Japan offers scholarships to Indian students
Mumbai, July 1 (UNI)
The Government of Japan is offering scholarships to Indian students for the academic year 2007 under the Japanese Government (Mombukagakusho:MEXT) scholarship programme.
Indian students, who wish to study in Japanese universities as undergraduate students, technology students or professional training college students, can avail the programme, a press release issued by the office of the Consulate General of Japan here said.
The scholarships for engineering students are for a period of four years, whereas professional training college students in the field of civil, electrical and electronics engineering including architecture, telecommunication, nutrition, infant education, secretarial studies, hotel management, tourism, fashion, dressmaking, design, and photography is for three years.
The candidates should be between 17-21 years of age as on April 1, 2007 and must have completed a 12-year course of school education with a minimum of 65 per cent marks in aggregate.
Applicants should also be willing to learn the Japanese language and to receive university education in it, the release said.The scholarship will be 134,000 yen per month, which is subject to change. The last date for applying is July 14, 2006. Further information can be accessed on www.in.emb-japan.go.jp.
http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG3_sub.asp?ccode=ENG3&newscode=142798
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Breakfast--a great way to start the college day
Several universities and the cooperatives that run their dining halls are experimenting with methods to get their students to eat breakfast, such as a "mileage point" system or free breakfast campaigns.
Such ideas are working rather well for the students--not only in making the morning meal a habit, but also in expanding their circle of friends.
Beginning this academic year, the cooperative at Miyagi University of Education in Sendai started a breakfast promotion program called "breakfast marathon."
Under the program, students can collect one point by buying breakfast at the cafeteria run by the cooperative. With five points, they receive a small side dish normally priced at 60 yen. With 10 points, they receive a side of rice and miso soup, and 15 points gets them a 400 yen meal.
Furthermore, the cooperative ran a campaign through late May, in which students were awarded double points when they ate breakfast at the cafeteria in a group of two or more.
University junior Naoki Takahashi collected 15 points in April alone. During the month, he had breakfast at the cafeteria 10 times, five of which were each with a different friend.
"I live on my own, so it's nice to eat with my friends," Takahashi, 21, said. "The points turn into meals, so I can save my living expenses, too."
The cooperative began serving breakfast at the refectory in April 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. At first, however, only about 10 people came each day.
"So we thought we needed a system that would make it fun and advantageous to have breakfast at the dining hall," Takao Tamura, a senior cooperative executive, said.
Since beginning the "breakfast marathon," the number of students eating breakfast in the school's dining hall has jumped fivefold.
At Hakuoh University in Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, students have been receiving breakfast for free at the student refectory during part of April for the past six years. The idea is to get students to eat regularly and have a more stable lifestyle. Between April 11 and April 28 this year, about 500 students took advantage of the free breakfast each day.
And at Tottori University, freshmen can have free breakfast for several days immediately after matriculating into the university. This year, they received the gratis meal from April 10 to April 14. Other students and faculty members participated in the program as counselors to offer advice to the freshmen about student life.
According to a survey on students conducted every year by the federation of university cooperatives in Tokyo, 61 percent of students living away from their parents said they do not eat breakfast. Many students also are not getting a balanced diet.
And according to a first-of-its-kind survey in 2005 by the Consumer Cooperative Institute of Japan in Tokyo of about 7,000 students, the number of students claiming they become tired easily was in correlation with the number of students who said they do not regularly eat breakfast. Only about 20 percent of students said they enjoy having breakfast, presumably because they tend to have breakfast alone.
"Even if you are aware and informed about how to protect your health, most of the time you can't do so because it takes money and time," said Ichiro Nishimura, who was in charge of the survey. "It's important to support universities and university cooperatives so that students can have a lively campus life."
(Jun. 19, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060619TDY03001.htm
Such ideas are working rather well for the students--not only in making the morning meal a habit, but also in expanding their circle of friends.
Beginning this academic year, the cooperative at Miyagi University of Education in Sendai started a breakfast promotion program called "breakfast marathon."
Under the program, students can collect one point by buying breakfast at the cafeteria run by the cooperative. With five points, they receive a small side dish normally priced at 60 yen. With 10 points, they receive a side of rice and miso soup, and 15 points gets them a 400 yen meal.
Furthermore, the cooperative ran a campaign through late May, in which students were awarded double points when they ate breakfast at the cafeteria in a group of two or more.
University junior Naoki Takahashi collected 15 points in April alone. During the month, he had breakfast at the cafeteria 10 times, five of which were each with a different friend.
"I live on my own, so it's nice to eat with my friends," Takahashi, 21, said. "The points turn into meals, so I can save my living expenses, too."
The cooperative began serving breakfast at the refectory in April 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. At first, however, only about 10 people came each day.
"So we thought we needed a system that would make it fun and advantageous to have breakfast at the dining hall," Takao Tamura, a senior cooperative executive, said.
Since beginning the "breakfast marathon," the number of students eating breakfast in the school's dining hall has jumped fivefold.
At Hakuoh University in Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, students have been receiving breakfast for free at the student refectory during part of April for the past six years. The idea is to get students to eat regularly and have a more stable lifestyle. Between April 11 and April 28 this year, about 500 students took advantage of the free breakfast each day.
And at Tottori University, freshmen can have free breakfast for several days immediately after matriculating into the university. This year, they received the gratis meal from April 10 to April 14. Other students and faculty members participated in the program as counselors to offer advice to the freshmen about student life.
According to a survey on students conducted every year by the federation of university cooperatives in Tokyo, 61 percent of students living away from their parents said they do not eat breakfast. Many students also are not getting a balanced diet.
And according to a first-of-its-kind survey in 2005 by the Consumer Cooperative Institute of Japan in Tokyo of about 7,000 students, the number of students claiming they become tired easily was in correlation with the number of students who said they do not regularly eat breakfast. Only about 20 percent of students said they enjoy having breakfast, presumably because they tend to have breakfast alone.
"Even if you are aware and informed about how to protect your health, most of the time you can't do so because it takes money and time," said Ichiro Nishimura, who was in charge of the survey. "It's important to support universities and university cooperatives so that students can have a lively campus life."
(Jun. 19, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060619TDY03001.htm
New farm skills training course a flop with NEETs
It seems the promise of important job skills and fresh country air are not enough to lure the nation's growing NEET and "freeter" population into action.
In fact, only six people have applied to take part in a farm skills training program recently set up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The program offers three separate farm training courses for NEETs, or people not in education, employment or training, and freeters, young people who hop from one part-time job to another.
The idea was to have participants take up farm internships while studying management and agricultural production engineering for up to six months, thereby solving the NEET dilemma and at the same time boosting the dwindling rural workforce.
Ministry officials calculated 120 people a year would take part in the "Challenge! Farm School" program annually.
The three- to six- month courses slated to have started at separate locations in Ibaraki and Nagano prefectures in April. Officials are now scrambling to make up numbers.
As well as sending brochures to unemployment offices nationwide, they are also offering the course to prospective workers on a trial basis for one to six days.
According to a number of nonprofit organizations that work with young people, the high price tag of the courses, as well as the length, is most likely where the ministry went wrong.
The six-month program costs about 570,000 yen.(IHT/Asahi: June 12,2006)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200606120105.html
In fact, only six people have applied to take part in a farm skills training program recently set up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The program offers three separate farm training courses for NEETs, or people not in education, employment or training, and freeters, young people who hop from one part-time job to another.
The idea was to have participants take up farm internships while studying management and agricultural production engineering for up to six months, thereby solving the NEET dilemma and at the same time boosting the dwindling rural workforce.
Ministry officials calculated 120 people a year would take part in the "Challenge! Farm School" program annually.
The three- to six- month courses slated to have started at separate locations in Ibaraki and Nagano prefectures in April. Officials are now scrambling to make up numbers.
As well as sending brochures to unemployment offices nationwide, they are also offering the course to prospective workers on a trial basis for one to six days.
According to a number of nonprofit organizations that work with young people, the high price tag of the courses, as well as the length, is most likely where the ministry went wrong.
The six-month program costs about 570,000 yen.(IHT/Asahi: June 12,2006)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200606120105.html
Friday, June 16, 2006
Minato Ward, Temple to foster intl awareness
Minato Ward, Tokyo, and Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ), have concluded a basic agreement to collaborate in a series of projects to foster international understanding and cross-cultural communication.
Since its opening in 1982 as a full-scale branch campus of the Pennsylvania state university, TUJ has been based in Minato Ward.
During a signing ceremony held at the end of last month at TUJ, Minato Ward Mayor Masaaki Takei said his ward had formed a partnership with the institution to offer better services as "one of the nation's richest municipalities in terms of internationalism." The ward has many foreign residents from various countries as there are numerous foreign embassies and international firms located there.
Under the agreement, the two sides will offer their knowledge, services and resources to each other in the fields of education, culture and community development.
For example, TUJ will offer two programs to local public schools during its summer vacation--a seminar on English teaching for teachers as well as a summer program for middle school students. TUJ will also dispatch its students and instructors to primary and middle schools as assistants for classes on cross-cultural communication.
Moreover, the Japan campus will offer some academic services to local residents and ward officials. These will include classes in English and Japanese, such as a training program for ward officials to brush up their English skills. They will also be able to take courses at TUJ at discounted rates.
At the same time, the Minato Ward office will allow those studying and working at TUJ to use the ward's sports facilities at discounted rates, as the campus does not have such facilities of its own.
The two sides have also agreed to make their libraries available to each other, while also dispatching students or ward officials and teachers to each other as interns or trainees for the purpose of human resource development.
"We hope to provide opportunities for those who live and work in Minato [Ward] to acquire the communication skills necessary to be truly global citizens," said TUJ Dean Kirk Patterson.
(Jun. 9, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060609TDY20001.htm
Since its opening in 1982 as a full-scale branch campus of the Pennsylvania state university, TUJ has been based in Minato Ward.
During a signing ceremony held at the end of last month at TUJ, Minato Ward Mayor Masaaki Takei said his ward had formed a partnership with the institution to offer better services as "one of the nation's richest municipalities in terms of internationalism." The ward has many foreign residents from various countries as there are numerous foreign embassies and international firms located there.
Under the agreement, the two sides will offer their knowledge, services and resources to each other in the fields of education, culture and community development.
For example, TUJ will offer two programs to local public schools during its summer vacation--a seminar on English teaching for teachers as well as a summer program for middle school students. TUJ will also dispatch its students and instructors to primary and middle schools as assistants for classes on cross-cultural communication.
Moreover, the Japan campus will offer some academic services to local residents and ward officials. These will include classes in English and Japanese, such as a training program for ward officials to brush up their English skills. They will also be able to take courses at TUJ at discounted rates.
At the same time, the Minato Ward office will allow those studying and working at TUJ to use the ward's sports facilities at discounted rates, as the campus does not have such facilities of its own.
The two sides have also agreed to make their libraries available to each other, while also dispatching students or ward officials and teachers to each other as interns or trainees for the purpose of human resource development.
"We hope to provide opportunities for those who live and work in Minato [Ward] to acquire the communication skills necessary to be truly global citizens," said TUJ Dean Kirk Patterson.
(Jun. 9, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060609TDY20001.htm
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Toyota International Teacher Program Sends US Teachers to Japan
40 Educational Ambassadors Participate in Study Tour
TORRANCE, Calif., June 1 -- 40 U.S. teachers, chosen as educational ambassadors through the Toyota International Teacher Program (TITP), will spend two rigorous weeks this June traveling through rural and urban Japan from Tokyo to northern Kyushu. Now in its 8th year, the program sends teachers on a study tour to learn about Japan's past and present, explore global issues and experience this significant culture firsthand. This unique experience has distinguished the TITP program as one of the preeminent teacher study-abroad programs in the country for American teachers.
Since its inception, TITP has attracted interest from more than 4,000 teachers who have submitted applications. This year, the delegation of teachers represent 10 US states -- Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Tennessee. They will bring their unique perspectives to those they meet in Japan and upon their return to the U.S. share insights from their Japan experience with their students.
"In many ways, teachers are catalysts in the global community and are in a unique position to educate students on the world in which we live," said Michael Rouse, corporate manager, philanthropy and community affairs, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "We are proud to provide teachers with a first-hand experience that helps enhance their curriculum through international study."
Funded through an annual $825,000 grant from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., the program is the only one of its kind sponsored by a major U.S. corporation. To date, a total of 360 teachers from all over the U.S. have participated in the 8 year-old program. This year's trip to Japan will take place June 23 through July 5.
The Institute of International Education (IIE) in Washington, D.C., the nation's most experienced non-profit educational exchange organization, administers the program. "The Toyota International Teacher Program provides teachers with experiences and tools they can use to enable their students to think and act on a cooperative and global basis," said IIE President and CEO Dr. Allan E. Goodman.
The study tour to Japan is the first of three professional development programs for teachers that Toyota will sponsor in the next year. The next study tour will be to the Galapagos Islands this October. The selection process for this program is currently underway, including applications from many bilingual educators. In March 2007, another international professional development opportunity will be offered in Costa Rica. TITP is proud that these three distinct study-abroad programs will enable U.S. teachers to enhance their curricula through meaningful interaction with a variety of people, cultures and environments.
TITP in Japan focuses on four themes -- history, education, environment, and technology -- and how these affect industry and society. Program activities include visits to elementary, secondary and university level schools, factories, and sites of historical and environmental importance and will be highlighted by discussions with well-known authors, historians, educators and business leaders.
The 40 educators traveling to Japan this summer teach a variety of subjects and were selected based on their professional and leadership qualifications, as well as their plans to incorporate their experiences and research into their curriculum. To be eligible teachers must be a U.S. citizen, employed full-time as a secondary classroom teacher (grades 9-12), and have a minimum of three years teaching experience.
Japan TITP program alumni Daniel Bryant and Cindy Hasselbring, will return to Japan as "Traveling Alumni" to help mentor members of the new group, as well as extend their own previous TITP experience.
TITP demonstrates the company's long-standing commitment to supporting education. In 2005, Toyota USA contributed nearly $41 million to U.S. philanthropic programs, with a majority of funding supporting education. Besides donating to a wide range of educational organizations, Toyota has created its own innovative programs, including grants for science teachers, scholarships for students, technical training and family literacy programs.
Founded in 1957, TMS is the sales, marketing, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion in the United States, marketing products and services through a network of 1,415 dealers in 49 states.
