While nearly 80 percent of parents are in favor of education ministry plans to make English compulsory for primary school students, nearly 60 percent of teachers are opposed, according to two related surveys by a major education services company.
In April last year, a panel on foreign-language education under the Central Council for Education, an advisory body to the education, science and technology minister, proposed making English compulsory starting from fifth-year students. Following the move, Benesse Corp.
conducted two surveys between July and October: one on about 4,700 parents of students at 31 public primary schools nationwide; and the other on about 3,500 public primary school teachers.
The survey of parents showed that a large majority of respondents were in favor of the change--35.2 percent said they strongly agreed with the proposal and 41.2 percent tended to agree. Just 14 percent disagreed or tended to disagree.
Asked about the timing for starting classes, parents' responses suggested they thought the sooner, the better. The first year of primary school was the grade chosen by 47.8 percent of the respondents, followed by the third year, chosen by 13.5 percent.
The survey of teachers, meanwhile, showed that only 8.7 percent of them in clear agreement with the proposal to make English compulsory at the primary school level, with 28.1 percent agreeing on balance. Of responding teachers, 56.9 percent of them disagreed or leaned toward disagreement with the proposal.
The survey also asked teachers who worked at schools that already offered some form of English lessons--for example, as part of general studies classes--to point out issues their schools were facing in conducting such lessons.
In multiple-choice answers, 40.6 percent indicated that problems were apparent in "the English abilities of the teachers who taught it." "Lack of time for preparation and development of the necessary teaching materials" was chosen by 38.2 percent, while 32.9 percent pointed out that "no curriculum had been developed for teaching" English at primary school.
The survey asked senior teachers who supervised the overall education of their respective schools to answer the questions. When asked if their colleagues in charge of English education seemed burdened by the assignment of teaching English, 54.8 percent of respondents said they found their colleagues did feel some kind of burden.
Their answers suggest that primary school teachers feel they lack the resources needed to teach the language. At Japanese primary schools, homeroom teachers usually teach their assigned classes most of the subjects they study. Therefore, should English be made compulsory, it is likely that homeroom teachers will be expected to teach English in addition to such subjects as Japanese and mathematics because there is an insufficient number of native-speaking assistants employed.
Kensaku Yoshida, a professor of applied linguistics at Sophia University who was among the experts involved in the surveys, pointed out that primary school teachers were generally not confident about teaching English to students.
"Primary school teachers feel anxious that they will face a larger burden should English be made compulsory without the implementation of measures to support them," said the professor, who also serves as a member of the panel on foreign-language education under the Central Council for Education. "It's crucial for the ministry and local boards of education to secure enough training time for the teachers and offer them instruction on various themes, including how to use teaching materials."
Regarding such materials, a ministry official pointed to the need to consider a range of materials.
"Taking into account the pronunciation skills of primary school teachers, the development of audio materials using CDs and videos should also be under consideration," the official said.
(May. 31, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20070531TDY14002.htm
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Chinese students to visit Japan on exchange program
Two hundred high school students from China will pay a nine-day visit to Japan from Wednesday as part of the government's initiative to broaden exchanges among youths in East Asia Summit member nations.
"We hope that this program will deepen mutual understanding among the youths and contribute to a sense of solidarity in the region and promote good sentiment toward Japan," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.
The initiative, known as the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths Program, was proposed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when he met leaders at the second East Asia Summit in January in the Philippines.
Abe said Japan will invite about 6,000 youths annually for the next five years.
The students will visit various parts of Japan, including Osaka, Hiroshima and Okinawa, attend a seminar on Sino-Japanese ties, experience home-stays and sit in on classes at high schools before leaving June 7, the Foreign Ministry said.
Japan hopes to invite youths from South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said Shiozaki, the government's top spokesman.
ASEAN's members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070530f3.html
"We hope that this program will deepen mutual understanding among the youths and contribute to a sense of solidarity in the region and promote good sentiment toward Japan," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.
The initiative, known as the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths Program, was proposed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when he met leaders at the second East Asia Summit in January in the Philippines.
Abe said Japan will invite about 6,000 youths annually for the next five years.
The students will visit various parts of Japan, including Osaka, Hiroshima and Okinawa, attend a seminar on Sino-Japanese ties, experience home-stays and sit in on classes at high schools before leaving June 7, the Foreign Ministry said.
Japan hopes to invite youths from South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said Shiozaki, the government's top spokesman.
ASEAN's members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070530f3.html
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Graduates' prospects better
The unemployment rate in April indicates a continued steady improvement in the employment environment as part of the longest period of economic expansion since World War II.
The large decrease in the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds also suggests employment prospects for new graduates have improved markedly since the so-called ice age in graduate recruitment.
The overall unemployment rate, which had remained steady at 4 percent for five consecutive months, fell in April--the start of the new business year--due mainly to aggressive recruitment of new graduates.
Large-scale retirement of baby boomers turning 60 years old also began this year, which has prompted companies to seek fresh workers.
The fall in the number of unemployed young people, including the number of graduates who fail to secure employment with their preferred companies and keep searching, was particularly pronounced in this period.
However, the current improvement is unlikely to have a strong influence on the macroeconomy.
According to the labor ministry's monthly labor statistics survey, the average wage per worker had, for the four consecutive months until March, fallen compared with a year earlier. The economy's future prospects will therefore largely depend on whether the fall in the unemployment rate leads to higher wages.
(May. 30, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/20070530TDY01004.htm
The large decrease in the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds also suggests employment prospects for new graduates have improved markedly since the so-called ice age in graduate recruitment.
The overall unemployment rate, which had remained steady at 4 percent for five consecutive months, fell in April--the start of the new business year--due mainly to aggressive recruitment of new graduates.
Large-scale retirement of baby boomers turning 60 years old also began this year, which has prompted companies to seek fresh workers.
The fall in the number of unemployed young people, including the number of graduates who fail to secure employment with their preferred companies and keep searching, was particularly pronounced in this period.
However, the current improvement is unlikely to have a strong influence on the macroeconomy.
According to the labor ministry's monthly labor statistics survey, the average wage per worker had, for the four consecutive months until March, fallen compared with a year earlier. The economy's future prospects will therefore largely depend on whether the fall in the unemployment rate leads to higher wages.
(May. 30, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/20070530TDY01004.htm
Monday, May 28, 2007
Competitive university funding dangerous
Operating subsidies provided by the central government to national universities are the key source of funding to run the schools. The subsidies pay personnel costs for the teachers and other staff, utilities and maintenance expenses for facilities, and expenses related to research labs.
The Finance Ministry and expert government panels, including the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, are increasingly demanding the current subsidy allocation formula based on the size and capacity of a school be changed to a result-based one, based on evaluation of each university's commitment to research and educational activities.
Such an idea is questionable. Is it necessary to introduce competitive principles primarily designed for fiscal discipline into the allocation of state subsidies to universities?
Many officials at national universities should have been shocked by the estimates unveiled recently by the Finance Ministry.
If the operating subsidies were reallocated in line with subsidies allocated for key scientific research projects on the basis of research activities and actual results, 74 out of 87 national universities would see their subsidies reduced.
Hardest-hit would be Hyogo University of Teacher Education, which would see its subsidies cut by 90.5 percent. According to the estimates, nine of the hardest-hit universities would be those specializing in teacher training.
Meanwhile, most national universities in regional areas would see their subsidies cut. Only 13 schools would come out on the winning side, including former imperial universities such as Tokyo University and Kyoto University, which would see their subsidies doubled.
===
Inefficiency worrisome
The possible deterioration in the management of universities specializing in teacher training and those in regional areas, which are supposed to serve as regional intellectual centers, is cause for concern.
Due to the declining birthrate, national universities have also been hit by a wave of reorganization and integration. While it is understandable for national universities to reorganize or integrate themselves to maintain and improve their educational standards, the economic rationalization of state universities may lower the quality of institutions for higher education as a whole.
Branches of learning, particularly the liberal arts and humanities, and pure sciences, the benefits of whose research are less obvious, will decline in the long run. In the future there will be little room for researchers to throw themselves into such embryonic research as that leading to a Nobel prize. What constitutes "results" and who would assess them and how are all unclear.
