the concept of FSP and 『A Comprehensive
Manual for Operating Free-Semester Program』, freedom in FSP has two aspects: (1) the
freedom in curriculum and (2) the freedom as educational directions. The freedom as educational
directions has a negative freedom which means releasing students from the burden of
examinations and a positive ones which are to pursue students' happiness, to foster each
individual’s dreams and talents, and to cultivate future-oriented competencies. This paper attempts
to analyze logical grounds in FSP and validity of positive freedoms focusing on the freedom as
educational directions. In light of education for the good life as an educational aim J. White
argues, three positive freedoms should be reinforced the following three points. First, as for ‘to
pursue students happiness’, pleasures in schools represented as happiness in FSP should be
educational ones which occur by engaging and immersing in worthwhile activities. Second, as for
‘to foster each individual’s dreams and talents,’ all preference of students is not always accepted
unconditionally but should be an ‘well-informed’ desire which can be justified by rational grounds.
Finally, to cultivate future-oriented competencies should focus on the future as well as the present
students live in, and social values as well as inner values of education.