About Toyota's Education Programs
In addition to sponsoring a number of nonprofit educational organizations, Toyota offers three major programs that support teachers with grants and students with scholarships; Toyota TAPESTRY, the largest K-12 science teacher grant program of its kind in the U.S.; Toyota Community Scholars, which provides 100 scholarships to high school seniors based on academics and community service; and the Toyota International Teacher Program. Toyota also supports scholarships through the Hispanic Scholarship Fund; United Negro College Fund; Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation; National FFA; and the American Indian College Fund.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/06/01/009317.html
TORRANCE, Calif., June 1 -- 40 U.S. teachers, chosen as educational ambassadors through the Toyota International Teacher Program (TITP), will spend two rigorous weeks this June traveling through rural and urban Japan from Tokyo to northern Kyushu. Now in its 8th year, the program sends teachers on a study tour to learn about Japan's past and present, explore global issues and experience this significant culture firsthand. This unique experience has distinguished the TITP program as one of the preeminent teacher study-abroad programs in the country for American teachers.
Since its inception, TITP has attracted interest from more than 4,000 teachers who have submitted applications. This year, the delegation of teachers represent 10 US states -- Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Tennessee. They will bring their unique perspectives to those they meet in Japan and upon their return to the U.S. share insights from their Japan experience with their students.
"In many ways, teachers are catalysts in the global community and are in a unique position to educate students on the world in which we live," said Michael Rouse, corporate manager, philanthropy and community affairs, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "We are proud to provide teachers with a first-hand experience that helps enhance their curriculum through international study."
Funded through an annual $825,000 grant from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., the program is the only one of its kind sponsored by a major U.S. corporation. To date, a total of 360 teachers from all over the U.S. have participated in the 8 year-old program. This year's trip to Japan will take place June 23 through July 5.
The Institute of International Education (IIE) in Washington, D.C., the nation's most experienced non-profit educational exchange organization, administers the program. "The Toyota International Teacher Program provides teachers with experiences and tools they can use to enable their students to think and act on a cooperative and global basis," said IIE President and CEO Dr. Allan E. Goodman.
The study tour to Japan is the first of three professional development programs for teachers that Toyota will sponsor in the next year. The next study tour will be to the Galapagos Islands this October. The selection process for this program is currently underway, including applications from many bilingual educators. In March 2007, another international professional development opportunity will be offered in Costa Rica. TITP is proud that these three distinct study-abroad programs will enable U.S. teachers to enhance their curricula through meaningful interaction with a variety of people, cultures and environments.
TITP in Japan focuses on four themes -- history, education, environment, and technology -- and how these affect industry and society. Program activities include visits to elementary, secondary and university level schools, factories, and sites of historical and environmental importance and will be highlighted by discussions with well-known authors, historians, educators and business leaders.
The 40 educators traveling to Japan this summer teach a variety of subjects and were selected based on their professional and leadership qualifications, as well as their plans to incorporate their experiences and research into their curriculum. To be eligible teachers must be a U.S. citizen, employed full-time as a secondary classroom teacher (grades 9-12), and have a minimum of three years teaching experience.
Japan TITP program alumni Daniel Bryant and Cindy Hasselbring, will return to Japan as "Traveling Alumni" to help mentor members of the new group, as well as extend their own previous TITP experience.
TITP demonstrates the company's long-standing commitment to supporting education. In 2005, Toyota USA contributed nearly $41 million to U.S. philanthropic programs, with a majority of funding supporting education. Besides donating to a wide range of educational organizations, Toyota has created its own innovative programs, including grants for science teachers, scholarships for students, technical training and family literacy programs.
Founded in 1957, TMS is the sales, marketing, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion in the United States, marketing products and services through a network of 1,415 dealers in 49 states.
About Toyota's Education Programs
In addition to sponsoring a number of nonprofit educational organizations, Toyota offers three major programs that support teachers with grants and students with scholarships; Toyota TAPESTRY, the largest K-12 science teacher grant program of its kind in the U.S.; Toyota Community Scholars, which provides 100 scholarships to high school seniors based on academics and community service; and the Toyota International Teacher Program. Toyota also supports scholarships through the Hispanic Scholarship Fund; United Negro College Fund; Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation; National FFA; and the American Indian College Fund.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/06/01/009317.html
Monday, May 22, 2006
National tour guide exam to be held overseas
The Construction and Transport Ministry is to hold a tour guide license examination overseas for the first time.
The first-stage written examination for the multilingual national tour guide license will be held in China, Taiwan and South Korea in early September at the same time as the test is taken in Japan.
The examination will be held in Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei. The second-stage oral test will be held only in Japan.
In 2004, of the foreign tourists who visited Japan, 32.5 percent were from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. South Korean holidaymakers accounted for 25.9 percent of tourists.
However, only 9.2 percent of certified tour guides are licensed in Chinese and a mere 4.5 percent in Korean, forcing the government to train more qualified Chinese- and Korean-speaking guides.
(May. 22, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060522TDY02010.htm
The first-stage written examination for the multilingual national tour guide license will be held in China, Taiwan and South Korea in early September at the same time as the test is taken in Japan.
The examination will be held in Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei. The second-stage oral test will be held only in Japan.
In 2004, of the foreign tourists who visited Japan, 32.5 percent were from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. South Korean holidaymakers accounted for 25.9 percent of tourists.
However, only 9.2 percent of certified tour guides are licensed in Chinese and a mere 4.5 percent in Korean, forcing the government to train more qualified Chinese- and Korean-speaking guides.
(May. 22, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060522TDY02010.htm
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
France to set up French-language high school in Tokyo
France plans to set up high schools in Tokyo and other major cities abroad to conduct lessons in French, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Monday.
In the first round of the plan, France will also establish such schools in Munich, London and Cairo, Douste-Blazy said at a press conference.
Through cooperation with private organizations, the government hopes to spread French culture overseas and nurture elite people with a good command of French.
The government also plans to establish around the world organizations for introducing French culture and liaison offices for accepting applications from foreign students who want to receive advanced education in France, Douste-Blazy said. (Jiji Press)
May 16, 2006
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/international/europe/news/20060516p2g00m0in007000c.html
In the first round of the plan, France will also establish such schools in Munich, London and Cairo, Douste-Blazy said at a press conference.
Through cooperation with private organizations, the government hopes to spread French culture overseas and nurture elite people with a good command of French.
The government also plans to establish around the world organizations for introducing French culture and liaison offices for accepting applications from foreign students who want to receive advanced education in France, Douste-Blazy said. (Jiji Press)
May 16, 2006
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/international/europe/news/20060516p2g00m0in007000c.html
Monday, May 15, 2006
Govt panel identifies 12 skills needed in society
A government panel has identified the abilities required to be a good citizen and worker, to help students prepare for job-hunting and provide a common view among students and firms as to what the most important abilities are.
The panel, chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, was set up to promote the diversification of job opportunities. It compiled a list of 12 fundamental abilities every citizen should have, which include: independence; planning skills; listening skills; respect for social rules; flexibility; creativity; analytical skills; people skills; expressive skills; coping with stress, and being goal-oriented.
The formalization of abilities needed at the workplace and within local communities is expected to help students find a job and assist them to acquire necessary job skills.
The categorization is expected to help companies and students agree on what abilities can be expected beyond those directly related to occupation or educational background, when companies recruit or students apply for a job.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060515TDY03003.htm
The panel, chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, was set up to promote the diversification of job opportunities. It compiled a list of 12 fundamental abilities every citizen should have, which include: independence; planning skills; listening skills; respect for social rules; flexibility; creativity; analytical skills; people skills; expressive skills; coping with stress, and being goal-oriented.
The formalization of abilities needed at the workplace and within local communities is expected to help students find a job and assist them to acquire necessary job skills.
The categorization is expected to help companies and students agree on what abilities can be expected beyond those directly related to occupation or educational background, when companies recruit or students apply for a job.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060515TDY03003.htm
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Oxford Univ. considering setting up Japanese branch school
Oxford University is considering setting up a branch school in Japan in cooperation with Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co., sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
The specifics of the plan, such as the timing and how the new school's capital will be financed, have not yet been decided, the sources said.
In June 2004, the British university and the trading house agreed to jointly engage in some forms of new business related to high technology in such fields as biotechnology and information technology.
The two parties have since tried to realize the project, with a wholly owned subsidiary of the university holding talks with multiple Japanese companies on relevant technological research and development, they added.
In a written statement sent to Kyodo News in London, Oxford University said, "Oxford University enjoys a cooperative and collaborative relationship with Mitsui on a number of fronts, and that relationship is expanding. However, there are no plans to develop an Oxford University campus in Japan at this time."
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060510/kyodo/d8hh1qvg2.html
The specifics of the plan, such as the timing and how the new school's capital will be financed, have not yet been decided, the sources said.
In June 2004, the British university and the trading house agreed to jointly engage in some forms of new business related to high technology in such fields as biotechnology and information technology.
The two parties have since tried to realize the project, with a wholly owned subsidiary of the university holding talks with multiple Japanese companies on relevant technological research and development, they added.
In a written statement sent to Kyodo News in London, Oxford University said, "Oxford University enjoys a cooperative and collaborative relationship with Mitsui on a number of fronts, and that relationship is expanding. However, there are no plans to develop an Oxford University campus in Japan at this time."
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060510/kyodo/d8hh1qvg2.html
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Adult education courses to provide career skills certification
Adults taking university extension courses to improve their skills or knowledge for career changes or reemployment will be eligible for certification under a new system to be established by the government, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The certification system, which was conceived as a response to criticism the nation has experienced a widening economic gap under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, is designed to give adults a chance to increase their job skills and have them officially recognized with certificates for courses such as finance or information technology.
The proposed system will be included among policies to be mapped out this month by a government council to promote a more skilled workforce, chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe. Sources say the system could be put into practice as early as next academic year.
Though many national, public and private universities offer adult education classes, there are no criteria for the courses, which range from general interest subjects to graduate school-level study. However, only some universities present their students with certificates.
(May. 9, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060509TDY02005.htm
The certification system, which was conceived as a response to criticism the nation has experienced a widening economic gap under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, is designed to give adults a chance to increase their job skills and have them officially recognized with certificates for courses such as finance or information technology.
The proposed system will be included among policies to be mapped out this month by a government council to promote a more skilled workforce, chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe. Sources say the system could be put into practice as early as next academic year.
Though many national, public and private universities offer adult education classes, there are no criteria for the courses, which range from general interest subjects to graduate school-level study. However, only some universities present their students with certificates.
(May. 9, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060509TDY02005.htm
Monday, May 08, 2006
Encouraging students to speak in many voices
With the population of 18-year-olds decreasing every year, Japanese universities are facing a fight for survival. Over a quarter of them could not recruit enough students to fill their official capacity last year.
Foreign language faculties are no exception. Although learning English has had an unprecedented boom in Japan in recent years, this has not really benefited university foreign language faculties.
For one thing, other departments have been putting increasingly more emphasis on their own English teaching programs. English, in other words, is no longer the specialty of the English department.
Other departments such as German and French are also having difficulty recruiting good students. Moreover, the demand of the students in these departments--and even of their parents--for more English-language courses is so strong that these departments are on the verge of sacrificing their own courses to open extra English courses.
This is a sad situation. True, none can deny the importance of English as a communication tool in today's globalized world. To learn different languages, though, is also to learn and understand different cultures and peoples, to better appreciate the values of others and learn how humanity can better coexist.
Oddly enough, a growing number of foreigners living in Japan are non-English-speaking Asians and South Americans. Since many of them have Asian features, especially Chinese and Koreans, we tend to overlook this fact. But even our neighborhoods are becoming multicultural, a tendency that will increase with the anticipated future shortage of younger workers.
In such a society, learning English alone seems insufficient, as important as the language may be in business and academic environments.
What should the future of a faculty of foreign languages be in this situation?
I have two tentative, contradictory prescriptions: The first is to make our students specialists, and the second is to make them generalists.
The first applies to the departments of English and other languages. To survive in the current situation, English majors must have excellent language skills, and the department should offer effective and extensive language programs.
The same applies to the departments of other languages--though fortunately, these students may not need extraordinarily high-level skills because they have fewer competitors than English majors. Nonetheless, these departments should still provide their students with a minimal English proficiency.
In addition, all language departments should offer sets of courses to make their students specialists in their chosen fields. Students should be equipped with both the theoretical and practical aspects of communication needed to understand the culture and to interact with the people who use the language they are learning. The keyword here is communication, or "intercultural communication." My hypothesis is that you can cope with a multicultural situation if you have sufficiently mastered a bicultural one.
My second proposed solution--producing generalists--is based on my experience with the Department of Languages and Culture at Dokkyo.
Here, students are required to learn both English and either Spanish or Chinese; they study both languages equally. The department also offers a good Japanese language program and has successfully recruited students from overseas, especially from East Asian countries where Japanese and English are usually emphasized.
Many of the faculty here come from the former liberal arts division, which used to take care of liberal arts education for the whole university. Partly as a result, the department offers a wide variety of courses, including Japanese studies.
Despite our worries that it was too far oriented to producing generalists, it has been successful since its creation seven years ago. Many of the graduates have a very good reputation in the business and academic sectors. The department's emphasis on liberal arts education and the study of not only Spanish-speaking areas and China but Japan itself, together with the multicultural environment created by the overseas students, has made its students the kind of language majors that can send out messages about their own country and culture--true generalists, in other words.
As we are not yet sure which of these two solutions is correct, we have decided to create a new faculty of "international liberal arts" by enlarging and strengthening the present Department of Languages and Culture.
In this new faculty, students will be able to also learn English and Korean. The emphasis will be on the study of the developing Pacific Rim regions, the evaluation of Japanese culture and thought, the understanding of the significance of the multilingual and multicultural environment, and on international exchanges. The program will start next April if approved by the Ministry of Education.
Which will appeal more, the generalist or the specialist approach? Hopefully, both answers are correct.
* * *
The author is the dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Dokkyo University.(IHT/Asahi: May 8,2006)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605080091.html
Foreign language faculties are no exception. Although learning English has had an unprecedented boom in Japan in recent years, this has not really benefited university foreign language faculties.
For one thing, other departments have been putting increasingly more emphasis on their own English teaching programs. English, in other words, is no longer the specialty of the English department.
Other departments such as German and French are also having difficulty recruiting good students. Moreover, the demand of the students in these departments--and even of their parents--for more English-language courses is so strong that these departments are on the verge of sacrificing their own courses to open extra English courses.
This is a sad situation. True, none can deny the importance of English as a communication tool in today's globalized world. To learn different languages, though, is also to learn and understand different cultures and peoples, to better appreciate the values of others and learn how humanity can better coexist.