The introduction of competitive principles in the allocation of state subsidies to national universities is being championed by private-sector members of the council, with Finance Ministry officials and other related offices following suit.
===
Taking sides
The Education, Science and Technology Ministry, worried about further reduction in state subsidies to universities, has sided with the universities which are intensifying their opposition to the result-based subsidies allocation plan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked the Education Rebuilding Council, which is under his direct control, to summarize the results of relevant discussions.
In proportion to the gross domestic product, government fiscal assistance to institutions of higher education in Japan remains only half the average of industrially advanced nations.
In light of its tight fiscal situation, the government deems it difficult to increase outlays for higher education. Yet we hope the education council can come up with proposals to beef up the nation's universities.
Regional state universities also must make further reform efforts. It is essential for these universities to offer educational programs distinctive enough to attract students even from other prefectures, while developing their strengths in specific areas of study.
They must also emphasize their significance in terms of their contribution to regional economies and the development of human resources for local governments and other key entities.
These functions make it all the more necessary to ensure stability in operational subsidies for national universities. It is dangerous to hastily call for putting such funding on a result-oriented, competitive footing.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 28, 2007)
(May. 28, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20070528TDY04008.htm
The Finance Ministry and expert government panels, including the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, are increasingly demanding the current subsidy allocation formula based on the size and capacity of a school be changed to a result-based one, based on evaluation of each university's commitment to research and educational activities.
Such an idea is questionable. Is it necessary to introduce competitive principles primarily designed for fiscal discipline into the allocation of state subsidies to universities?
Many officials at national universities should have been shocked by the estimates unveiled recently by the Finance Ministry.
If the operating subsidies were reallocated in line with subsidies allocated for key scientific research projects on the basis of research activities and actual results, 74 out of 87 national universities would see their subsidies reduced.
Hardest-hit would be Hyogo University of Teacher Education, which would see its subsidies cut by 90.5 percent. According to the estimates, nine of the hardest-hit universities would be those specializing in teacher training.
Meanwhile, most national universities in regional areas would see their subsidies cut. Only 13 schools would come out on the winning side, including former imperial universities such as Tokyo University and Kyoto University, which would see their subsidies doubled.
===
Inefficiency worrisome
The possible deterioration in the management of universities specializing in teacher training and those in regional areas, which are supposed to serve as regional intellectual centers, is cause for concern.
Due to the declining birthrate, national universities have also been hit by a wave of reorganization and integration. While it is understandable for national universities to reorganize or integrate themselves to maintain and improve their educational standards, the economic rationalization of state universities may lower the quality of institutions for higher education as a whole.
Branches of learning, particularly the liberal arts and humanities, and pure sciences, the benefits of whose research are less obvious, will decline in the long run. In the future there will be little room for researchers to throw themselves into such embryonic research as that leading to a Nobel prize. What constitutes "results" and who would assess them and how are all unclear.
The introduction of competitive principles in the allocation of state subsidies to national universities is being championed by private-sector members of the council, with Finance Ministry officials and other related offices following suit.
===
Taking sides
The Education, Science and Technology Ministry, worried about further reduction in state subsidies to universities, has sided with the universities which are intensifying their opposition to the result-based subsidies allocation plan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked the Education Rebuilding Council, which is under his direct control, to summarize the results of relevant discussions.
In proportion to the gross domestic product, government fiscal assistance to institutions of higher education in Japan remains only half the average of industrially advanced nations.
In light of its tight fiscal situation, the government deems it difficult to increase outlays for higher education. Yet we hope the education council can come up with proposals to beef up the nation's universities.
Regional state universities also must make further reform efforts. It is essential for these universities to offer educational programs distinctive enough to attract students even from other prefectures, while developing their strengths in specific areas of study.
They must also emphasize their significance in terms of their contribution to regional economies and the development of human resources for local governments and other key entities.
These functions make it all the more necessary to ensure stability in operational subsidies for national universities. It is dangerous to hastily call for putting such funding on a result-oriented, competitive footing.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 28, 2007)
(May. 28, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20070528TDY04008.htm
Universities making PR push / Competition for students prompts schools to be more image-savvy
Universities are turning to more aggressive public relations campaigns to recruit students as the declining birthrate pushes the number of university applicants to equal the number of available enrollment berths.
The methods of getting the word out include nationwide television commercials, new mascots and image enhancement campaigns commissioned by advertising agencies.
Senshu University in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, launched a nationwide TV advertising campaign from April. In the ad, library bookshelves are shown along with captions that allude to books as if they were boyfriends. "I fell in love and became fascinated with him. But I've encountered another book by fate," one caption reads. Senshu has four other variations on this theme, including one that takes place in a classroom.
According to the university, several other universities air commercials in limited areas, but the nationally broadcast commercial is a first for a university.
The commercial, with its quiet and calming images, also is trying to change the university's masculine reputation. The university's public relations office said, "We'd like women especially to know that our university has changed from 20 years ago." The commercial airs during evening news broadcasts, which are predominantly viewed by women.
In 2004, national universities became independent administrative corporations and given freedom in their management. The universities began experimenting with various forms of public relations to prepare for the time when applicants would equal enrollees. The moves have in turn influenced private universities.
Universities that have consultant contracts with advertising firms also are on the rise.
Ten universities, both national and private, had contracts with Hakuhodo Inc. in Minato Ward, Tokyo, as of the end of fiscal 2006. In fiscal 2004, only two universities had contracts.
Hiroyuki Takeda, Hakuhodo's university public relations head, said, "Universities that don't have well-cultivated skills in public relations are asking us for help."
Tohoku University, which has had a contract with Hakuhodo since the 2004 academic year, said it tried to publicize its excellent professors who are not well known among the public, as well as tout the potential of its scientific research.
A newspaper advertisement on one of the university's seminars carried not only content of the seminar, but also interviews with top professors with world-class achievements as well as graduate and writer Hideaki Sena and fiction writer Makiko Uchidate, who also manages the university's sumo club.
Keio University in Minato Ward, Tokyo, invited Eiichi Okubo, head of advertising at an affiliate of Shiseido Co., to become the university's public relations office chief last August to boost the institution's public relations know-how.
Meiji University in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, created a new mascot called Meijiro, and Shizuoka University is distributing to high school students mobile phone straps and pens with its own mascot, Shizuppii, whose symbol is Mt. Fuji.
Nobuaki Kamei, a representative for a comprehensive research institute of higher education, said: "Universities can't secure students unless students become interested in them. The management of universities will need to rely on public relations methods."
(May. 28, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070528TDY03003.htm
The methods of getting the word out include nationwide television commercials, new mascots and image enhancement campaigns commissioned by advertising agencies.
Senshu University in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, launched a nationwide TV advertising campaign from April. In the ad, library bookshelves are shown along with captions that allude to books as if they were boyfriends. "I fell in love and became fascinated with him. But I've encountered another book by fate," one caption reads. Senshu has four other variations on this theme, including one that takes place in a classroom.
According to the university, several other universities air commercials in limited areas, but the nationally broadcast commercial is a first for a university.
The commercial, with its quiet and calming images, also is trying to change the university's masculine reputation. The university's public relations office said, "We'd like women especially to know that our university has changed from 20 years ago." The commercial airs during evening news broadcasts, which are predominantly viewed by women.
In 2004, national universities became independent administrative corporations and given freedom in their management. The universities began experimenting with various forms of public relations to prepare for the time when applicants would equal enrollees. The moves have in turn influenced private universities.
Universities that have consultant contracts with advertising firms also are on the rise.
Ten universities, both national and private, had contracts with Hakuhodo Inc. in Minato Ward, Tokyo, as of the end of fiscal 2006. In fiscal 2004, only two universities had contracts.
Hiroyuki Takeda, Hakuhodo's university public relations head, said, "Universities that don't have well-cultivated skills in public relations are asking us for help."
Tohoku University, which has had a contract with Hakuhodo since the 2004 academic year, said it tried to publicize its excellent professors who are not well known among the public, as well as tout the potential of its scientific research.
A newspaper advertisement on one of the university's seminars carried not only content of the seminar, but also interviews with top professors with world-class achievements as well as graduate and writer Hideaki Sena and fiction writer Makiko Uchidate, who also manages the university's sumo club.
Keio University in Minato Ward, Tokyo, invited Eiichi Okubo, head of advertising at an affiliate of Shiseido Co., to become the university's public relations office chief last August to boost the institution's public relations know-how.
Meiji University in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, created a new mascot called Meijiro, and Shizuoka University is distributing to high school students mobile phone straps and pens with its own mascot, Shizuppii, whose symbol is Mt. Fuji.
Nobuaki Kamei, a representative for a comprehensive research institute of higher education, said: "Universities can't secure students unless students become interested in them. The management of universities will need to rely on public relations methods."
(May. 28, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070528TDY03003.htm
Patissiers' glamorous image growing
The number of people becoming patissiers is growing as media coverage and the growing number of international awards gives the profession a glamorous image.
The patissier boom began about 10 years ago.
"Since the latter half of the 1990s, the French word 'patissier' has been used for Western-style confectioners and they have made a fashionable impression," said an official at the Federation of Japan Confectionery Associations.
The interest in patissiers has expanded as the number of young confectioners returning from Europe with awards from international competitions has grown and the media has started applying the moniker "charismatic patissier" to some of them.
"Women's magazines have taken up the subject of patissiers and this has largely contributed to their popularity," the federation official said.
The interest in the people behind the pastries is paying off in other ways.
"We can now attract customers with the names of patissier." said an official at Namco Ltd., which has cake theme parks.
Many young people dream about becoming a patissier.
The number of applications for Ecole de Patisserie de Tokio, which has been open in Tokyo for 53 years, has exceeded the 200 open spots annually in recent years.
"The number of people wishing to enter here sharply increased in 2001 when a TV drama set in a cake shop was broadcast," a school official said.
The number of high schools offering patisserie courses is also on the rise. Kagoshima Josai High School in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture, started a patisserie course in April because of strong student demand. There were 148 applicants for 40 spots.
Toyohito Yanagimura, who teaches the course at Kagoshima Josai, said it is important to learn confectionery techniques early in life.
"In Europe, the birthplace of confectionery making, people start to study it when they are young. Studying new techniques and acquiring experience early on is important," Yanagimura said. "Young people can also nurture their sensitivity," which he deems necessary to becoming a good patissier.
While people think of the confectionery industry as glamorous, the work is hard. It typically takes four to five years to become a full patissier and the work is physically demanding.
Patissiers stand all day and their creations do not last long.
"Confectionery are perishable and cannot be kept for long," said one patissier. "There is also a limit to mechanization. It's not unusual to have to work past midnight."
"There are many people who join the industry, but there are also many who quit the industry," an industry source said.
Despite the drawbacks, the profession remains a popular career.
"In addition to the flamboyance of the industry, cake-making is a job for self-expression. The yearning among young people is strong, and the boom is expected to continue for a while," said an official in charge of entrance exams at a vocational school for confectioners.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070526f2.html
The patissier boom began about 10 years ago.
"Since the latter half of the 1990s, the French word 'patissier' has been used for Western-style confectioners and they have made a fashionable impression," said an official at the Federation of Japan Confectionery Associations.
The interest in patissiers has expanded as the number of young confectioners returning from Europe with awards from international competitions has grown and the media has started applying the moniker "charismatic patissier" to some of them.
"Women's magazines have taken up the subject of patissiers and this has largely contributed to their popularity," the federation official said.
The interest in the people behind the pastries is paying off in other ways.
"We can now attract customers with the names of patissier." said an official at Namco Ltd., which has cake theme parks.
Many young people dream about becoming a patissier.
The number of applications for Ecole de Patisserie de Tokio, which has been open in Tokyo for 53 years, has exceeded the 200 open spots annually in recent years.
"The number of people wishing to enter here sharply increased in 2001 when a TV drama set in a cake shop was broadcast," a school official said.
The number of high schools offering patisserie courses is also on the rise. Kagoshima Josai High School in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture, started a patisserie course in April because of strong student demand. There were 148 applicants for 40 spots.
Toyohito Yanagimura, who teaches the course at Kagoshima Josai, said it is important to learn confectionery techniques early in life.
"In Europe, the birthplace of confectionery making, people start to study it when they are young. Studying new techniques and acquiring experience early on is important," Yanagimura said. "Young people can also nurture their sensitivity," which he deems necessary to becoming a good patissier.
While people think of the confectionery industry as glamorous, the work is hard. It typically takes four to five years to become a full patissier and the work is physically demanding.
Patissiers stand all day and their creations do not last long.
"Confectionery are perishable and cannot be kept for long," said one patissier. "There is also a limit to mechanization. It's not unusual to have to work past midnight."
"There are many people who join the industry, but there are also many who quit the industry," an industry source said.
Despite the drawbacks, the profession remains a popular career.
"In addition to the flamboyance of the industry, cake-making is a job for self-expression. The yearning among young people is strong, and the boom is expected to continue for a while," said an official in charge of entrance exams at a vocational school for confectioners.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070526f2.html
Friday, May 25, 2007
Merit-based subsidies could mean cuts for 74 colleges
Most national universities would see their government subsidies cut if funds were distributed based on academic excellence, Finance Ministry estimates show.
According to the estimates released Monday, 74 of 87 national universities in the nation, or 85 percent of all national universities, would receive less in subsidies under a performance-based system compared to what they get under the current arrangement, which is based on the size and capacity of a school.
The ministry made the estimates in an effort to see how a merit-based system would affect the allocation of subsidies that the government offers for operational costs at national universities.
But the estimates are likely to draw criticism from universities projected to lose out, and are expected to prompt heated debate over how the subsidies should be decided, observers said.
According to financial statements for national universities covering fiscal 2005, state subsidies totaled 1.59 trillion yen, accounting for 45 percent of the operating income of the universities.
The subsidies are the largest income source for the universities, followed by operating profits of university hospitals, which in 2005 accounted for 27 percent, while tuition fees came to 15 percent.
The ministry, which has argued the subsidy allocation system needs to be drastically reviewed to improve the efficiency of state finances, included its merit-based estimates in a document submitted to a ministry council for fiscal issues. Ministry officials also believe levels of academic research and education activities at national universities would improve if a market mechanism was introduced into the subsidy allocation system.
The estimates were made based on assessments of each university's commitment to research and educational activities. To assess commitment, the ministry looked at how two types of subsidies were allocated--those for certain scientific research projects that the government judged to be useful, and those covering research and educational programs that universities came up with on their own initiative.
If subsidies were reallocated in proportion to the ratio of subsidies spent on key scientific research projects, some universities that have obtained subsidies for those research projects would receive a higher allocation under a merit-based system, while some would receive less, the estimates showed.
According to the estimates, 13 universities would receive more in subsidies, including Tokyo University, Kyoto University and Tokyo Institute of Technology. However, this would leave 74 other universities with less in subsidies.
In terms of those likely to see an increase, Tokyo University would receive more than double the amount it does now, with an estimated 112.9 percent more in subsidies. At the other end of the scale, Hyogo University of Teacher Education would receive about 10 percent of its current levels. The estimates indicated that a number of universities specializing in teacher training would face significant cuts in their subsidies.
If a reallocation estimate is based on amounts of subsidies covering universities' original research and educational programs, the number of universities that would receive a bigger allocation was estimated at just 34, or 40 percent of all state universities.
===
Education minister blasts report
Education, Science and Technology Minister Bunmei Ibuki on Tuesday criticized the Finance Ministry's estimates, saying, "If funds are used only for technological development and applied research, there will be no money for developing human resources for future generations."
Speaking at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting, Ibuki added the ministry's proposal was like "the grasshopper," an apparent reference to Aesop's fable about the grasshopper and the ants.
The minister also expressed skepticism about relying on market principles when allocating state subsidies, saying, "It's a very dangerous idea to allocate funds only with a view to making profits in the short run."