Oddly enough, a growing number of foreigners living in Japan are non-English-speaking Asians and South Americans. Since many of them have Asian features, especially Chinese and Koreans, we tend to overlook this fact. But even our neighborhoods are becoming multicultural, a tendency that will increase with the anticipated future shortage of younger workers.
In such a society, learning English alone seems insufficient, as important as the language may be in business and academic environments.
What should the future of a faculty of foreign languages be in this situation?
I have two tentative, contradictory prescriptions: The first is to make our students specialists, and the second is to make them generalists.
The first applies to the departments of English and other languages. To survive in the current situation, English majors must have excellent language skills, and the department should offer effective and extensive language programs.
The same applies to the departments of other languages--though fortunately, these students may not need extraordinarily high-level skills because they have fewer competitors than English majors. Nonetheless, these departments should still provide their students with a minimal English proficiency.
In addition, all language departments should offer sets of courses to make their students specialists in their chosen fields. Students should be equipped with both the theoretical and practical aspects of communication needed to understand the culture and to interact with the people who use the language they are learning. The keyword here is communication, or "intercultural communication." My hypothesis is that you can cope with a multicultural situation if you have sufficiently mastered a bicultural one.
My second proposed solution--producing generalists--is based on my experience with the Department of Languages and Culture at Dokkyo.
Here, students are required to learn both English and either Spanish or Chinese; they study both languages equally. The department also offers a good Japanese language program and has successfully recruited students from overseas, especially from East Asian countries where Japanese and English are usually emphasized.
Many of the faculty here come from the former liberal arts division, which used to take care of liberal arts education for the whole university. Partly as a result, the department offers a wide variety of courses, including Japanese studies.
Despite our worries that it was too far oriented to producing generalists, it has been successful since its creation seven years ago. Many of the graduates have a very good reputation in the business and academic sectors. The department's emphasis on liberal arts education and the study of not only Spanish-speaking areas and China but Japan itself, together with the multicultural environment created by the overseas students, has made its students the kind of language majors that can send out messages about their own country and culture--true generalists, in other words.
As we are not yet sure which of these two solutions is correct, we have decided to create a new faculty of "international liberal arts" by enlarging and strengthening the present Department of Languages and Culture.
In this new faculty, students will be able to also learn English and Korean. The emphasis will be on the study of the developing Pacific Rim regions, the evaluation of Japanese culture and thought, the understanding of the significance of the multilingual and multicultural environment, and on international exchanges. The program will start next April if approved by the Ministry of Education.
Which will appeal more, the generalist or the specialist approach? Hopefully, both answers are correct.
* * *
The author is the dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Dokkyo University.(IHT/Asahi: May 8,2006)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605080091.html
Virtual experience video game turns arcades into classrooms
Konami Corp. aims to lure bookworms into game arcades.
Its bait? The summer debut of a game that tests the player's English skills.
The company's move comes on a wave of popularity of home console video games that involve mental exercises, such as Brain Age for Nintendo Co.'s DS handheld machine.
Konami expects the new game, to be jointly developed with foreign-language school operator Nova Corp., to attract new customers to game arcades.
"Game de Ryugaku!? (Virtual overseas study experience)" consists of 15 English-based games featuring Nova's rabbit-like character Nova Usagi.
Players indicate the correct answer on the machine's touch-screen with a stylus. They can touch words to complete an English idiom or make Nova Usagi's parachute land on the correct answer.
The difficulty will range from junior high school level to questions that could prove to be posers even for native speakers, Konami said.
Players will get promoted to higher grades according to the level of questions solved.
A personal card will be issued that identifies the player so that he or she can continue from the grade achieved on the game last played.
"This is a new genre that can bring in people who do not usually come to game arcades," a Konami official said.
The company is considering developing other educational games for mathematics and kanji.(IHT/Asahi: May 3,2006)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605030105.html
Its bait? The summer debut of a game that tests the player's English skills.
The company's move comes on a wave of popularity of home console video games that involve mental exercises, such as Brain Age for Nintendo Co.'s DS handheld machine.
Konami expects the new game, to be jointly developed with foreign-language school operator Nova Corp., to attract new customers to game arcades.
"Game de Ryugaku!? (Virtual overseas study experience)" consists of 15 English-based games featuring Nova's rabbit-like character Nova Usagi.
Players indicate the correct answer on the machine's touch-screen with a stylus. They can touch words to complete an English idiom or make Nova Usagi's parachute land on the correct answer.
The difficulty will range from junior high school level to questions that could prove to be posers even for native speakers, Konami said.
Players will get promoted to higher grades according to the level of questions solved.
A personal card will be issued that identifies the player so that he or she can continue from the grade achieved on the game last played.
"This is a new genre that can bring in people who do not usually come to game arcades," a Konami official said.
The company is considering developing other educational games for mathematics and kanji.(IHT/Asahi: May 3,2006)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605030105.html
Monday, May 01, 2006
TOEIC revisions mean big change in English study
A major revision of the Test of English for International Communications, or TOEIC, that will be implemented with testing on May 28 is sure to make people studying English work a lot harder.
Kazumi Iwase gives lessons recently at ARE, a school in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, that specializes in preparing students for TOEIC.
TOEIC, which consists of listening and reading portions to evaluate English proficiency, has a corner on the English qualification test market in Japan.
This is one of TOEIC's biggest markets, with nearly 1.5 million people here taking it in fiscal 2005 while the overall number worldwide stood at some 4.5 million in 2004, according to the Institute for International Business Communication.
It is the first revision since the English proficiency test for nonnative speakers was launched in 1979.
The changes will be instituted next year for group participants who take the exam on a corporate basis.
"The idea behind the changes is to make the test 'more authentic' . . . and meet the needs of the times and the situation regarding how English is actually being used" at work, said Kazumi Yamamoto, an IIBC spokeswoman. The IIBC is the Japanese administrator of TOEIC, which is a product of the U.S.-based English Testing Service.
"For the past 25 years, we have seen such changes as the emergence of e-mail as a major communication means," while reading and analyzing long passages in English is growing increasingly more common in the business field, she said.
The biggest changes in the new listening portion of the test is that it will use four accents -- American, British, Canadian and Australian -- and each conversation will be longer.
In the reading section, error recognition questions will be replaced by fill-in-the blanks based on long passages. Test-takers will be required to answer questions by reading two interrelated passages instead of a single passage.
The number of total questions, 200, and the duration, two hours, will remain unchanged. Scores range from 10 to 990.
Although the IIBC maintains these changes are not intended to make the exam more difficult, it is widely perceived as a step toward more dramatic revisions, prompting many to take the test before it gets harder.
The number of people who took the test in March -- the last time under the old version -- was a record 140,000, up 19.2 percent year-on-year, according to the IIBC.
ETS is also considering the addition of new writing and speaking components in the future, the IIBC said.
The media has reported that the writing and speaking components will be added in late 2006, but the IIBC said the timing has not been decided.
All Round English Inc., which operates a school in Tokyo focusing on preparing for TOEIC, believes it is inevitable that ETS will make the test more difficult.
"The future direction of (TOEIC) is to prevent test-takers who only learn techniques from getting high marks," ARE President Yoshinari Nagamoto said.
The revision will affect many workers in Japan.
Some 2,500 companies, organizations and educational institutions here use the test not only to assess English proficiency but also to determine promotions and overseas assignments.
Globalization "is inevitably increasing employees' chances of communicating in English at work," said Toyota Motor Corp. spokeswoman Yurika Motoyoshi.
The world's second-largest automaker is rapidly expanding its production bases and overseas networks, making its workers' English training a primary concern.
In 1999, Toyota made it a requirement that administrative and engineering personnel had to have a TOEIC score of at least 600 to be promoted to the equivalent of section chief.
In addition, Toyota introduced TOEIC Bridge -- the English test for beginners whose score ranges from 20 to 180 -- to evaluate the English skills of production workers.
The IIBC tailored the TOEIC Bridge score evaluation to the characteristics of manufacturing employees. For instance, those who attain scores of 96 to 115 "can give instructions on how to attach an armrest of a car."
"As we shift production overseas, an increasing number of manufacturing workers in Japan are being dispatched abroad to support overseas production," to convey not only technical skills but also Toyota's philosophy, to local employees, Motoyoshi said.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. in April raised the TOEIC score requirement to 550 from the previous 450 for almost every employee wishing to be promoted to above the section chief level, while those aspiring to get overseas assignments are required to achieve a score of 650.
"The good thing about TOEIC is that we can objectively assess the workers' ability to use English in terms of scores," said Hiroaki Nishimura of the firm's global human resources team.
"I think 730 is the ideal score level for business in general and we wanted to raise the minimum standard even if only slightly," he said, adding that the electronics giant intends to raise the mandatory level in the future.
He welcomes the revision of TOEIC because it will enable Matsushita to assess its employees' English proficiency more accurately. "Lacking substantial English skills means that you'll get less job opportunities in the workplace."
People who try to learn techniques just to get a good score regardless of their actual ability to communicate in English are going to have a much tougher time with TOEIC now.
But Masahiro Takamoto, who studies English at TOEIC prep school ARE, is optimistic about the exam's future direction.
The 32-year-old employee of Visionare Corp., a venture company engaged in DVD-related business, said his ultimate goal is not to obtain high marks but to gain English skills that will someday help him get a job overseas.
He spends five hours at the school every Saturday, attending four lessons to prepare for the test.
Takamoto, who achieved a TOEIC score of 715 in March, up about 60 points from the last time he took the test two years ago, said preparing for TOEIC helps because he can learn practical words used in business.
"In the long run, the revision of TOEIC will affect me in a good way because I'm serious about improving my English."
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060501f1.html
Kazumi Iwase gives lessons recently at ARE, a school in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, that specializes in preparing students for TOEIC.
TOEIC, which consists of listening and reading portions to evaluate English proficiency, has a corner on the English qualification test market in Japan.
This is one of TOEIC's biggest markets, with nearly 1.5 million people here taking it in fiscal 2005 while the overall number worldwide stood at some 4.5 million in 2004, according to the Institute for International Business Communication.
It is the first revision since the English proficiency test for nonnative speakers was launched in 1979.
The changes will be instituted next year for group participants who take the exam on a corporate basis.
"The idea behind the changes is to make the test 'more authentic' . . . and meet the needs of the times and the situation regarding how English is actually being used" at work, said Kazumi Yamamoto, an IIBC spokeswoman. The IIBC is the Japanese administrator of TOEIC, which is a product of the U.S.-based English Testing Service.
"For the past 25 years, we have seen such changes as the emergence of e-mail as a major communication means," while reading and analyzing long passages in English is growing increasingly more common in the business field, she said.
The biggest changes in the new listening portion of the test is that it will use four accents -- American, British, Canadian and Australian -- and each conversation will be longer.
In the reading section, error recognition questions will be replaced by fill-in-the blanks based on long passages. Test-takers will be required to answer questions by reading two interrelated passages instead of a single passage.
The number of total questions, 200, and the duration, two hours, will remain unchanged. Scores range from 10 to 990.
Although the IIBC maintains these changes are not intended to make the exam more difficult, it is widely perceived as a step toward more dramatic revisions, prompting many to take the test before it gets harder.
The number of people who took the test in March -- the last time under the old version -- was a record 140,000, up 19.2 percent year-on-year, according to the IIBC.
ETS is also considering the addition of new writing and speaking components in the future, the IIBC said.
The media has reported that the writing and speaking components will be added in late 2006, but the IIBC said the timing has not been decided.
All Round English Inc., which operates a school in Tokyo focusing on preparing for TOEIC, believes it is inevitable that ETS will make the test more difficult.
"The future direction of (TOEIC) is to prevent test-takers who only learn techniques from getting high marks," ARE President Yoshinari Nagamoto said.
The revision will affect many workers in Japan.
Some 2,500 companies, organizations and educational institutions here use the test not only to assess English proficiency but also to determine promotions and overseas assignments.
Globalization "is inevitably increasing employees' chances of communicating in English at work," said Toyota Motor Corp. spokeswoman Yurika Motoyoshi.
The world's second-largest automaker is rapidly expanding its production bases and overseas networks, making its workers' English training a primary concern.
In 1999, Toyota made it a requirement that administrative and engineering personnel had to have a TOEIC score of at least 600 to be promoted to the equivalent of section chief.
In addition, Toyota introduced TOEIC Bridge -- the English test for beginners whose score ranges from 20 to 180 -- to evaluate the English skills of production workers.
The IIBC tailored the TOEIC Bridge score evaluation to the characteristics of manufacturing employees. For instance, those who attain scores of 96 to 115 "can give instructions on how to attach an armrest of a car."
"As we shift production overseas, an increasing number of manufacturing workers in Japan are being dispatched abroad to support overseas production," to convey not only technical skills but also Toyota's philosophy, to local employees, Motoyoshi said.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. in April raised the TOEIC score requirement to 550 from the previous 450 for almost every employee wishing to be promoted to above the section chief level, while those aspiring to get overseas assignments are required to achieve a score of 650.
"The good thing about TOEIC is that we can objectively assess the workers' ability to use English in terms of scores," said Hiroaki Nishimura of the firm's global human resources team.
"I think 730 is the ideal score level for business in general and we wanted to raise the minimum standard even if only slightly," he said, adding that the electronics giant intends to raise the mandatory level in the future.
He welcomes the revision of TOEIC because it will enable Matsushita to assess its employees' English proficiency more accurately. "Lacking substantial English skills means that you'll get less job opportunities in the workplace."
People who try to learn techniques just to get a good score regardless of their actual ability to communicate in English are going to have a much tougher time with TOEIC now.
But Masahiro Takamoto, who studies English at TOEIC prep school ARE, is optimistic about the exam's future direction.
The 32-year-old employee of Visionare Corp., a venture company engaged in DVD-related business, said his ultimate goal is not to obtain high marks but to gain English skills that will someday help him get a job overseas.
He spends five hours at the school every Saturday, attending four lessons to prepare for the test.
Takamoto, who achieved a TOEIC score of 715 in March, up about 60 points from the last time he took the test two years ago, said preparing for TOEIC helps because he can learn practical words used in business.
"In the long run, the revision of TOEIC will affect me in a good way because I'm serious about improving my English."
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060501f1.html
Ministry plans to reorganize grad schools
A five-year program to create a better study environment for graduate students and young researchers has been announced by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry. The program, to begin this academic year, aims to rein in autocratic professors and stimulate international competitiveness.