(May. 23, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070523TDY01002.htm
According to the estimates released Monday, 74 of 87 national universities in the nation, or 85 percent of all national universities, would receive less in subsidies under a performance-based system compared to what they get under the current arrangement, which is based on the size and capacity of a school.
The ministry made the estimates in an effort to see how a merit-based system would affect the allocation of subsidies that the government offers for operational costs at national universities.
But the estimates are likely to draw criticism from universities projected to lose out, and are expected to prompt heated debate over how the subsidies should be decided, observers said.
According to financial statements for national universities covering fiscal 2005, state subsidies totaled 1.59 trillion yen, accounting for 45 percent of the operating income of the universities.
The subsidies are the largest income source for the universities, followed by operating profits of university hospitals, which in 2005 accounted for 27 percent, while tuition fees came to 15 percent.
The ministry, which has argued the subsidy allocation system needs to be drastically reviewed to improve the efficiency of state finances, included its merit-based estimates in a document submitted to a ministry council for fiscal issues. Ministry officials also believe levels of academic research and education activities at national universities would improve if a market mechanism was introduced into the subsidy allocation system.
The estimates were made based on assessments of each university's commitment to research and educational activities. To assess commitment, the ministry looked at how two types of subsidies were allocated--those for certain scientific research projects that the government judged to be useful, and those covering research and educational programs that universities came up with on their own initiative.
If subsidies were reallocated in proportion to the ratio of subsidies spent on key scientific research projects, some universities that have obtained subsidies for those research projects would receive a higher allocation under a merit-based system, while some would receive less, the estimates showed.
According to the estimates, 13 universities would receive more in subsidies, including Tokyo University, Kyoto University and Tokyo Institute of Technology. However, this would leave 74 other universities with less in subsidies.
In terms of those likely to see an increase, Tokyo University would receive more than double the amount it does now, with an estimated 112.9 percent more in subsidies. At the other end of the scale, Hyogo University of Teacher Education would receive about 10 percent of its current levels. The estimates indicated that a number of universities specializing in teacher training would face significant cuts in their subsidies.
If a reallocation estimate is based on amounts of subsidies covering universities' original research and educational programs, the number of universities that would receive a bigger allocation was estimated at just 34, or 40 percent of all state universities.
===
Education minister blasts report
Education, Science and Technology Minister Bunmei Ibuki on Tuesday criticized the Finance Ministry's estimates, saying, "If funds are used only for technological development and applied research, there will be no money for developing human resources for future generations."
Speaking at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting, Ibuki added the ministry's proposal was like "the grasshopper," an apparent reference to Aesop's fable about the grasshopper and the ants.
The minister also expressed skepticism about relying on market principles when allocating state subsidies, saying, "It's a very dangerous idea to allocate funds only with a view to making profits in the short run."
(May. 23, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070523TDY01002.htm
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
20,000 in language pickle / Foreign students in need of specialized Japanese teachers
The number of foreign students in need of Japanese-language instruction in 885 municipalities exceeded 20,000 as of 2005, and the figure continues to increase, a government survey has found.
The Education, Science and Technology Ministry has produced guidebooks for language teaching, but most public primary, middle and high school teachers have little experience in teaching Japanese as a second language. Experts have pointed out the need for teachers who specialize in teaching Japanese to foreign children.
In Oizumimachi, Gunma Prefecture, about 6,800 of the town's 42,000 residents are foreigners, and about 10 percent of all students in the seven public primary and middle schools hail from overseas.
Apart from regular classes, the schools also offer Japanese classes to increase foreign students' language abilities. But the classes are taught by regular teachers who are not trained in language teaching.
An Oizumimachi Municipal Board of Education official said, "Although we've hired people who speak Portuguese or Spanish to help out [in the classroom], it would be hard to say our support for teachers is sufficient."
At Okubo Primary School in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, more than half the 180 students come from South Korea, China, the Philippines and other countries.
"Even if these students can speak Japanese in everyday situations, acquiring the fluency that enables them to study in Japanese takes more time," Principal Fumiko Nagaoka said.
According to the ministry, the number of foreign students who needed extra Japanese-language training in 1991 was 5,463, and exceeded 10,000 in 1993. As of 2005, the figure stood at 20,692, accounting for about 30 percent of all foreign students.
The largest group among the students are native Portuguese speakers, accounting for 37 percent, followed by those speaking Chinese (22 percent), and Spanish (15 percent).
This is a consequence of the 1990 revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law that allowed foreigners of Japanese descent to work in Japan, which was previously banned. The revision pushed up the number of people entering the country, mainly from South America.
However, the children of such people often stop attending school due to language difficulties, or find it hard to secure jobs after graduating from school.
The ministry has produced manuals for teachers to help them provide language lessons in conjunction with other subjects. A version of the manual was introduced for primary schools in 2003, and for middle schools in March this year.
The manual for middle school teachers says that setting riddles and playing other word games during Japanese classes can help foreign students increase their vocabulary, and that creating a dictionary of unknown words for students also can be helpful.
Only 70 of the 885 municipalities have specialized Japanese teachers. The ministry plans to expand the teacher-training system to cover Japanese-language instruction.
Prof. Ikuo Kawakami of Waseda University said: "In the United States and Australia, there's a system to foster teachers to teach English to children who can't speak the language. Japan should introduce a similar system and dispatch expert teachers to schools."
===
Foreign residents at record high
The number of foreign residents in Japan as of the end of 2006 hit a record-high of 2.08 million, increasing 3.6 percent from the previous year, according to the Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau.
The figure of 2,084,919 accounted for 1.63 percent of the nation's total population.
By nationality and place of origin, the two Koreas combined had the largest share at 28.7 percent, or 598,219. But because of the aging population and naturalization, the number of special permanent residents is decreasing after peaking in 1991.
In order of descending share after the two Koreas, China registered 26.9 percent or 560,741; Brazil, 15 percent or 312,979; and thereafter the order was the Philippines, Peru and the United States.
There were 188 different nationalities and places of origin.
By prefecture, Tokyo came top with 364,712. Thereafter, Osaka, Aichi, Kanagawa, Saitama, Hyogo, Chiba, Shizuoka, Gifu and Kyoto prefectures accounted for about 70 percent.
Gifu Prefecture increased by 7.6 percent from a year ago, and Aichi by 7.1 percent. The high rates of increase in the two Chubu region prefectures is thought to be attributable to the area's favorable economic conditions.
(May. 22, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070522TDY01002.htm
The Education, Science and Technology Ministry has produced guidebooks for language teaching, but most public primary, middle and high school teachers have little experience in teaching Japanese as a second language. Experts have pointed out the need for teachers who specialize in teaching Japanese to foreign children.
In Oizumimachi, Gunma Prefecture, about 6,800 of the town's 42,000 residents are foreigners, and about 10 percent of all students in the seven public primary and middle schools hail from overseas.
Apart from regular classes, the schools also offer Japanese classes to increase foreign students' language abilities. But the classes are taught by regular teachers who are not trained in language teaching.
An Oizumimachi Municipal Board of Education official said, "Although we've hired people who speak Portuguese or Spanish to help out [in the classroom], it would be hard to say our support for teachers is sufficient."
At Okubo Primary School in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, more than half the 180 students come from South Korea, China, the Philippines and other countries.
"Even if these students can speak Japanese in everyday situations, acquiring the fluency that enables them to study in Japanese takes more time," Principal Fumiko Nagaoka said.
According to the ministry, the number of foreign students who needed extra Japanese-language training in 1991 was 5,463, and exceeded 10,000 in 1993. As of 2005, the figure stood at 20,692, accounting for about 30 percent of all foreign students.
The largest group among the students are native Portuguese speakers, accounting for 37 percent, followed by those speaking Chinese (22 percent), and Spanish (15 percent).
This is a consequence of the 1990 revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law that allowed foreigners of Japanese descent to work in Japan, which was previously banned. The revision pushed up the number of people entering the country, mainly from South America.
However, the children of such people often stop attending school due to language difficulties, or find it hard to secure jobs after graduating from school.
The ministry has produced manuals for teachers to help them provide language lessons in conjunction with other subjects. A version of the manual was introduced for primary schools in 2003, and for middle schools in March this year.
The manual for middle school teachers says that setting riddles and playing other word games during Japanese classes can help foreign students increase their vocabulary, and that creating a dictionary of unknown words for students also can be helpful.
Only 70 of the 885 municipalities have specialized Japanese teachers. The ministry plans to expand the teacher-training system to cover Japanese-language instruction.
Prof. Ikuo Kawakami of Waseda University said: "In the United States and Australia, there's a system to foster teachers to teach English to children who can't speak the language. Japan should introduce a similar system and dispatch expert teachers to schools."
===
Foreign residents at record high
The number of foreign residents in Japan as of the end of 2006 hit a record-high of 2.08 million, increasing 3.6 percent from the previous year, according to the Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau.
The figure of 2,084,919 accounted for 1.63 percent of the nation's total population.
By nationality and place of origin, the two Koreas combined had the largest share at 28.7 percent, or 598,219. But because of the aging population and naturalization, the number of special permanent residents is decreasing after peaking in 1991.
In order of descending share after the two Koreas, China registered 26.9 percent or 560,741; Brazil, 15 percent or 312,979; and thereafter the order was the Philippines, Peru and the United States.
There were 188 different nationalities and places of origin.
By prefecture, Tokyo came top with 364,712. Thereafter, Osaka, Aichi, Kanagawa, Saitama, Hyogo, Chiba, Shizuoka, Gifu and Kyoto prefectures accounted for about 70 percent.
Gifu Prefecture increased by 7.6 percent from a year ago, and Aichi by 7.1 percent. The high rates of increase in the two Chubu region prefectures is thought to be attributable to the area's favorable economic conditions.
(May. 22, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070522TDY01002.htm
Monday, May 21, 2007
Japanese to be taught in government schools
MADURAI : In a move to woo Japanese investments, the Tamil Nadu Government has planned to teach Japanese language in a big way to students of government schools.
Addressing `SMExpressions 2007,' a seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here on Friday, Managing Director of the Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT), C. Umashankar, said investment from Japan in Tamil Nadu was very minimal, when compared to that from the U.S., Germany and Koreas.
The content for teaching Japanese through DVDs to schoolteachers and students would be prepared in two months. The DVDs would be given free of cost. Using them beginner, intermediate and professional courses would be taught. Successful students would be given diploma certificates.
Stating that Japan, one of the biggest economies of the world, was hiring Chinese workforce at present, Mr. Umashankar said Japanese knowledge among Indian students would make them employable there.
He said the Government had sought formal clearance from the Centre to get special economic zone status for seven sites where it had proposed to have tidel parks. The hearing of these proposals would be held on June 29.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/19/stories/2007051915730700.htm
Addressing `SMExpressions 2007,' a seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here on Friday, Managing Director of the Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT), C. Umashankar, said investment from Japan in Tamil Nadu was very minimal, when compared to that from the U.S., Germany and Koreas.
The content for teaching Japanese through DVDs to schoolteachers and students would be prepared in two months. The DVDs would be given free of cost. Using them beginner, intermediate and professional courses would be taught. Successful students would be given diploma certificates.
Stating that Japan, one of the biggest economies of the world, was hiring Chinese workforce at present, Mr. Umashankar said Japanese knowledge among Indian students would make them employable there.
He said the Government had sought formal clearance from the Centre to get special economic zone status for seven sites where it had proposed to have tidel parks. The hearing of these proposals would be held on June 29.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/19/stories/2007051915730700.htm
TOKYO: Panel calls for more foreign students
A government panel chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Wednesday for a three-fold increase in the number of foreign students in Japan by 2025.
That would bring the number to about 350,000. Currently, about 120,000 foreign students are in Japan, accounting for about 5 percent of the total number of foreign students worldwide.
In its final report, the Asian Gateway Strategy Council urged the government to maintain that percentage.
Some analysts estimate the number of students overseas will grow to around 7 million by 2025.
In 2003, the number of foreign students in Japan reached 100,000, the target set in 1983. Still, the number stayed at around 120,000 for three years from 2004.(IHT/Asahi: May 17,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200705170125.html
That would bring the number to about 350,000. Currently, about 120,000 foreign students are in Japan, accounting for about 5 percent of the total number of foreign students worldwide.
In its final report, the Asian Gateway Strategy Council urged the government to maintain that percentage.
Some analysts estimate the number of students overseas will grow to around 7 million by 2025.
In 2003, the number of foreign students in Japan reached 100,000, the target set in 1983. Still, the number stayed at around 120,000 for three years from 2004.(IHT/Asahi: May 17,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200705170125.html
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Employment rate for university graduates 96.3%
The employment rate of university students graduating this spring was 96.3 percent, up one percentage point from the same period the previous year, according to a joint survey of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
The figure marks a record high since fiscal 1996, when the joint survey started. The health ministry said that due to the improving economy and the mass retirement of the baby-boomer generation, many companies are trying to secure human resources, while also pointing out that the employment rate of high school graduates in rural areas has fallen behind that of urban areas because of the sluggish economy conditions there.
The percentage for male university students was 96.6 percent, and that for female university students was 96 percent, 1.1 points up and one point up from the same period the previous year, respectively.
Meanwhile, the education ministry said 93.9 percent of high school students graduating this spring had found jobs as of the end of March, 1.1 percent up from the same period last year. The ratio has been increasing for five years in a row.
(May. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070516TDY02007.htm
The figure marks a record high since fiscal 1996, when the joint survey started. The health ministry said that due to the improving economy and the mass retirement of the baby-boomer generation, many companies are trying to secure human resources, while also pointing out that the employment rate of high school graduates in rural areas has fallen behind that of urban areas because of the sluggish economy conditions there.
The percentage for male university students was 96.6 percent, and that for female university students was 96 percent, 1.1 points up and one point up from the same period the previous year, respectively.
Meanwhile, the education ministry said 93.9 percent of high school students graduating this spring had found jobs as of the end of March, 1.1 percent up from the same period last year. The ratio has been increasing for five years in a row.
(May. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070516TDY02007.htm
Japan's 'edge' threatened by drop in students abroad: expert
Since the number of Japanese students studying in the United States peaked 10 years ago at more than 47,000, slow growth has given way to decline and there is concern that the growing number of other Asian students overseas could hurt Japan's future.
"In macro terms, there is no question that Japan's competitive advantage and edge is being eroded" by this trend, said David H. Satterwhite, executive director of the Fulbright Commission Japan.
The commission has funded educational exchanges for Japanese students since 1952.
While the trend has longer term implications within 15 to 30 years, it is a "trend to be concerned about nonetheless," he said.
With Chinese and Koreans studying abroad in increasing numbers, Satterwhite said he believes the tendency is "putting them into the international ranks faster than their Japanese student counterparts," he said via e-mail.
The decline can be attributed to a number of factors, including Japan's sustained economic recovery, which "has made more pronounced a long-standing attitude" held by companies of not seeking international experience in prospective employees.
In Japan, students are traditionally hired upon graduation and offered in-house training and lifetime employment.
In Japan's hiring system, where university students traditionally advance in age-defined "cohort groups," Satterwhite noted many students "have felt disadvantaged when they are away from the network of their recommending professors or classmates."
Soichiro Shibata, 22, a graduating senior majoring in political science at Yale University, offered a similar viewpoint.
While the level of English proficiency required can deter students from studying abroad, he said, there is also a sense among students that attending top universities in Japan such as the University of Tokyo gives one a "better shot at getting into a good company."
Students opt to stay home because they feel "that once you leave Japan, you're kind of out of the game, you're going to have a tougher time being employed in Japan, and that it's a very risky venture," Shibata said.
Another major factor in the decline is Japan's aging population coupled with low birthrates, resulting in fewer 18-year-olds enrolling in university, Satterwhite wrote in a recent report on U.S.-Japan educational exchange released by the Institute of International Education.
The economic recovery, along with increasingly competitive educational opportunities in Japan, has resulted in graduates seeking work at home rather than "seeking to improve one's marketability through studies abroad" as during the recession, he said.
Shibata, who attended elementary and middle school in the United States, said that no one else from his high school applied to overseas schools.