According to the ministry, the program is meant to end the conventional "academic unit system" structure, a hierarchical, apprenticeship-style faculty practice under which a professor bosses around younger researchers.
While the number of students continuing into post-graduate study has rapidly increased in recent years, many graduate schools have been criticized by the business sector and from abroad for poor education levels, officials said Saturday.
Enhancing of the quality of graduate schools is a prerequisite for boosting Japan's international competitiveness in business and technology, the ministry said.
Toward the end of March, the ministry eliminated the academic unit system from the prerequisites for university charters. It also worked out a five-year project called "An Outlook of Measures Necessary for the Promotion of Postgraduate Education."
Under the academic unit system, the head professor in each specialty has a dominant say over assistant professors and other research assistants in his unit regarding personnel affairs and research methods.
Criticism of the apprenticeship-like system has increased among graduate students and other young researchers who say they feel like they are treated as low-paid employees of professors.
The ministry quoted some young researchers complaining that their head professors had monopolized decisions on the content of their research and that they are made to do odd jobs for the professors.
Following the ministry's decision to abolish the system, universities from this academic year have been allowed to create new education-research systems.
Effective from next academic year, the post of assistant professor will be abolished and replaced by the new post of associate professor. Associate professors will be capable of exercising discretion in educating students and undertaking research activities, the officials said.
They said the time has come to revamp the conventional faculty system under which graduate students and other young researchers are supposed to acquire expert knowledge by being assistants to senior professors.
The business community also has criticized the system for lacking flexibility in allowing academic knowledge to be applied for industrial purposes.
In response, the ministry plans to introduce an evaluation system by a third-party organ of individual graduate courses, effective this academic year, the ministry said.
In addition, new steps will be taken to expand financial assistance programs for young researchers, it said.
The ongoing project, the 21st Century Center of Excellence program designed to provide government subsidies for universities and postgraduate courses if they are officially recognized as doing high-level research, will be replaced by a new one. Priority in recasting the Center of Excellence program either this fiscal year or next will be placed on boosting the quality and international competitiveness of postgraduate education, according to the officials.
The number of students enrolled nationwide in postgraduate courses stood at about 87,000 in 1988. The number jumped to about 254,000 in 2005, the ministry said.
(May. 1, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060501TDY01002.htm
According to the ministry, the program is meant to end the conventional "academic unit system" structure, a hierarchical, apprenticeship-style faculty practice under which a professor bosses around younger researchers.
While the number of students continuing into post-graduate study has rapidly increased in recent years, many graduate schools have been criticized by the business sector and from abroad for poor education levels, officials said Saturday.
Enhancing of the quality of graduate schools is a prerequisite for boosting Japan's international competitiveness in business and technology, the ministry said.
Toward the end of March, the ministry eliminated the academic unit system from the prerequisites for university charters. It also worked out a five-year project called "An Outlook of Measures Necessary for the Promotion of Postgraduate Education."
Under the academic unit system, the head professor in each specialty has a dominant say over assistant professors and other research assistants in his unit regarding personnel affairs and research methods.
Criticism of the apprenticeship-like system has increased among graduate students and other young researchers who say they feel like they are treated as low-paid employees of professors.
The ministry quoted some young researchers complaining that their head professors had monopolized decisions on the content of their research and that they are made to do odd jobs for the professors.
Following the ministry's decision to abolish the system, universities from this academic year have been allowed to create new education-research systems.
Effective from next academic year, the post of assistant professor will be abolished and replaced by the new post of associate professor. Associate professors will be capable of exercising discretion in educating students and undertaking research activities, the officials said.
They said the time has come to revamp the conventional faculty system under which graduate students and other young researchers are supposed to acquire expert knowledge by being assistants to senior professors.
The business community also has criticized the system for lacking flexibility in allowing academic knowledge to be applied for industrial purposes.
In response, the ministry plans to introduce an evaluation system by a third-party organ of individual graduate courses, effective this academic year, the ministry said.
In addition, new steps will be taken to expand financial assistance programs for young researchers, it said.
The ongoing project, the 21st Century Center of Excellence program designed to provide government subsidies for universities and postgraduate courses if they are officially recognized as doing high-level research, will be replaced by a new one. Priority in recasting the Center of Excellence program either this fiscal year or next will be placed on boosting the quality and international competitiveness of postgraduate education, according to the officials.
The number of students enrolled nationwide in postgraduate courses stood at about 87,000 in 1988. The number jumped to about 254,000 in 2005, the ministry said.
(May. 1, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060501TDY01002.htm
Japan firms, universities to cooperate to nurture software engineers - report
TOKYO (AFX) - Japan's business and academic communities are set to cooperate in a project to fill the shortage of software engineers and boost the global competitiveness of Japan's manufacturing and service industries, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, citing sources close to the matter.
Among the participants are universities nationwide, the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) and 14 major information technology-related companies, the newspaper said.
Under the scheme, the nation's largest business lobby will encourage universities to set up graduate courses dedicated to the training of software engineers.
Corporate participants, including Hitachi, Fujitsu, NEC Corp, IBM Japan Ltd, NTT Data Corp and NS Solutions Corp, will provide engineers to serve as full-time and part-time lecturers, it said.
Toyota Motor Corp and Sony Corp will do the same in an effort to strengthen the country's ability to develop software that can be incorporated into automobiles, household appliances and other products, the report said.
http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=afxnews&articleid=5628655&subject=economic&action=article
Among the participants are universities nationwide, the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) and 14 major information technology-related companies, the newspaper said.
Under the scheme, the nation's largest business lobby will encourage universities to set up graduate courses dedicated to the training of software engineers.
Corporate participants, including Hitachi, Fujitsu, NEC Corp, IBM Japan Ltd, NTT Data Corp and NS Solutions Corp, will provide engineers to serve as full-time and part-time lecturers, it said.
Toyota Motor Corp and Sony Corp will do the same in an effort to strengthen the country's ability to develop software that can be incorporated into automobiles, household appliances and other products, the report said.
http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=afxnews&articleid=5628655&subject=economic&action=article
Universities relocate in chase for students
As competition among universities and colleges for student enrollment intensifies, many schools are shifting away from campuses in suburban areas to convenient locations near the heart of big cities.
In one such move, a number of universities, mostly private, are vying to purchase the former site of the state-run National Police Academy in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, since its relocation to Fuchu, western Tokyo.
The 13-hectare former site of the academy is believed to be the final plot of land remaining in the 23-ward area of the capital for large-scale redevelopment.
Nakano Ward decided in 2005 to invite a university to occupy 4.4 hectares of the central government-owned land. Like many businesses seeking large plots of land in central Tokyo for development, an increasing number of universities and colleges are keen to buy tracts of state-owned land in Tokyo that the government plans to sell.
Wards are often keen to let universities locate in the hope of upgrading the image of their community, with a university as the centerpiece. Unlike building projects such as factories and condominiums, there are rarely objections by local residents against university construction plans.
A Nakano Ward official explained that the ward has few universities, so it wants to invite a university to the former site of the police academy to help reinvigorate the area. If a university is located there, it will boost the number of young people in the area, thanks to such projects as joint industry-academy study programs and a university lecture series open to the public.
===
Turning back from the suburbs
In the past, universities would have new, extensive campuses built in the suburbs to replace their modest campuses in central Tokyo.
Spearheading this trend was the move of the liberal arts school of Chuo University in 1978 from Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda Ward, to the Tama region on the western outskirts of Tokyo.
There are now more than 60 universities and college campuses in the Tama area.
For students, however, schools located close to the heart of Tokyo are attractive for finding part-time jobs and enjoying their leisure time.
In the eyes of university authorities, central locations are advantageous for attracting company employees wishing to study postgraduate courses after work.
The shift in the past of campuses moving away from central Tokyo to the suburbs has thus been reversed by a "U-turn phenomenon" to the heart of the metropolis. It seems the tendency for students to favor universities located in central Tokyo may be irreversible.
Two universities with old campuses in the vicinity of Chuo University's Kanda-Surugadai--Nihon University and Meiji University--are both having their buildings remodeled into high-rise structures, while purchasing adjacent plots of land for expansion.
University administrators say those schools with campuses in central Tokyo are likely to become more and more popular in an age of declining birthrates.
Chuo University has also adopted a U-turn policy, establishing a postgraduate school in Ichigaya, Shinjuku Ward, in 2000.
Shibaura Institute of Technology opened its new campus in Toyosu, Koto Ward, this spring.
The new campus is more than three times the size of the old campus in Shibaura, Minato Ward, in terms of area as well as floor space. Of its three vacant buildings in Shibaura, the university has sold two, while a new building is planned to be built on the remaining plot.
The university had earlier planned to accept an invitation from the city government of Okaya, Nagano Prefecture, to relocate there, but declined the offer due to difficulties in attracting enough students to a rural location.
Because of its convenient location close to JR Tamachi Station, there have been inquiries from several universities to let them use the planned building as a "satellite" arm, Shibaura Institute of Technology officials said.
Tosei Gakuen, the institute running Showa Academia Musicae, plans to close its campus in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, next April, to move to Kawasaki, following the example of Aoyama Gakuin University, which moved from the same location in 2003, chiefly because of insufficient transportation.
After its move from Atsugi to Kawasaki, the new campus of Showa Academia Musicae can now be reached from Shinjuku in 21 minutes by train, compared with the previous train journey of 46 minutes followed by a 20-minute bus ride.
A school spokesperson said, "Students and staff can now return to the new campus easily after enjoying a concert or other cultural performance in central Tokyo."
Heian Jogakuin (St. Agnes) University, a women's school in the Kansai area, closed its campus in Moriyama, near Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture, in 2005, only five years after opening, due to low student numbers. The campus is now located in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, considerably more convenient than Moriyama.
However, the move was not popular with everyone and a group of students filed a complaint against school authorities over the abolition of the Moriyama campus, arguing that they have been deprived of the right to study at Moriyama.
Against this background of restructuring universities, it seems there may be more cases in which students will be "forced to move" because of the relocation of campuses.
===
Schools moving into metropolis
In addition to those making "U-turns," schools moving into central Tokyo have been increasing.
Teikyo Heisei University, currently located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, purchased a former primary school site in Toshima Ward in 2004 for 6.5 billion yen, and plans to build a 10-story school building.
Associate Professor Masako Igarashi, played a major role in finding out the site as she obtained information about the sale of the site through frequent visits to the ward office.
"We wanted to secure a plot of land within 10 minutes' walk from a JR Yamanote Line station," Igarashi said.
Prospective students want to attend a school which is convenient to their homes or located in the heart of Tokyo, she said. "Those schools situated elsewhere have trouble securing enough students," she added.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060429TDY04002.htm
In one such move, a number of universities, mostly private, are vying to purchase the former site of the state-run National Police Academy in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, since its relocation to Fuchu, western Tokyo.
The 13-hectare former site of the academy is believed to be the final plot of land remaining in the 23-ward area of the capital for large-scale redevelopment.
Nakano Ward decided in 2005 to invite a university to occupy 4.4 hectares of the central government-owned land. Like many businesses seeking large plots of land in central Tokyo for development, an increasing number of universities and colleges are keen to buy tracts of state-owned land in Tokyo that the government plans to sell.
Wards are often keen to let universities locate in the hope of upgrading the image of their community, with a university as the centerpiece. Unlike building projects such as factories and condominiums, there are rarely objections by local residents against university construction plans.
A Nakano Ward official explained that the ward has few universities, so it wants to invite a university to the former site of the police academy to help reinvigorate the area. If a university is located there, it will boost the number of young people in the area, thanks to such projects as joint industry-academy study programs and a university lecture series open to the public.
===
Turning back from the suburbs
In the past, universities would have new, extensive campuses built in the suburbs to replace their modest campuses in central Tokyo.
Spearheading this trend was the move of the liberal arts school of Chuo University in 1978 from Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda Ward, to the Tama region on the western outskirts of Tokyo.
There are now more than 60 universities and college campuses in the Tama area.
For students, however, schools located close to the heart of Tokyo are attractive for finding part-time jobs and enjoying their leisure time.
In the eyes of university authorities, central locations are advantageous for attracting company employees wishing to study postgraduate courses after work.
The shift in the past of campuses moving away from central Tokyo to the suburbs has thus been reversed by a "U-turn phenomenon" to the heart of the metropolis. It seems the tendency for students to favor universities located in central Tokyo may be irreversible.
Two universities with old campuses in the vicinity of Chuo University's Kanda-Surugadai--Nihon University and Meiji University--are both having their buildings remodeled into high-rise structures, while purchasing adjacent plots of land for expansion.
University administrators say those schools with campuses in central Tokyo are likely to become more and more popular in an age of declining birthrates.
Chuo University has also adopted a U-turn policy, establishing a postgraduate school in Ichigaya, Shinjuku Ward, in 2000.
Shibaura Institute of Technology opened its new campus in Toyosu, Koto Ward, this spring.
The new campus is more than three times the size of the old campus in Shibaura, Minato Ward, in terms of area as well as floor space. Of its three vacant buildings in Shibaura, the university has sold two, while a new building is planned to be built on the remaining plot.
The university had earlier planned to accept an invitation from the city government of Okaya, Nagano Prefecture, to relocate there, but declined the offer due to difficulties in attracting enough students to a rural location.
Because of its convenient location close to JR Tamachi Station, there have been inquiries from several universities to let them use the planned building as a "satellite" arm, Shibaura Institute of Technology officials said.
Tosei Gakuen, the institute running Showa Academia Musicae, plans to close its campus in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, next April, to move to Kawasaki, following the example of Aoyama Gakuin University, which moved from the same location in 2003, chiefly because of insufficient transportation.
After its move from Atsugi to Kawasaki, the new campus of Showa Academia Musicae can now be reached from Shinjuku in 21 minutes by train, compared with the previous train journey of 46 minutes followed by a 20-minute bus ride.
A school spokesperson said, "Students and staff can now return to the new campus easily after enjoying a concert or other cultural performance in central Tokyo."
Heian Jogakuin (St. Agnes) University, a women's school in the Kansai area, closed its campus in Moriyama, near Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture, in 2005, only five years after opening, due to low student numbers. The campus is now located in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, considerably more convenient than Moriyama.
However, the move was not popular with everyone and a group of students filed a complaint against school authorities over the abolition of the Moriyama campus, arguing that they have been deprived of the right to study at Moriyama.
Against this background of restructuring universities, it seems there may be more cases in which students will be "forced to move" because of the relocation of campuses.