"People don't really see going abroad as an option," he said. If not for his childhood experience, he might have felt the same, he added.
Employers "are for the most part not looking at the skill set or content of what has been studied abroad, just as they are not primarily interested in the transcript or subject matter of courses taken by graduates of Japanese universities," Satterwhite noted.
The trend could reverse if the economy were to enter another downturn, he said.
"At that point it is an attractive option for students to go abroad and improve their English, picking up skills that may be attractive to potential employers," he said, and perhaps "differentiating themselves" from others in the job market.
For many students, there has simply been insufficient incentive to leave Japan, Shibata said.
Despite the tough economic times in the 1990s, "Japan is still one of the richest countries in the world, and the jobs you can get in Tokyo are better than most things you can get elsewhere," he noted.
The traditional business structure would have to shift to a "more merit-based, market-based system in which it will be up to each individual to gain the training necessary to secure and succeed in a job," in order for students to seek practical training and English skills as a "more desirable and realistic option," the undergrad said.
Mari Kita, an international criminal justice major at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said she feels that although fewer Japanese students may be studying in the United States, more are studying in other countries "since the world is more globalized as compared to say, 10 years ago, when people's perception was going (to) study abroad means studying in English-speaking countries."
Though unable to cite exact figures, Satterwhite said some universities are more active in recruiting older students to make up for the declining enrollment of 18-year-olds and that there is a "sense" that more adults are considering graduate degrees.
Kita, who has studied in the United States since 2003, said she has met "more and more people, especially women, older than 30, who are coming to the U.S. or other countries to study whatever they wish to study."
Masato Hasegawa, 31, a Ph.D. candidate in Chinese history at Yale, said he is a rarity among his peers, many of whom are working and starting families.
"People still come to the U.S. to get advanced degrees, but goals are becoming more practical, and more applicable to doing business," he said.
English ability has always been an advantage, Satterwhite said, but rotation experience within a firm is "deemed far more important to advancement than experience abroad, or even English proficiency."
In an economy still "just 12 to 14 percent geared to exports, as a percentage of GDP, the globalized economy has not yet come home to roost within many or most firms," he said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070515a8.html
"In macro terms, there is no question that Japan's competitive advantage and edge is being eroded" by this trend, said David H. Satterwhite, executive director of the Fulbright Commission Japan.
The commission has funded educational exchanges for Japanese students since 1952.
While the trend has longer term implications within 15 to 30 years, it is a "trend to be concerned about nonetheless," he said.
With Chinese and Koreans studying abroad in increasing numbers, Satterwhite said he believes the tendency is "putting them into the international ranks faster than their Japanese student counterparts," he said via e-mail.
The decline can be attributed to a number of factors, including Japan's sustained economic recovery, which "has made more pronounced a long-standing attitude" held by companies of not seeking international experience in prospective employees.
In Japan, students are traditionally hired upon graduation and offered in-house training and lifetime employment.
In Japan's hiring system, where university students traditionally advance in age-defined "cohort groups," Satterwhite noted many students "have felt disadvantaged when they are away from the network of their recommending professors or classmates."
Soichiro Shibata, 22, a graduating senior majoring in political science at Yale University, offered a similar viewpoint.
While the level of English proficiency required can deter students from studying abroad, he said, there is also a sense among students that attending top universities in Japan such as the University of Tokyo gives one a "better shot at getting into a good company."
Students opt to stay home because they feel "that once you leave Japan, you're kind of out of the game, you're going to have a tougher time being employed in Japan, and that it's a very risky venture," Shibata said.
Another major factor in the decline is Japan's aging population coupled with low birthrates, resulting in fewer 18-year-olds enrolling in university, Satterwhite wrote in a recent report on U.S.-Japan educational exchange released by the Institute of International Education.
The economic recovery, along with increasingly competitive educational opportunities in Japan, has resulted in graduates seeking work at home rather than "seeking to improve one's marketability through studies abroad" as during the recession, he said.
Shibata, who attended elementary and middle school in the United States, said that no one else from his high school applied to overseas schools.
"People don't really see going abroad as an option," he said. If not for his childhood experience, he might have felt the same, he added.
Employers "are for the most part not looking at the skill set or content of what has been studied abroad, just as they are not primarily interested in the transcript or subject matter of courses taken by graduates of Japanese universities," Satterwhite noted.
The trend could reverse if the economy were to enter another downturn, he said.
"At that point it is an attractive option for students to go abroad and improve their English, picking up skills that may be attractive to potential employers," he said, and perhaps "differentiating themselves" from others in the job market.
For many students, there has simply been insufficient incentive to leave Japan, Shibata said.
Despite the tough economic times in the 1990s, "Japan is still one of the richest countries in the world, and the jobs you can get in Tokyo are better than most things you can get elsewhere," he noted.
The traditional business structure would have to shift to a "more merit-based, market-based system in which it will be up to each individual to gain the training necessary to secure and succeed in a job," in order for students to seek practical training and English skills as a "more desirable and realistic option," the undergrad said.
Mari Kita, an international criminal justice major at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said she feels that although fewer Japanese students may be studying in the United States, more are studying in other countries "since the world is more globalized as compared to say, 10 years ago, when people's perception was going (to) study abroad means studying in English-speaking countries."
Though unable to cite exact figures, Satterwhite said some universities are more active in recruiting older students to make up for the declining enrollment of 18-year-olds and that there is a "sense" that more adults are considering graduate degrees.
Kita, who has studied in the United States since 2003, said she has met "more and more people, especially women, older than 30, who are coming to the U.S. or other countries to study whatever they wish to study."
Masato Hasegawa, 31, a Ph.D. candidate in Chinese history at Yale, said he is a rarity among his peers, many of whom are working and starting families.
"People still come to the U.S. to get advanced degrees, but goals are becoming more practical, and more applicable to doing business," he said.
English ability has always been an advantage, Satterwhite said, but rotation experience within a firm is "deemed far more important to advancement than experience abroad, or even English proficiency."
In an economy still "just 12 to 14 percent geared to exports, as a percentage of GDP, the globalized economy has not yet come home to roost within many or most firms," he said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070515a8.html
Friday, May 11, 2007
Chinese students in Japan look forward to Premier Wen's "ice-melting visit"
Right before Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's official visit to Japan, which will be on next Wednesday through Friday, representatives of Chinese students in Japan gathered in Tokyo last week to express their excitement and expectations for the "ice-melting visit."
On behalf of about 100,000 Chinese students in Japan, Li Guangzhe, chairman of the Organization of All Chinese Students in Japan, expressed best wishes for the premier's upcoming visit.
"We expect an all-around improvement of the Sino-Japanese ties brought by the premier's tour, and are eager to see that the water from the 'melting ice' becomes spring of the bilateral friendly cooperation," said the doctoral degree student of the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
There are currently about 100,000 Chinese students in Japan, and likewise, there are also a large number of Japanese students in China. Overseas students have constituted influential forces in promoting people-to-people contact between the two countries and should make more efforts to promote the development of bilateral ties, Li said.
"It will be top-level Chinese leader's first visit to Japan in six years, and Premier Wen will give a speech at the Japanese parliament, the first ever in 22 years," said Shi Jiangshui, a doctor from Tokyo University, adding that he and his Chinese schoolmates are full of expectations that Premier Wen's Japan visit will give a new motive force to the overall exchange between he two countries and to the development of bilateral ties.
"I believe that the premier's visit is to bring about a spring breeze which will melt the ice in the Sino-Japanese relationship, and the water from the melting ice will nourish the flowers of friendship between China and Japan," said Ren Yuqian, a Chinese student from prestigious Keio University.
"Premier Wen's visit will encourage Chinese students in Japan to contribute more to the Sino-Japanese friendship," She added.
According to official statistics, Japan is now hosting the biggest percentage of Chinese overseas students, and the current number of Chinese students in Japan is the highest on record.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Govt mulls university fund cuts / But education ministry, govt council at odds on promoting competition
A disagreement between the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy and the Education, Science and Technology Ministry over how to allocate government subsidies to state-run universities has raised questions about the extent to which competition can be introduced into the education system.
The government council said funds should be allocated based on the efforts each university has made to reform, or their academic achievements. However, the ministry, backed by the country's universities, counter that academic results are not always easy to assess.
The dispute was triggered by a report submitted on Feb. 27 by four members of the council from the private sector, including Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) Chairman Fujio Mitarai.
The report said, "The method of allocating government subsidies for management of state-run universities must be drastically changed to reward effort and achievements."
Government subsidies are a major revenue source for universities to cover labor costs and educational and research budgets. About 1.2 trillion yen in management subsidies are paid annually to 87 state-run universities across the nation. The amount allocated to each of the universities is being reduced by 1 percent each year from fiscal 2004, when state-run universities became independent entities, to fiscal 2009.
The report proposed that from fiscal 2010, the method of allocating the subsidies should shift from a uniform reduction to one based on competition.
However, at a convention of the Japan Association of National Universities held on March 8, presidents of state-run universities expressed strong opposition to the recommendations in the report. One of them said, "Education will be ruined if universities are evaluated only by results that are easy to understand." Another commented: "Management subsidies are necessary for universities to survive. If the amounts are cut further, more universities will go bankrupt."
In response to these concerns, Education, Science and Technology Minister Bunmei Ibuki argued for a review of the proposals for cuts in the subsidies at a meeting of the council on April 17, pointing out that the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was supposed to be prioritizing educational reforms.
But Finance Minister Koji Omi voiced his support for the report. "Is it really necessary to maintain 87 state-run universities?" he asked.
On the principle of introducing competition between education institutions, the ministry in 2001 hammered out a policy of drastic realignment of higher education, including possible consolidation of state-run universities and the introduction of performance-based management systems, in a report on structural reform of universities.
As a result, the number of state-run universities has fallen from 99 in 2002 to 87, and evaluations of universities are being conducted by third parties. But reforms have so far been voluntary, with each university allowed to decide what practical measures it will implement.
===
Private sector criticism
Council members from the private sector have been critical of the reforms so far introduced.
International Christian University Prof. Naohiro Yashiro said, "It's not enough to expect each university to improve its own educational quality."
Mitarai commented: "Universities in provincial regions are all aiming to be the same thing, with a large number of faculties. They haven't been able to utilize elements unique to their region."
Concerns over the state of the country's universities have been exacerbated by rapid advances in India and South Korea, both of which are striving to enhance their credentials in the technology sector. Many critics believe Japanese universities are failing to attract talented researchers and students from other countries to undertake advanced studies in Japan.
Takatoshi Ito, a graduate school professor at Tokyo University, and a representative of the private sector on the council, said, "The government should encourage universities with potential to hone their capabilities further." He argued that more money should be invested in universities that can compete with prestigious institutions overseas.
On the issue of state-run universities in provincial regions, Ito said he believes drastic realignment or consolidation should be enforced if necessary.
Following submission of the report, the ministry conducted a simulation, in private, on what would happen if competition was introduced through changing the allocation of management subsidies.
According to sources in the ministry, the results shocked many, with as many as 47 likely to be forced to close.
Many state-run universities in provincial regions play a key role in fostering teachers and doctors for their respective region, and also conduct joint research and development with local small and midsize companies with weak R&D capabilities.
Wakayama University President Akira Oda said he was troubled by the idea of diverting money from regional institutions. "Letting universities in provincial regions collapse could lead to a widening gap between large cities and provincial regions," he said. Some researchers also believe introducing competition could result in declining standards in basic scientific research and history, where strong results take longer to realize.
Four national research organizations, including the Japan Association of National Universities and the National Institute of Natural Sciences, submitted a letter last month asking the education minister to rethink the management subsidy issue.
"If funds are provided only to studies that can produce outstanding results in short periods, budding examples of excellence in applied studies will be lost," the letter said.
"If competition is brought into basic research fields, only high-profile studies will get any attention, which could distort the basics of academic studies," Gunma University President Mamoru Suzuki said.
(May. 6, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070506TDY03003.htm
The government council said funds should be allocated based on the efforts each university has made to reform, or their academic achievements. However, the ministry, backed by the country's universities, counter that academic results are not always easy to assess.
The dispute was triggered by a report submitted on Feb. 27 by four members of the council from the private sector, including Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) Chairman Fujio Mitarai.
The report said, "The method of allocating government subsidies for management of state-run universities must be drastically changed to reward effort and achievements."
Government subsidies are a major revenue source for universities to cover labor costs and educational and research budgets. About 1.2 trillion yen in management subsidies are paid annually to 87 state-run universities across the nation. The amount allocated to each of the universities is being reduced by 1 percent each year from fiscal 2004, when state-run universities became independent entities, to fiscal 2009.
The report proposed that from fiscal 2010, the method of allocating the subsidies should shift from a uniform reduction to one based on competition.
However, at a convention of the Japan Association of National Universities held on March 8, presidents of state-run universities expressed strong opposition to the recommendations in the report. One of them said, "Education will be ruined if universities are evaluated only by results that are easy to understand." Another commented: "Management subsidies are necessary for universities to survive. If the amounts are cut further, more universities will go bankrupt."
In response to these concerns, Education, Science and Technology Minister Bunmei Ibuki argued for a review of the proposals for cuts in the subsidies at a meeting of the council on April 17, pointing out that the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was supposed to be prioritizing educational reforms.
But Finance Minister Koji Omi voiced his support for the report. "Is it really necessary to maintain 87 state-run universities?" he asked.
On the principle of introducing competition between education institutions, the ministry in 2001 hammered out a policy of drastic realignment of higher education, including possible consolidation of state-run universities and the introduction of performance-based management systems, in a report on structural reform of universities.
As a result, the number of state-run universities has fallen from 99 in 2002 to 87, and evaluations of universities are being conducted by third parties. But reforms have so far been voluntary, with each university allowed to decide what practical measures it will implement.
===
Private sector criticism
Council members from the private sector have been critical of the reforms so far introduced.
International Christian University Prof. Naohiro Yashiro said, "It's not enough to expect each university to improve its own educational quality."
Mitarai commented: "Universities in provincial regions are all aiming to be the same thing, with a large number of faculties. They haven't been able to utilize elements unique to their region."
Concerns over the state of the country's universities have been exacerbated by rapid advances in India and South Korea, both of which are striving to enhance their credentials in the technology sector. Many critics believe Japanese universities are failing to attract talented researchers and students from other countries to undertake advanced studies in Japan.
Takatoshi Ito, a graduate school professor at Tokyo University, and a representative of the private sector on the council, said, "The government should encourage universities with potential to hone their capabilities further." He argued that more money should be invested in universities that can compete with prestigious institutions overseas.
On the issue of state-run universities in provincial regions, Ito said he believes drastic realignment or consolidation should be enforced if necessary.
Following submission of the report, the ministry conducted a simulation, in private, on what would happen if competition was introduced through changing the allocation of management subsidies.
According to sources in the ministry, the results shocked many, with as many as 47 likely to be forced to close.
Many state-run universities in provincial regions play a key role in fostering teachers and doctors for their respective region, and also conduct joint research and development with local small and midsize companies with weak R&D capabilities.
Wakayama University President Akira Oda said he was troubled by the idea of diverting money from regional institutions. "Letting universities in provincial regions collapse could lead to a widening gap between large cities and provincial regions," he said. Some researchers also believe introducing competition could result in declining standards in basic scientific research and history, where strong results take longer to realize.
Four national research organizations, including the Japan Association of National Universities and the National Institute of Natural Sciences, submitted a letter last month asking the education minister to rethink the management subsidy issue.
"If funds are provided only to studies that can produce outstanding results in short periods, budding examples of excellence in applied studies will be lost," the letter said.
"If competition is brought into basic research fields, only high-profile studies will get any attention, which could distort the basics of academic studies," Gunma University President Mamoru Suzuki said.
(May. 6, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070506TDY03003.htm
Many high school grads still unemployed
High school graduates in Hokkaido this spring did not benefit from the strong economic recovery, which has generally boosted employment of high school graduates in big cities.