===
Schools moving into metropolis
In addition to those making "U-turns," schools moving into central Tokyo have been increasing.
Teikyo Heisei University, currently located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, purchased a former primary school site in Toshima Ward in 2004 for 6.5 billion yen, and plans to build a 10-story school building.
Associate Professor Masako Igarashi, played a major role in finding out the site as she obtained information about the sale of the site through frequent visits to the ward office.
"We wanted to secure a plot of land within 10 minutes' walk from a JR Yamanote Line station," Igarashi said.
Prospective students want to attend a school which is convenient to their homes or located in the heart of Tokyo, she said. "Those schools situated elsewhere have trouble securing enough students," she added.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060429TDY04002.htm
Thursday, April 27, 2006
20,000 foreign students in public schools need Japanese lessons
The number of foreign students who go to public elementary, junior high and high schools in Japan and need to be taught Japanese rose to 20,692 as of last September, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier and topping 20,000 for the first time, the education ministry said Wednesday.
The figure reflects the increase in the number of people registered in Japan as foreign residents, officials of the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry said, adding that the ministry will make efforts to improve the situation for such children.
The breakdown of the number is 14,281 students at elementary schools, 5,076 students at junior high schools, 1,242 students at senior high schools, 70 students at schools for the blind, deaf, or disabled and 23 students at secondary education schools.
Among the 5,281 schools attended by the foreign students, 47.1 percent have only one person to teach them Japanese. The number of schools with 30 or more such students grew from 56 to 77 last year.
Aichi Prefecture had 3,620 foreign students who need to take Japanese lessons, the largest number among Japan's 47 prefectures. It was followed by 2,219 students in Kanagawa Prefecture and 2,044 in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Meanwhile, the number of Japanese pupils who need to take lessons in the Japanese language for such reasons as they have lived abroad or have a foreign parent also hit a record high of 3,214.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060426/kyodo/d8h7m67o0.html
The figure reflects the increase in the number of people registered in Japan as foreign residents, officials of the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry said, adding that the ministry will make efforts to improve the situation for such children.
The breakdown of the number is 14,281 students at elementary schools, 5,076 students at junior high schools, 1,242 students at senior high schools, 70 students at schools for the blind, deaf, or disabled and 23 students at secondary education schools.
Among the 5,281 schools attended by the foreign students, 47.1 percent have only one person to teach them Japanese. The number of schools with 30 or more such students grew from 56 to 77 last year.
Aichi Prefecture had 3,620 foreign students who need to take Japanese lessons, the largest number among Japan's 47 prefectures. It was followed by 2,219 students in Kanagawa Prefecture and 2,044 in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Meanwhile, the number of Japanese pupils who need to take lessons in the Japanese language for such reasons as they have lived abroad or have a foreign parent also hit a record high of 3,214.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060426/kyodo/d8h7m67o0.html
Mizuho, Tokyo Gakugei Univ. to help children in financial education
Mizuho Financial Group Inc. and Tokyo Gakugei University said Wednesday they will jointly study financial education for elementary and junior high school students, and will create textbooks and develop methods for such education.
Mizuho will dispatch financial experts to the university to cooperate in the study, it said.
Speaking at a news conference, Terunobu Maeda, president of Mizuho Financial Group, said, "There are lots of books in bookstores on money making but such a basic rule as 'borrowed money should be paid back' is only taught at home now."
He indicated that the three-year joint study will focus on teaching children about the rules and ethical education.
The study will also emphasize developing practical education methods and creating useful textbooks by reflecting opinions of teachers and schools, according to the university and the financial group.
The two entities intend to make use of the research achievements through the university's extension classes for teachers and others, they said, adding that the cost of study will be shouldered by the financial group.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060426/kyodo/d8h7ktb81.html
Mizuho will dispatch financial experts to the university to cooperate in the study, it said.
Speaking at a news conference, Terunobu Maeda, president of Mizuho Financial Group, said, "There are lots of books in bookstores on money making but such a basic rule as 'borrowed money should be paid back' is only taught at home now."
He indicated that the three-year joint study will focus on teaching children about the rules and ethical education.
The study will also emphasize developing practical education methods and creating useful textbooks by reflecting opinions of teachers and schools, according to the university and the financial group.
The two entities intend to make use of the research achievements through the university's extension classes for teachers and others, they said, adding that the cost of study will be shouldered by the financial group.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060426/kyodo/d8h7ktb81.html
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
New TOEIC nothing to fear
Beginning with the May 28 session, the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) will have its first major makeover since it was first administered in 1979. But the core quality of the test will be maintained, with the scale, the score range and degree of difficulty unchanged, according to its designer, Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The U.S. nonprofit organization has refined the TOEIC's tasks "to make them more authentic," according to ETS assessment specialist Trina Duke, who announced the revision at a press conference held in Japan last year.
The changes will allow the test to introduce new tasks "that more closely reflect what a person using the language in the real world would have to do," she said.
For example, the listening section will feature a variety of accents from English-speaking countries, not only from the United States. Meanwhile, test-takers will have to listen to longer sets of dialogues as well as longer talks, for which they will have to answer three questions each.
Previously, one or two questions each were set for most conversations and short talks. Also, questions asking test-takers to identify errors in sentences have been replaced by cloze passage (fill-in-the-blank) questions.
However, the he highlight of the changes in the reading section is to introduce "double passage" questions. Such questions require test-takers to refer to two passages and combine the information to find the right answers.
Facing such upcoming changes in the TOEIC, test-takers rushed to the examination's March session as it was their last chance to take the format they had become familiar with.
According to the Institute for International Business Communication, the test's Japan administrator, about 143,000 people took it in March, up 19.2 percent from a year earlier. The March 2005 session saw just a 3 percent increase in the number of test-takers from the previous year.
Will the revised TOEIC be easier, more difficult or about the same as the previous version?
When the Kinokuniya bookstore organized a workshop in Tokyo earlier this month, a choice of "becoming a little more difficult" was the most favored view in a poll of those who attended.
However, TOEIC trainers Robert Hilke and Hiro Maeda, who led the workshop, believe that the revised test "will be a little bit easier or about the same" in terms of difficulty.
Test-takers do not have to feel intimidated about the new TOEIC test, Hilke stressed, "if you understand the test and if you understand how to take the test."
In Part 3, for example, test-takers now will have to listen to 10 longer sets of conversations, while they previously listened to 30 shorter sets of dialogues. At the same time, the number of questions per conversation will increase to three to maintain the total number of Part 3 questions at 30. Maeda, who has achieved a perfect score of about 990 points on the TOEIC, calls this a welcome change.
"With 30 sets of conversations, Part 3 featured a wide variety of topics," he said. "So you had to switch gears 30 times, but from now on, you'll just be processing 10 different topics."
Hilke said that as test-makers will have to create three questions for just one dialogue, "Each question will surely become a little easier."
Throughout the workshop, the pair emphasized importance of "time management," which remains key regardless of the changes.
The first two parts of the reading section--Part 5 will present incomplete sentence questions, while Part 6 will set cloze passages--should be set to give more time to the final section. Each question in Part 5 should be answered at maximum 20 seconds, while no more than three minutes should be spent per passage in Part 6, the two trainers stressed.
This approach will leave 55 minutes to tackle the last section, Part 7, with its "double passage" questions. The workshop introduced a sample of these questions, presenting a leaflet on a restaurant and an e-mail inquiry from a customer.
The skill of skimming information is the key for processing double passages, Maeda said. By presenting sets of interrelated texts, the new TOEIC will be able to set questions requiring test-takers to refer to both texts to find out right answers.
One piece of advice the expert provided for these questions was: "You should briefly read at least the first passage to find out what kind of information is written in which part of the text."
"Also, it's also important for you to quickly grasp who appears in the passages and the relationships among the people," he added.
Time management is an important element even in the listening section, the two stressed. Hilke said the key to processing longer conversations and talks is to "read the [next] question before you listen."
To create time for this, the two suggested a technique by which test-takers just lightly indicate their choices on answer sheets during short pauses between questions so that they can go on check the next question. They can more fully black out the marks later, when the test moves on to the reading section.
"[We] cannot overemphasize that how you use your time is the most important skill for you in getting a good TOEIC score," Hilke said in concluding the workshop.
===
Major changes to TOEIC
-- Part 1, in which test-takers listen to descriptions of photographs, will see its number of questions reduced from 20 to 10. Instead, Part 4, the short talks part, will have 10 questions added, for a total of 30.
-- Conversations in Part 3 and talks in Part 4 will be spoken for a longer time. Previously, a single question was set for each dialogue, while two to three questions were offered per talk, but the revision will set three questions per conversation or talk.
-- In these two parts, test-takers will also be able to hear questions spoken, although they are already written on the sheet.
-- In addition to a U.S. accent, the new format will feature Canadian, British and Australian accents.
-- Part 6 used to be dedicated to identifying errors in sentences. The revision will eliminate this error-recognition task. Instead, the new Part 6 will set cloze passages, featuring three passages with four blanks each. As a result, the number of questions will be reduced from 20 to 12.
-- In addition to the traditional "single passage" approach, Part 7, the reading comprehension part, will see the debut of a "double passage" approach featuring pairs of related texts. Some questions will require referring to both texts for correct answers, thus assessing the ability to connect information across passages. The number of questions will be increased from 40 to 48.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060425TDY16001.htm
The U.S. nonprofit organization has refined the TOEIC's tasks "to make them more authentic," according to ETS assessment specialist Trina Duke, who announced the revision at a press conference held in Japan last year.
The changes will allow the test to introduce new tasks "that more closely reflect what a person using the language in the real world would have to do," she said.
For example, the listening section will feature a variety of accents from English-speaking countries, not only from the United States. Meanwhile, test-takers will have to listen to longer sets of dialogues as well as longer talks, for which they will have to answer three questions each.
Previously, one or two questions each were set for most conversations and short talks. Also, questions asking test-takers to identify errors in sentences have been replaced by cloze passage (fill-in-the-blank) questions.
However, the he highlight of the changes in the reading section is to introduce "double passage" questions. Such questions require test-takers to refer to two passages and combine the information to find the right answers.
Facing such upcoming changes in the TOEIC, test-takers rushed to the examination's March session as it was their last chance to take the format they had become familiar with.
According to the Institute for International Business Communication, the test's Japan administrator, about 143,000 people took it in March, up 19.2 percent from a year earlier. The March 2005 session saw just a 3 percent increase in the number of test-takers from the previous year.
Will the revised TOEIC be easier, more difficult or about the same as the previous version?
When the Kinokuniya bookstore organized a workshop in Tokyo earlier this month, a choice of "becoming a little more difficult" was the most favored view in a poll of those who attended.
However, TOEIC trainers Robert Hilke and Hiro Maeda, who led the workshop, believe that the revised test "will be a little bit easier or about the same" in terms of difficulty.
Test-takers do not have to feel intimidated about the new TOEIC test, Hilke stressed, "if you understand the test and if you understand how to take the test."
In Part 3, for example, test-takers now will have to listen to 10 longer sets of conversations, while they previously listened to 30 shorter sets of dialogues. At the same time, the number of questions per conversation will increase to three to maintain the total number of Part 3 questions at 30. Maeda, who has achieved a perfect score of about 990 points on the TOEIC, calls this a welcome change.
"With 30 sets of conversations, Part 3 featured a wide variety of topics," he said. "So you had to switch gears 30 times, but from now on, you'll just be processing 10 different topics."
Hilke said that as test-makers will have to create three questions for just one dialogue, "Each question will surely become a little easier."
Throughout the workshop, the pair emphasized importance of "time management," which remains key regardless of the changes.
The first two parts of the reading section--Part 5 will present incomplete sentence questions, while Part 6 will set cloze passages--should be set to give more time to the final section. Each question in Part 5 should be answered at maximum 20 seconds, while no more than three minutes should be spent per passage in Part 6, the two trainers stressed.
This approach will leave 55 minutes to tackle the last section, Part 7, with its "double passage" questions. The workshop introduced a sample of these questions, presenting a leaflet on a restaurant and an e-mail inquiry from a customer.
The skill of skimming information is the key for processing double passages, Maeda said. By presenting sets of interrelated texts, the new TOEIC will be able to set questions requiring test-takers to refer to both texts to find out right answers.
One piece of advice the expert provided for these questions was: "You should briefly read at least the first passage to find out what kind of information is written in which part of the text."
"Also, it's also important for you to quickly grasp who appears in the passages and the relationships among the people," he added.
Time management is an important element even in the listening section, the two stressed. Hilke said the key to processing longer conversations and talks is to "read the [next] question before you listen."
To create time for this, the two suggested a technique by which test-takers just lightly indicate their choices on answer sheets during short pauses between questions so that they can go on check the next question. They can more fully black out the marks later, when the test moves on to the reading section.
"[We] cannot overemphasize that how you use your time is the most important skill for you in getting a good TOEIC score," Hilke said in concluding the workshop.
===
Major changes to TOEIC
-- Part 1, in which test-takers listen to descriptions of photographs, will see its number of questions reduced from 20 to 10. Instead, Part 4, the short talks part, will have 10 questions added, for a total of 30.
-- Conversations in Part 3 and talks in Part 4 will be spoken for a longer time. Previously, a single question was set for each dialogue, while two to three questions were offered per talk, but the revision will set three questions per conversation or talk.
-- In these two parts, test-takers will also be able to hear questions spoken, although they are already written on the sheet.
-- In addition to a U.S. accent, the new format will feature Canadian, British and Australian accents.
-- Part 6 used to be dedicated to identifying errors in sentences. The revision will eliminate this error-recognition task. Instead, the new Part 6 will set cloze passages, featuring three passages with four blanks each. As a result, the number of questions will be reduced from 20 to 12.
-- In addition to the traditional "single passage" approach, Part 7, the reading comprehension part, will see the debut of a "double passage" approach featuring pairs of related texts. Some questions will require referring to both texts for correct answers, thus assessing the ability to connect information across passages. The number of questions will be increased from 40 to 48.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060425TDY16001.htm
Universities focus on basics
As more students find it difficult to follow lectures due to a lack of academic fundamentals, universities have moved to help them with new curricula and sweeping campus reforms.
One such university, Chitose Institute of Science and Technology, has tapped into the initiative of its students to make its own bespoke educational software.
"Can you make the graph more detailed?"
"No, I think it's better like this because students can understand it more easily when it's simple. Why don't we add some animation as well?"
This may sound like the kind of exchange one would expect during a meeting at an education materials firm, but it is an example of student-teacher interaction at the university in Chitose, Hokkaido, which was founded in 1998.