As of the end of January, the nationwide average number of high school senior students who had been promised employment stood at 88.1 percent, a gain of 2.8 percentage points from the previous year, making it the second highest employment rate in the last 10 years.
However, in less-populated areas, many high school graduates are still pounding the pavement to find work in their hometown or other areas.
"We're unemployed, though we've graduated, and we're depressed. I just want a job," a high school graduate in Kushiro, Hokkaido, said.
Out of 145 graduates from a public high school in Kushiro, 49 are still unemployed since graduating in March.
Another graduate, 18, who found a job in mid-April said that before she got the job, she was ashamed to face her parents, so she confined herself to her room.
Last summer, she began to get information from a local job center and took exams for three companies, but the number of applicants was always five to six times more than the one to three jobs available.
She graduated without landing a job and was depressed that she had to continue going to the job center.
In mid-April, when she was looking for a part-time job, one of her high school teachers helped her get a position with a funeral service company. "Some of my friends are still unemployed after taking exams for 10 companies. I was about to give up on finding a job," she said.
In late April, Hello Work Kushiro, the job center in Kushiro, was still displaying a poster that calls on companies to give local high school graduates an opportunity to work.
A Hello Work Kushiro official said the poster was put up last summer, but the office did not feel that it should be taken down yet.
"The economic expansion is said to be the longest after the war, but people here don't feel that way," he said.
A 19-year-old who graduated this spring sought help from the center. He did not look hard for a job when he was a student, but concern about his future after graduation prompted him to interview for two jobs, which he did not get.
He is now working at a karaoke box parlor, but is looking for full-time work. "A freeter can be fired any time, so I don't have job security," he said.
About 10 new graduates visit the office each day, and recently, many of them are accompanied by their parents.
Hidemitsu Muroya, a deputy chief at the office, said local companies had not increased the number of workers they needed.
As of the end of March, the number of high school graduates who had received job offers stood at 78.2 percent in the eight cities, towns and villages under the supervision of the office.
Of the 68 graduates of a prefectural high school in Goshogawara, Aomori Prefecture, who landed jobs in spring, only 19 work for companies in the prefecture. The other 49 work for companies, such as bargain stores and hotels, in the Tokyo metropolitan and surrounding areas.
A high school teacher who offers career counseling for students said he told them that with the job market remaining weak in the prefecture, they could seek better-paying jobs in other prefectures and then return home someday.
As of the end of March, the number of high school graduates in the prefecture promised job surged 2.4 percentage points to 90.7 percent, but 55 percent of them received promises from companies outside the prefecture.
This is the first time since the early 1990s that the number of high school graduates who work for companies in other prefectures is higher than the number working in the prefecture, indicating that the economic recovery has not trickled down to the prefecture.
By region, as of the end of January, Hokkaido had the lowest job offers with 66.6 percent.
The 84.6 percent in southern Kyushu, 85.1 percent in northern Kyushu, 85.3 percent in the Sanin region and 86.7 percent in the Tohoku region were lower than the national average.
Tokyo Metropolitan University Prof. Akio Inui, an expert on freeters, said that in areas that have not seen an economic recovery, it remains to be seen whether the employment situation will improve.
"Measures to improve employment have to take local situations into consideration in light of the gap in employment rates in localities," he said.
===
'Working poor' living at Net cafes
Some big city companies hire young people from other prefectures as full-time employees, but many outsiders can only find part-time jobs, and some of them have become the so-called working poor, meaning they cannot free themselves from low-paying jobs.
Recently, many young people in urban areas, including Tokyo, are starting to use Internet cafes or comic book cafes as lodgings.
A survey conducted in April by the National Confederation of Trade Unions and other organizations in 10 prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka and Aichi prefectures, found that nearly 80 percent of 34 Internet cafes had young people who had become "long-term residents."
Makoto Kawazoe, secretary general of the Metro Tokyo Youth Union, said the number of part-time workers in cities had increased.
"Young people who have been dismissed have to leave the dorms. Since they don't have any savings, they can't pay deposits and key money for an apartment. That's why they live in Internet cafes," he said.
(May. 5, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070505TDY02005.htm
As of the end of January, the nationwide average number of high school senior students who had been promised employment stood at 88.1 percent, a gain of 2.8 percentage points from the previous year, making it the second highest employment rate in the last 10 years.
However, in less-populated areas, many high school graduates are still pounding the pavement to find work in their hometown or other areas.
"We're unemployed, though we've graduated, and we're depressed. I just want a job," a high school graduate in Kushiro, Hokkaido, said.
Out of 145 graduates from a public high school in Kushiro, 49 are still unemployed since graduating in March.
Another graduate, 18, who found a job in mid-April said that before she got the job, she was ashamed to face her parents, so she confined herself to her room.
Last summer, she began to get information from a local job center and took exams for three companies, but the number of applicants was always five to six times more than the one to three jobs available.
She graduated without landing a job and was depressed that she had to continue going to the job center.
In mid-April, when she was looking for a part-time job, one of her high school teachers helped her get a position with a funeral service company. "Some of my friends are still unemployed after taking exams for 10 companies. I was about to give up on finding a job," she said.
In late April, Hello Work Kushiro, the job center in Kushiro, was still displaying a poster that calls on companies to give local high school graduates an opportunity to work.
A Hello Work Kushiro official said the poster was put up last summer, but the office did not feel that it should be taken down yet.
"The economic expansion is said to be the longest after the war, but people here don't feel that way," he said.
A 19-year-old who graduated this spring sought help from the center. He did not look hard for a job when he was a student, but concern about his future after graduation prompted him to interview for two jobs, which he did not get.
He is now working at a karaoke box parlor, but is looking for full-time work. "A freeter can be fired any time, so I don't have job security," he said.
About 10 new graduates visit the office each day, and recently, many of them are accompanied by their parents.
Hidemitsu Muroya, a deputy chief at the office, said local companies had not increased the number of workers they needed.
As of the end of March, the number of high school graduates who had received job offers stood at 78.2 percent in the eight cities, towns and villages under the supervision of the office.
Of the 68 graduates of a prefectural high school in Goshogawara, Aomori Prefecture, who landed jobs in spring, only 19 work for companies in the prefecture. The other 49 work for companies, such as bargain stores and hotels, in the Tokyo metropolitan and surrounding areas.
A high school teacher who offers career counseling for students said he told them that with the job market remaining weak in the prefecture, they could seek better-paying jobs in other prefectures and then return home someday.
As of the end of March, the number of high school graduates in the prefecture promised job surged 2.4 percentage points to 90.7 percent, but 55 percent of them received promises from companies outside the prefecture.
This is the first time since the early 1990s that the number of high school graduates who work for companies in other prefectures is higher than the number working in the prefecture, indicating that the economic recovery has not trickled down to the prefecture.
By region, as of the end of January, Hokkaido had the lowest job offers with 66.6 percent.
The 84.6 percent in southern Kyushu, 85.1 percent in northern Kyushu, 85.3 percent in the Sanin region and 86.7 percent in the Tohoku region were lower than the national average.
Tokyo Metropolitan University Prof. Akio Inui, an expert on freeters, said that in areas that have not seen an economic recovery, it remains to be seen whether the employment situation will improve.
"Measures to improve employment have to take local situations into consideration in light of the gap in employment rates in localities," he said.
===
'Working poor' living at Net cafes
Some big city companies hire young people from other prefectures as full-time employees, but many outsiders can only find part-time jobs, and some of them have become the so-called working poor, meaning they cannot free themselves from low-paying jobs.
Recently, many young people in urban areas, including Tokyo, are starting to use Internet cafes or comic book cafes as lodgings.
A survey conducted in April by the National Confederation of Trade Unions and other organizations in 10 prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka and Aichi prefectures, found that nearly 80 percent of 34 Internet cafes had young people who had become "long-term residents."
Makoto Kawazoe, secretary general of the Metro Tokyo Youth Union, said the number of part-time workers in cities had increased.
"Young people who have been dismissed have to leave the dorms. Since they don't have any savings, they can't pay deposits and key money for an apartment. That's why they live in Internet cafes," he said.
(May. 5, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070505TDY02005.htm
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