The university runs an E-Learning System through which students can learn subjects such as mathematics, science and English using Internet-based supplemental study materials.
Under the system, which it is hoped will enhance students' basic learning ability, students have access to about 8,600 software titles. These applications provide unit learning and scholastic exercises from the middle school level up to those taught during the first year of university.
Sophomore students develop the software--with input from juniors and seniors--mainly using the teaching staff's lecture notes.
Hiroshi Komatsugawa, an associate professor of the university who heads software development, said: "New students can improve their basic learning ability, while sophomore students gain experience of software development. This system kills two birds with one stone."
More than 98 percent of the university's students who wished to work after graduation landed jobs this spring, many getting jobs at manufacturers and information technology firms in major cities.
In the wake of the system's success, educators from all over the nation have visited the university.
This spring, high school students who had been educated according to the Education, Science and Technology Ministry's new official teaching guidelines entered university.
Compared with the previous guidelines, some subjects have had their content cut by about 30 percent. As a result, observers are concerned that students may lack the ability to follow first-year university lectures, a situation known as the "2006 problem."
According to Prof. Akira Onodera of Hokkaido University's Graduate School of Science, half of the students who enter science and technology faculties have not mastered high school-level physics.
"The number of those who can't keep up with university lectures is increasing," he said.
Prof. Hiroshi Ono of the National Institute of Multimedia Education said, "The disparity in the academic ability of students has become a serious problem in those universities that have pared down the subjects students need to study for entrance examinations and increased the admission of students based on recommendations."
To support students who are not academically able, many universities offer remedial classes in which students learn subjects they have never studied or those in which they performed poorly while at high school.
According to Kanto Gakuin University's College of Engineering in Yokohama, 34 students, or 4 percent of all the freshmen who entered the college in spring 2003, later dropped out.
Many of them quit because they could not keep up with the lectures.
Alarmed at this, the following year teaching staff introduced a curriculum that included the teaching of primary mathematics and physics topics.
The college opened a counseling room where teaching staff tutor students on a one-on-one basis. The staff also began taking turns writing in notebooks as a way of exchanging messages with their students.
As a result, the number of students who drop out has halved.
Prof. Toru Kanada said, "It's important for students to gain self-confidence when they're in the first year."
Matsumoto Dental University in Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, introduced sweeping changes in April.
It built a students' dormitory on campus hoping that students would get into the habit of studying. Currently, the dormitory is home to 113 newly enrolled students.
The new students have dentistry classes in the morning, but in the afternoon, they take classes in Japanese expression, physics, biology and mathematics to ensure the basics are drummed into their heads.
The university has been suffering as its students increasingly fail to pass the national dentistry examination.
The college's hope of improving its pass rate is one reason behind the reforms, but Hidehiro Ozawa, the university president, said he did not want to adopt measures that would result in raising the pass rate solely because knowledge had been crammed into students' brains.
"We reviewed our curriculum with the idea of cultivating dentists who had both extensive knowledge and great compassion. Looking at our reforms, it's definitely the most effective way," he said.
The university's plan is to offer various kinds of lectures to trainee dentists, and not regard primary subject classes as remedial.
Some long-established universities also have been trying to come up with ways to deal with similar situations.
Tokyo University introduced a new curriculum this month, in which liberal arts students are required to take more credits.
Hokkaido University, meanwhile, examined the new high school teaching guidelines and overhauled its liberal arts program. As part of the changes, the university introduced English classes grouped by ability.
The number of universities taking part in examinations to evaluate the basic academic ability of their students is expected to rise to 115 this academic year. Two years ago it was 42.
Prof. Ono of the National Institute of Multimedia Education that holds the examination said, "The disparity between universities working on improving basic academic abilities and those that don't will become greater in the future."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/culture/20060424TDY03003.htm
One such university, Chitose Institute of Science and Technology, has tapped into the initiative of its students to make its own bespoke educational software.
"Can you make the graph more detailed?"
"No, I think it's better like this because students can understand it more easily when it's simple. Why don't we add some animation as well?"
This may sound like the kind of exchange one would expect during a meeting at an education materials firm, but it is an example of student-teacher interaction at the university in Chitose, Hokkaido, which was founded in 1998.
The university runs an E-Learning System through which students can learn subjects such as mathematics, science and English using Internet-based supplemental study materials.
Under the system, which it is hoped will enhance students' basic learning ability, students have access to about 8,600 software titles. These applications provide unit learning and scholastic exercises from the middle school level up to those taught during the first year of university.
Sophomore students develop the software--with input from juniors and seniors--mainly using the teaching staff's lecture notes.
Hiroshi Komatsugawa, an associate professor of the university who heads software development, said: "New students can improve their basic learning ability, while sophomore students gain experience of software development. This system kills two birds with one stone."
More than 98 percent of the university's students who wished to work after graduation landed jobs this spring, many getting jobs at manufacturers and information technology firms in major cities.
In the wake of the system's success, educators from all over the nation have visited the university.
This spring, high school students who had been educated according to the Education, Science and Technology Ministry's new official teaching guidelines entered university.
Compared with the previous guidelines, some subjects have had their content cut by about 30 percent. As a result, observers are concerned that students may lack the ability to follow first-year university lectures, a situation known as the "2006 problem."
According to Prof. Akira Onodera of Hokkaido University's Graduate School of Science, half of the students who enter science and technology faculties have not mastered high school-level physics.
"The number of those who can't keep up with university lectures is increasing," he said.
Prof. Hiroshi Ono of the National Institute of Multimedia Education said, "The disparity in the academic ability of students has become a serious problem in those universities that have pared down the subjects students need to study for entrance examinations and increased the admission of students based on recommendations."
To support students who are not academically able, many universities offer remedial classes in which students learn subjects they have never studied or those in which they performed poorly while at high school.
According to Kanto Gakuin University's College of Engineering in Yokohama, 34 students, or 4 percent of all the freshmen who entered the college in spring 2003, later dropped out.
Many of them quit because they could not keep up with the lectures.
Alarmed at this, the following year teaching staff introduced a curriculum that included the teaching of primary mathematics and physics topics.
The college opened a counseling room where teaching staff tutor students on a one-on-one basis. The staff also began taking turns writing in notebooks as a way of exchanging messages with their students.
As a result, the number of students who drop out has halved.
Prof. Toru Kanada said, "It's important for students to gain self-confidence when they're in the first year."
Matsumoto Dental University in Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, introduced sweeping changes in April.
It built a students' dormitory on campus hoping that students would get into the habit of studying. Currently, the dormitory is home to 113 newly enrolled students.
The new students have dentistry classes in the morning, but in the afternoon, they take classes in Japanese expression, physics, biology and mathematics to ensure the basics are drummed into their heads.
The university has been suffering as its students increasingly fail to pass the national dentistry examination.
The college's hope of improving its pass rate is one reason behind the reforms, but Hidehiro Ozawa, the university president, said he did not want to adopt measures that would result in raising the pass rate solely because knowledge had been crammed into students' brains.
"We reviewed our curriculum with the idea of cultivating dentists who had both extensive knowledge and great compassion. Looking at our reforms, it's definitely the most effective way," he said.
The university's plan is to offer various kinds of lectures to trainee dentists, and not regard primary subject classes as remedial.
Some long-established universities also have been trying to come up with ways to deal with similar situations.
Tokyo University introduced a new curriculum this month, in which liberal arts students are required to take more credits.
Hokkaido University, meanwhile, examined the new high school teaching guidelines and overhauled its liberal arts program. As part of the changes, the university introduced English classes grouped by ability.
The number of universities taking part in examinations to evaluate the basic academic ability of their students is expected to rise to 115 this academic year. Two years ago it was 42.
Prof. Ono of the National Institute of Multimedia Education that holds the examination said, "The disparity between universities working on improving basic academic abilities and those that don't will become greater in the future."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/culture/20060424TDY03003.htm
Japanese students enjoy freedom, burgers
MURRIETA ---- When a group of exchange students returned home to Japan from Murrieta last month, they likely told their friends all about their visits to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and In-N-Out Burger.Those were among the favorite things mentioned by some of the 38 students and two teachers from Sasebo Minami High School in Nagasaki who visited the area from March 4 to 19.
They were at Vista Murrieta High from March 13 to 17, and five students and two teachers from Vista Murrieta are visiting Sasebo Minami now.
Teachers Okunuki Fukuko and Ishibashi Shuichiro accompanied the freshman students to Murrieta. They pupils were part of a Global Course on their campus and paid for the trip by themselves.The teachers took advantage of the trip to learn about the difference in how students are educated in the two countries.The educators and students all noticed how much freedom American students have compared to those in Japan.
"The students in America are much more open to say their opinions," Shuichiro said. "In Japan, the teachers require quiet all the time.""This class is very free" said Oshima Airi, 16. "There is much freedom in class. Our school is very strict."Kuwahara Hiro, who spent some time in Oregon when his father worked there, echoed the comments of the others."Here students have freedom, but (that comes with) responsibility," he said. "It looks free, but there are still rules."The Japanese students wear uniforms to school, and the girls are not allowed to wear makeup.
The students also have to clean their classroom at the end of the day.Vista Murrieta is a larger school than Sasebo Minami, which has about 800 students. Shuichiro also marvelled at the sizes of the homes in Murrieta and the fact some have swimming pools.
"It was fun just watching the students compared to Japan," Fukuko said. "Maybe I can bring some good parts (from Murrieta) to Japan."Mike Pattison, the activities director at Vista Murrieta who has made four trips to Japan, said students are pretty much the same everywhere.
"While they're from different schools, many times they're very alike," Pattison said.And they like the same things. The Japanese students said they would miss Mexican food, pizza and hamburgers.Michizoe Yuka, who said she enjoys studying languages, even picked up some American colloquialisms."Kind of" and "okey-dokey" were two of her favorites.
The students lived with host families in Murrieta and in a true exchange, the Vista Murrieta pupils are living in homes in Japan."I had a very good time. I want to stay here for good," Hiro said.Garrett Estrada is one of the Vista Murrieta students visiting Japan, and he was looking forward to the trip."Japan has always been a country I wanted to go to," said Estrada, who has been traveling the world since he was 10 and has visited Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. "When I heard the Japanese kids were coming, I wanted to go to their school to visit there."He said he was especially anxious to learn about Japanese pop culture.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/04/17/news/californian/41606193022.txt
They were at Vista Murrieta High from March 13 to 17, and five students and two teachers from Vista Murrieta are visiting Sasebo Minami now.
Teachers Okunuki Fukuko and Ishibashi Shuichiro accompanied the freshman students to Murrieta. They pupils were part of a Global Course on their campus and paid for the trip by themselves.The teachers took advantage of the trip to learn about the difference in how students are educated in the two countries.The educators and students all noticed how much freedom American students have compared to those in Japan.
"The students in America are much more open to say their opinions," Shuichiro said. "In Japan, the teachers require quiet all the time.""This class is very free" said Oshima Airi, 16. "There is much freedom in class. Our school is very strict."Kuwahara Hiro, who spent some time in Oregon when his father worked there, echoed the comments of the others."Here students have freedom, but (that comes with) responsibility," he said. "It looks free, but there are still rules."The Japanese students wear uniforms to school, and the girls are not allowed to wear makeup.
The students also have to clean their classroom at the end of the day.Vista Murrieta is a larger school than Sasebo Minami, which has about 800 students. Shuichiro also marvelled at the sizes of the homes in Murrieta and the fact some have swimming pools.
"It was fun just watching the students compared to Japan," Fukuko said. "Maybe I can bring some good parts (from Murrieta) to Japan."Mike Pattison, the activities director at Vista Murrieta who has made four trips to Japan, said students are pretty much the same everywhere.
"While they're from different schools, many times they're very alike," Pattison said.And they like the same things. The Japanese students said they would miss Mexican food, pizza and hamburgers.Michizoe Yuka, who said she enjoys studying languages, even picked up some American colloquialisms."Kind of" and "okey-dokey" were two of her favorites.
The students lived with host families in Murrieta and in a true exchange, the Vista Murrieta pupils are living in homes in Japan."I had a very good time. I want to stay here for good," Hiro said.Garrett Estrada is one of the Vista Murrieta students visiting Japan, and he was looking forward to the trip."Japan has always been a country I wanted to go to," said Estrada, who has been traveling the world since he was 10 and has visited Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. "When I heard the Japanese kids were coming, I wanted to go to their school to visit there."He said he was especially anxious to learn about Japanese pop culture.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/04/17/news/californian/41606193022.txt
Friday, April 14, 2006
China-Japan student exchange programme to help improve ties
China and Japan have agreed to strengthen educational co-operation and cultural exchanges by sending more young people to visit each other's nation.
The Ministry of Education told China Daily yesterday that starting this year, China would send 1,250 senior middle school students to Japan each year.
The same number of Japanese students will also come to China annually, to gain a better understanding of the country.
About 1,100 of the total 1,250 students will stay in Japan for 10 days, and others will undertake yearly or half-yearly study programmes, said Xue Yanqing, director of the Asian and African Affairs division with the ministry's international co-operation and exchanges department.
"We hope young people from both countries can gain a true understanding of modern China and Japan, so that misunderstandings and prejudice brought about from history can be cleared up," he said.
The first group of 200 students to visit Japan will set out in May and are being hosted by the Tokyo-based Japan-China Friendship Centre.
Students will visit three to four cities in 10 days and visit houses of local residents to experience a day in the life of an average Japanese person.
The ministry said all 200 students had been chosen from senior high schools nationwide.
Preferential policies will be given to remote areas in recommending students.
Besides the programme, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing also announced yesterday that Japan would provide free TV programmes, worth 35.4 million yen (US$300,000), to China Education TV.
Most of the programmes will be science and technology documentaries, said the embassy.
This project comes at a time when Sino-Japanese relations are facing difficulties. Beijing has repeatedly pledged it will continue to actively promote Sino-Japanese ties in diversified fields.
President Hu Jintao told seven visiting Japan-China friendship organizations in late March that he hoped mutual understanding and friendship between the two sides would improve, especially among the young.
Visiting Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Kaneda Katsutoshi held talks with Chinese Vice-Minister of Education Wu Qidi yesterday.
He said in the meeting that besides close economic ties between the two countries, "we should also strengthen co-operation in education and culture."
Source:China Daily
http://english.people.com.cn/200604/13/eng20060413_258073.html
The Ministry of Education told China Daily yesterday that starting this year, China would send 1,250 senior middle school students to Japan each year.
The same number of Japanese students will also come to China annually, to gain a better understanding of the country.
About 1,100 of the total 1,250 students will stay in Japan for 10 days, and others will undertake yearly or half-yearly study programmes, said Xue Yanqing, director of the Asian and African Affairs division with the ministry's international co-operation and exchanges department.
"We hope young people from both countries can gain a true understanding of modern China and Japan, so that misunderstandings and prejudice brought about from history can be cleared up," he said.
The first group of 200 students to visit Japan will set out in May and are being hosted by the Tokyo-based Japan-China Friendship Centre.
Students will visit three to four cities in 10 days and visit houses of local residents to experience a day in the life of an average Japanese person.
The ministry said all 200 students had been chosen from senior high schools nationwide.
Preferential policies will be given to remote areas in recommending students.
Besides the programme, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing also announced yesterday that Japan would provide free TV programmes, worth 35.4 million yen (US$300,000), to China Education TV.
Most of the programmes will be science and technology documentaries, said the embassy.
This project comes at a time when Sino-Japanese relations are facing difficulties. Beijing has repeatedly pledged it will continue to actively promote Sino-Japanese ties in diversified fields.
President Hu Jintao told seven visiting Japan-China friendship organizations in late March that he hoped mutual understanding and friendship between the two sides would improve, especially among the young.
Visiting Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Kaneda Katsutoshi held talks with Chinese Vice-Minister of Education Wu Qidi yesterday.
He said in the meeting that besides close economic ties between the two countries, "we should also strengthen co-operation in education and culture."
Source:China Daily
http://english.people.com.cn/200604/13/eng20060413_258073.html
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Race for new 2007 students heats up
Competition is heating up among universities trying to secure students for the 2007 school year, when the number of those who want to enter universities equals the number of spaces available, approaches.
Tadaaki Inano, a 19-year-old who hopes to enter Hiroshima University's faculty of medicine was received by then dean of the faculty, Koki Inai, at the university's admissions seminar held in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on March 18.
"I want to visit the campus in April," Inano said. In response, Inai said, "I'll have one of our students take you around, so when you know the date, e-mail me."
About 30 high school students and graduates from the Kanto region who are preparing for next year's university entrance examinations attended the seminar.
Although the university hosted the seminar, it included a short lecture given by an instructor from major correspondence study company Z-kai. Inano said: "It was useful that they told us what were the key things to study. I feel up to studying now."
The earliest of the seminars, held in 11 cities, was on March 2, before the results of the entrance examinations for 2006 enrollment had been announced, and was unusually early for a national university.
"Our university isn't located in a densely-populated area, such as the Kanto or the Kansai regions. The university has to be noticed by students and taken into consideration early as a possible choice," said Takeshi Nagasawa, deputy director of the university's admission center.
National universities outside major centers are not the only ones to hold admission seminars nationwide. Tokyo University held admission seminars in six locations last year. The seminars, jointly held with other prestigious national universities, were the first ones the university had held in its history.
An admissions department spokesman for Tokyo University said: "We held seminars for the first time because we wanted to get students who have clear purposes in studying here. As a result, more students from public high schools in rural areas passed the exams for 2006 entry."
===
Autumn admissions on increase
In an effort to attract exceptional students, other universities are changing the style or the schedule of their entrance exams.
Toho University's biology department started admission in autumn 2001 for those who had graduated from high schools but failed in the latest exams. As exams for autumn admission are held earlier than the next regular exams in winter and spring, the department has the privilege to secure students with a strong desire to study there.
In this case, students who enter the university in autumn can graduate after 3-1/2 years, with those who had entered in spring of the same year, if they do well enough. This will eliminate the disadvantage for them in looking for a job after graduation.
Toshitaka Suzuki was one of the students who got into the university through the system. The 22-year-old student graduated in March, and advanced to the graduate school in April.
"I chose to take the exams for autumn admission, as I wanted to start studying biology at the university as soon as possible. After I got in, I studied hard to catch up with the ones that had started half a year ahead of me," said Suzuki. His experience shows how the system can encourage students to study.
Such a system has been adopted for teenagers who had spent time abroad, but it is rare for general examinees. When Waseda University's School of Commerce introduced autumn admission in 2005, drawing upon the university admission systems in foreign countries, 1,379 high school graduates applied for 50 places.
Meijo University was the first private university in 2001 to accept high school students who excelled at math after completing their second year at high school. In 2008, Osaka University will also accept high school students who are chosen to attend the International Physics Olympiad to its physics department without qualifications.
===
Competition never been higher
Koichi Nakai, who runs a private cram school and is an expert on university reforms, said: "With the decrease in the number of children, there is competition for good students among universities, with each promoting a campaign on admission or reforming its admissions system."
He added, "There's no doubt that all universities will have to try harder to attract exceptional students."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060413TDY04004.htm
Tadaaki Inano, a 19-year-old who hopes to enter Hiroshima University's faculty of medicine was received by then dean of the faculty, Koki Inai, at the university's admissions seminar held in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on March 18.
"I want to visit the campus in April," Inano said. In response, Inai said, "I'll have one of our students take you around, so when you know the date, e-mail me."
About 30 high school students and graduates from the Kanto region who are preparing for next year's university entrance examinations attended the seminar.
Although the university hosted the seminar, it included a short lecture given by an instructor from major correspondence study company Z-kai. Inano said: "It was useful that they told us what were the key things to study. I feel up to studying now."
The earliest of the seminars, held in 11 cities, was on March 2, before the results of the entrance examinations for 2006 enrollment had been announced, and was unusually early for a national university.
"Our university isn't located in a densely-populated area, such as the Kanto or the Kansai regions. The university has to be noticed by students and taken into consideration early as a possible choice," said Takeshi Nagasawa, deputy director of the university's admission center.
National universities outside major centers are not the only ones to hold admission seminars nationwide. Tokyo University held admission seminars in six locations last year. The seminars, jointly held with other prestigious national universities, were the first ones the university had held in its history.
An admissions department spokesman for Tokyo University said: "We held seminars for the first time because we wanted to get students who have clear purposes in studying here. As a result, more students from public high schools in rural areas passed the exams for 2006 entry."
===
Autumn admissions on increase
In an effort to attract exceptional students, other universities are changing the style or the schedule of their entrance exams.
Toho University's biology department started admission in autumn 2001 for those who had graduated from high schools but failed in the latest exams. As exams for autumn admission are held earlier than the next regular exams in winter and spring, the department has the privilege to secure students with a strong desire to study there.
In this case, students who enter the university in autumn can graduate after 3-1/2 years, with those who had entered in spring of the same year, if they do well enough. This will eliminate the disadvantage for them in looking for a job after graduation.
Toshitaka Suzuki was one of the students who got into the university through the system. The 22-year-old student graduated in March, and advanced to the graduate school in April.
"I chose to take the exams for autumn admission, as I wanted to start studying biology at the university as soon as possible. After I got in, I studied hard to catch up with the ones that had started half a year ahead of me," said Suzuki. His experience shows how the system can encourage students to study.
Such a system has been adopted for teenagers who had spent time abroad, but it is rare for general examinees. When Waseda University's School of Commerce introduced autumn admission in 2005, drawing upon the university admission systems in foreign countries, 1,379 high school graduates applied for 50 places.
Meijo University was the first private university in 2001 to accept high school students who excelled at math after completing their second year at high school. In 2008, Osaka University will also accept high school students who are chosen to attend the International Physics Olympiad to its physics department without qualifications.
===
Competition never been higher
Koichi Nakai, who runs a private cram school and is an expert on university reforms, said: "With the decrease in the number of children, there is competition for good students among universities, with each promoting a campaign on admission or reforming its admissions system."
He added, "There's no doubt that all universities will have to try harder to attract exceptional students."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060413TDY04004.htm
Kyoto, Waseda universities toast new cooperation agreement
Kyoto University and Waseda University have agreed to cooperate in research, education and international exchanges, according to university officials.
It is the first time Kyoto University has entered into an arrangement with a private university.
Monday's agreement was prompted by the universities' codevelopment of a type of beer made by following a method used in ancient Egypt.
After completing the signing ceremony, Kyoto University President Kazuo Oike and Waseda University President Katsuhiko Shirai unveiled the beer, called White Nile. Oike said, "We'd like to introduce a credit-transfer system [between the universities] in the future, and to share knowledge."
"We'd want to use this opportunity to learn from Kyoto University," Shirai said, adding that his university was hoping to enter into further exchanges with universities in the Kansai region.
The two universities will jointly run seminars, and will collaborate on environmental and disaster-prevention research.
The proposal to make ancient Egyptian beer was put forward by Oike. Kyoto University then offered the type of wheat required for making the mild-tasting Egyptian brew.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060413TDY03004.htm
It is the first time Kyoto University has entered into an arrangement with a private university.
Monday's agreement was prompted by the universities' codevelopment of a type of beer made by following a method used in ancient Egypt.
After completing the signing ceremony, Kyoto University President Kazuo Oike and Waseda University President Katsuhiko Shirai unveiled the beer, called White Nile. Oike said, "We'd like to introduce a credit-transfer system [between the universities] in the future, and to share knowledge."
"We'd want to use this opportunity to learn from Kyoto University," Shirai said, adding that his university was hoping to enter into further exchanges with universities in the Kansai region.
The two universities will jointly run seminars, and will collaborate on environmental and disaster-prevention research.
The proposal to make ancient Egyptian beer was put forward by Oike. Kyoto University then offered the type of wheat required for making the mild-tasting Egyptian brew.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060413TDY03004.htm
Foreign students' goal of career proves elusive
In line with the government's campaign launched in 1983 to boost the number of foreign students in Japan to the 100,000 mark, the figure came to some 117,000 in 2004.
Foreign students attend a seminar held by Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward in February.
However, the number who switched from a student visa to a work visa that same year amounted to only 5,264, indicating only a negligible percentage of foreign human resources opt, or are allowed, to stay and work in the country.
The situation is largely due to the fact that despite government efforts to welcome students, the immigration and refugee law in principle denies visas to non-Japanese who lack special skills.
Isao Nakagawa, a professor of politics and economics at Takushoku University who specializes in movements of international labor, said Japan should aggressively accept foreigners who are highly capable in special subjects if it is to maintain domestic technologies.
He said Japanese firms will probably accelerate moves to shift production bases offshore as the nation's manpower shortage becomes more serious as a result of the falling birthrate. This trend, he added, will have a serious effect on employment of Japanese.
Work visas are currently issued to applicants in 17 fields. Foreigners wishing to work in technical fields must be graduates of special colleges or have experience working in specialized areas for more than 10 years.
Dancers and other entertainers can acquire "entertainer" visas if they have engaged in the career for more than two years in their home countries. More than 80 percent of about 158,000 foreigners coming to Japan on work visas in fiscal 2004 were in the entertainment category.
Kentaro Iemoto, who at 24 is president of Tokyo-based information technology venture Clara Online Inc., recalled his frustration in 2004 when the Immigration Bureau refused to issue a visa to a South Korean engineer he wanted to hire.
Officials said the applicant did not fit into the IT business because he was not a science graduate. He majored in literature at a university in his country but became a specialist in communications while serving in the military.
Iemoto said the man could have immediately proved useful to his firm, which has 38 employees, including 15 foreigners.
The director of Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo, 41-year-old Kazuyo Nozawa, said foreign students virtually have to seek part-time work in order to live in Japan, where prices are higher than in their home countries.
"They're pretty much forced into going to school, working (part-time) and returning to their quarters," Nozawa said. "Some of them grow tired (of that life) and go home."
She also said many Japanese employers prevent foreigners from signing up for the social insurance system because they do not want to shoulder part of the cost of the insurance. They have not shed their tendency to pay low wages to foreigners, she added.
Tempstaff held a seminar for foreign students in Tokyo in February to teach them about Japanese "work customs."
"If you arrive at work at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.," one speaker told them, "Your Japanese colleagues will think you have no will to work."
Iemoto said a business can grow fast if employees from various countries put their efforts together.
He said he does not pay particular attention to nationality when he hires employees, since his company has business transactions with many countries. He called the government's rigid traditional view about foreign workers and specialized skill sets anachronistic.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060407f1.html
Foreign students attend a seminar held by Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward in February.
However, the number who switched from a student visa to a work visa that same year amounted to only 5,264, indicating only a negligible percentage of foreign human resources opt, or are allowed, to stay and work in the country.
The situation is largely due to the fact that despite government efforts to welcome students, the immigration and refugee law in principle denies visas to non-Japanese who lack special skills.
Isao Nakagawa, a professor of politics and economics at Takushoku University who specializes in movements of international labor, said Japan should aggressively accept foreigners who are highly capable in special subjects if it is to maintain domestic technologies.
He said Japanese firms will probably accelerate moves to shift production bases offshore as the nation's manpower shortage becomes more serious as a result of the falling birthrate. This trend, he added, will have a serious effect on employment of Japanese.
Work visas are currently issued to applicants in 17 fields. Foreigners wishing to work in technical fields must be graduates of special colleges or have experience working in specialized areas for more than 10 years.
Dancers and other entertainers can acquire "entertainer" visas if they have engaged in the career for more than two years in their home countries. More than 80 percent of about 158,000 foreigners coming to Japan on work visas in fiscal 2004 were in the entertainment category.
Kentaro Iemoto, who at 24 is president of Tokyo-based information technology venture Clara Online Inc., recalled his frustration in 2004 when the Immigration Bureau refused to issue a visa to a South Korean engineer he wanted to hire.
Officials said the applicant did not fit into the IT business because he was not a science graduate. He majored in literature at a university in his country but became a specialist in communications while serving in the military.
Iemoto said the man could have immediately proved useful to his firm, which has 38 employees, including 15 foreigners.
The director of Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo, 41-year-old Kazuyo Nozawa, said foreign students virtually have to seek part-time work in order to live in Japan, where prices are higher than in their home countries.
"They're pretty much forced into going to school, working (part-time) and returning to their quarters," Nozawa said. "Some of them grow tired (of that life) and go home."
She also said many Japanese employers prevent foreigners from signing up for the social insurance system because they do not want to shoulder part of the cost of the insurance. They have not shed their tendency to pay low wages to foreigners, she added.
Tempstaff held a seminar for foreign students in Tokyo in February to teach them about Japanese "work customs."
"If you arrive at work at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.," one speaker told them, "Your Japanese colleagues will think you have no will to work."
Iemoto said a business can grow fast if employees from various countries put their efforts together.
He said he does not pay particular attention to nationality when he hires employees, since his company has business transactions with many countries. He called the government's rigid traditional view about foreign workers and specialized skill sets anachronistic.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060407f1.html
NHK to offer educational videos to schools via Internet
The Yomiuri Shimbun
NHK will distribute on the Internet high-definition educational video clips and programs free of charge to primary and middle schools for three years from September for use in classes, sources said.
The video clips and programs will be made available for educational purposes by reediting NHK programs.
The Foundation for MultiMedia Communications, a body that promotes use of the Internet, will buy the content from NHK and distribute it to schools. NTT Corp., NEC Corp. and Microsoft Corp. also will pay part of the costs for buying the programs and clips.
About 3,000 video clips running several minutes each on science, social studies, language and integrated study topics, and 400 educational programs of about 15 minutes are expected to be available for distribution.
NHK already makes some educational content available on the Internet, but the image quality is less than satisfactory and they are not widely used in classrooms.
Under the new plan, images will be of digital quality and can be enlarged to fill an entire personal computer screen, provided schools have an optical-fiber connection and a local area network.
DVD-quality images also can be viewed on large flat-screen televisions connected to a PC.
The video content includes images of growing plants, shots of nature, and the plan reportedly presents almost no copyright problems.
The center expects 5,000 primary and middle schools to use the content by the end of fiscal 2006, and 17,000 schools--about half of the nation's schools--by September 2009. NHK says the project will be available only to primary and middle schools.
Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Heizo Takenaka's private advisory panel on communications and broadcasting is discussing how to effectively use NHK's abundant content. The plan is expected to attract attention as a step toward the integration of communications and broadcasting.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060406TDY08005.htm
NHK will distribute on the Internet high-definition educational video clips and programs free of charge to primary and middle schools for three years from September for use in classes, sources said.
The video clips and programs will be made available for educational purposes by reediting NHK programs.
The Foundation for MultiMedia Communications, a body that promotes use of the Internet, will buy the content from NHK and distribute it to schools. NTT Corp., NEC Corp. and Microsoft Corp. also will pay part of the costs for buying the programs and clips.
About 3,000 video clips running several minutes each on science, social studies, language and integrated study topics, and 400 educational programs of about 15 minutes are expected to be available for distribution.
NHK already makes some educational content available on the Internet, but the image quality is less than satisfactory and they are not widely used in classrooms.
Under the new plan, images will be of digital quality and can be enlarged to fill an entire personal computer screen, provided schools have an optical-fiber connection and a local area network.
DVD-quality images also can be viewed on large flat-screen televisions connected to a PC.
The video content includes images of growing plants, shots of nature, and the plan reportedly presents almost no copyright problems.
The center expects 5,000 primary and middle schools to use the content by the end of fiscal 2006, and 17,000 schools--about half of the nation's schools--by September 2009. NHK says the project will be available only to primary and middle schools.
Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Heizo Takenaka's private advisory panel on communications and broadcasting is discussing how to effectively use NHK's abundant content. The plan is expected to attract attention as a step toward the integration of communications and broadcasting.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060406TDY08005.htm
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Japan lets foreign students drain away due to immigration law
The number of foreign students in Japan totaled 117,000 in 2004 but the figure for those who obtained work visas amounted to only 5,264, showing that the percentage of foreign human resources staying in the country remains negligible.
The rise to 117,000 resulted largely from a plan the government drafted in 1983 to increase the number of foreign students to 100,000. However, Japan's immigration and refugee law in principle denies visas to non-Japanese workers without special skills.
Isao Nakagawa, a professor of politics and economics at Takushoku University who specializes in movements of international manpower, said Japan should aggressively accept foreigners who are highly capable in special subjects, to maintain domestic technologies.
He said Japanese companies will accelerate moves to shift production bases to other nations as a shortage of manpower becomes more serious due to the trend toward fewer children, adding that the trend will have a serious effect on employment for Japanese people.
Work visas are issued to applicants in 17 fields. Foreigners wishing to work in technical fields must be graduates of special colleges or have experience working in specialized areas for more than 10 years.
Dancers and other entertainers can acquire work visas if they have been working for more than two years in their home countries. More than 80 percent of about 158,000 foreigners coming to Japan on work visas in fiscal 2004 were those in the entertainment sector.
Kentaro Iemoto, who at 24 is president of Tokyo-based information technology venture company Clara Online Inc., said he remembers the frustration he felt in 2004 when the Immigration Bureau refused to issue a visa to a South Korean engineer he wanted to hire.
Officials said the applicant did not fit into the IT business because he was not a graduate in the field of science.
The Korean graduated in literature from a university in his country but became a specialist in communications while serving in the military.
Iemoto said the Korean could have immediately proved useful to his company, which has 38 employees including 15 foreigners.
The director of Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo, 41-year-old Kazuyo Nozawa, said foreign students virtually have to seek part-time work in order to live in Japan, where prices are higher than in their home countries.
"They're pretty much forced into going to school, working (part-time) and returning to their quarters," Nozawa said. "Some of them grow tired (of that kind of life in Japan) and go home."
She also said many Japanese employers prevent foreigners from signing up for the social insurance system because they do not want to shoulder part of the cost of the insurance. They have not extricated themselves from the idea of paying low wages to foreigners, she added.
Tempstaff held a seminar for foreign students in Tokyo in February to teach them about Japanese "customs."
"If you arrive at work at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.," a speaker told them, "Japanese think you have no will to work."
While taking notes, a Chinese graduate school student aspiring to become an engineer said, "I'd like to live in Japan for the rest of my life if I get a job either at Toyota Motor Corp. or Honda Motor Co."
Iemoto said that a business can grow fast if employees from various countries put their efforts together.
He said he does not pay any particular attention to nationalities when he hires employees since his company has business transactions with many foreign countries, expressing belief that the government's strict traditional view about foreign workers and specialized skill sets is not in sync with the times.
Nozawa said she thinks the government is wasting human resources that could be assets for Japan, including foreigners equipped with knowledge that they acquired in their home countries.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060404/kyodo/d8gpg3qo0.html
The rise to 117,000 resulted largely from a plan the government drafted in 1983 to increase the number of foreign students to 100,000. However, Japan's immigration and refugee law in principle denies visas to non-Japanese workers without special skills.
Isao Nakagawa, a professor of politics and economics at Takushoku University who specializes in movements of international manpower, said Japan should aggressively accept foreigners who are highly capable in special subjects, to maintain domestic technologies.
He said Japanese companies will accelerate moves to shift production bases to other nations as a shortage of manpower becomes more serious due to the trend toward fewer children, adding that the trend will have a serious effect on employment for Japanese people.
Work visas are issued to applicants in 17 fields. Foreigners wishing to work in technical fields must be graduates of special colleges or have experience working in specialized areas for more than 10 years.
Dancers and other entertainers can acquire work visas if they have been working for more than two years in their home countries. More than 80 percent of about 158,000 foreigners coming to Japan on work visas in fiscal 2004 were those in the entertainment sector.
Kentaro Iemoto, who at 24 is president of Tokyo-based information technology venture company Clara Online Inc., said he remembers the frustration he felt in 2004 when the Immigration Bureau refused to issue a visa to a South Korean engineer he wanted to hire.
Officials said the applicant did not fit into the IT business because he was not a graduate in the field of science.
The Korean graduated in literature from a university in his country but became a specialist in communications while serving in the military.
Iemoto said the Korean could have immediately proved useful to his company, which has 38 employees including 15 foreigners.
The director of Tempstaff Universal Co. in Tokyo, 41-year-old Kazuyo Nozawa, said foreign students virtually have to seek part-time work in order to live in Japan, where prices are higher than in their home countries.
"They're pretty much forced into going to school, working (part-time) and returning to their quarters," Nozawa said. "Some of them grow tired (of that kind of life in Japan) and go home."
She also said many Japanese employers prevent foreigners from signing up for the social insurance system because they do not want to shoulder part of the cost of the insurance. They have not extricated themselves from the idea of paying low wages to foreigners, she added.
Tempstaff held a seminar for foreign students in Tokyo in February to teach them about Japanese "customs."
"If you arrive at work at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.," a speaker told them, "Japanese think you have no will to work."
While taking notes, a Chinese graduate school student aspiring to become an engineer said, "I'd like to live in Japan for the rest of my life if I get a job either at Toyota Motor Corp. or Honda Motor Co."
Iemoto said that a business can grow fast if employees from various countries put their efforts together.
He said he does not pay any particular attention to nationalities when he hires employees since his company has business transactions with many foreign countries, expressing belief that the government's strict traditional view about foreign workers and specialized skill sets is not in sync with the times.
Nozawa said she thinks the government is wasting human resources that could be assets for Japan, including foreigners equipped with knowledge that they acquired in their home countries.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060404/kyodo/d8gpg3qo0.html
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Ministry pushes for all-English approach
When teachers see how students from other schools can speak English so fluently and confidently in front of a large audience, some may think it would be difficult for them to help their own students reach a similar level. That appeared to be the situation at a recent English-language education forum when about 1,000 teachers, education officials and others watched an impressive demonstration class from Osaka Prefectural Nagano High School.
Nonetheless, the 40 third-year students were "intimidated and unable to speak English well" when they enrolled at the high school, according to their teacher, Yasuhiro Higashitani.
The 50-minute demonstration at the "English Forum 2006," which took place on March 17 at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center, was conducted entirely in English, with "family and peace" as the main theme. The forum was organized by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
Higashitani began the class by having students read out a passage from their textbook about the life of Beatles member John Lennon, followed by a discussion activity in which pairs of students played the roles of husband and wife. The students then reported on research they had done about war, before making speeches on what they would do to bring about a peaceful world.
Most of the students spoke with confidence, making presentations in front of their classmates, and inviting comments. Some of them were even able to make their classmates and audience laugh with their humorous presentations.
Nagano High School in Kawachi Nagano, Osaka Prefecture, was chosen to give the demonstration because it is one of the nation's Super English Language High Schools (SELHis).
The Osaka school was designated as one of the pilot institutions by the ministry two years ago.
The 40 students on stage--who graduated from high school last month--had taken one of the school's two courses that focus on foreign-language education.
Following the demonstration, some members of the audience asked how it was possible to help the students speak grammatically correct English with such excellent pronunciation.
Higashitani said he and other teachers often imposed quite a "burden" on students in the form of research projects, skits, discussions and debates so that eventually they would feel less reluctant about speaking in public.
"Of course, this was a really big burden on my students," he said. "But they were able to improve their skills through hard work, eventually managing to follow the tasks we set without giving up."
The students' answers indicated that another key was the fact the classes were held almost entirely in English.
"Since we were in the second year, our teachers have spoken almost always in English in class," one girl said. "They created an environment that forced us to speak in English. In the beginning, I was only able to make one-word responses."
Another student, who said she used to be shy, also appreciated such an environment.
"I realized that if I remained shy while my classmates spoke out, there was nothing left for me to talk about in the end," the student said. "I thought it'd be easier for me to get a head start by saying something, and eventually I found that I wasn't shy anymore."
An audience member said children often feel reluctant to speak out if another student has already shown he or she has a better pronunciation.
A male student recalled that when he was at middle school, those who spoke English with good pronunciation would often be laughed at.
"But in this class, we felt instead ashamed about having poor pronunciation," the boy said. "I believe we could enjoy an atmosphere of working hard by competing against each other."
The ministry has been organizing this kind of annual forum since it compiled the action plan to cultivate "Japanese citizens with a good command of English" in March 2003, which outlines measures the central government should implement for five years until fiscal 2008 to bring about "fundamental reforms" in the nation's English-language education.
The action plan urges teachers to offer English classes mostly in that language. A survey the ministry conducted in February this year, however, showed that the reality was still far from the target, according to Yoshimasa Tezuka, head of the ministry's International Education Division, who spoke prior to the demonstration class.
About 65 percent of surveyed middle schools said the ratio of English was "half or less than half" of the content of each class during the 2005 school year, which ended last month. Fewer than 4 percent of the schools said they offered classes "mostly in English."
At the high school level, on the other hand, survey results tended to depend on whether classes were conducted for English-oriented courses or regular ones.
Tezuka said 46.9 percent of schools with specialized English-oriented courses said they conducted Oral Communication I classes "mostly in English." However, a majority of those schools, 60.5 percent, gave a response of "half or less than half" for English I, a more general course in English.
As for regular courses, the majority of schools used English for just a "half or less than half" ratio in both subjects. The percentages were 42.2 percent for Oral Communication I and 76.7 percent for English I.
"High schools that focus on listening comprehension, as SELHis do, have proved that their students can achieve good results on university entrance exams," Tezuka said. "Therefore, we'd like teachers to work harder on this matter."
===
Support for teachers
When it comes to English education at the primary school level, about 94 percent of public primary schools had introduced some form of such lessons as of the last school year.
Last week, a panel under the Central Council on Education--an advisory council to the education minister--compiled an interim report recommending that English be made compulsory for fifth- and sixth-year primary school students, with classes held about once a week.
Regarding who would teach those primary school students, the report says "for the time being," it is appropriate to take a team-teaching approach between regular classroom teachers and assistant language teachers, or experts in local communities.
Regarding this point, Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, may be a good example on how a local government can support inexperienced primary school teachers in offering English lessons. The city was featured in one of the special-interest meetings at English Forum 2006.
All the city's 24 primary schools offer English lessons as part of their general studies classes. Although native speakers sometimes join in those lessons, the city urges regular teachers to play a central role.
"We think children can learn best under the instruction of regular teachers, who know best their students' interests and how they understand things," said Kazuo Nishikawa, a teacher at the city's Hirabaru Primary School.
For primary school teachers who are usually worried about their English skills and teaching techniques, the city organizes occasional meetings to learn about lesson plans, as well as offer them lessons to improve their speaking skills. Some of the teachers have formed clubs on their own to practice speaking and share information.
"Through these activities, the teachers came up with many practical ideas, so we have compiled a book for schools to refer to for their lessons," Nishikawa said. "As we've received many inquiries about this book, we've sent copies to primary schools, universities and local boards of education nationwide."
Because all the city's public schools are connected by a local area network, the city has also created online materials for primary school teachers and their students, through which they can learn lesson plans and practice useful phrases and words. These materials can be used for classes using computers installed in classrooms.
(Apr. 4, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060404TDY16001.htm
Nonetheless, the 40 third-year students were "intimidated and unable to speak English well" when they enrolled at the high school, according to their teacher, Yasuhiro Higashitani.
The 50-minute demonstration at the "English Forum 2006," which took place on March 17 at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center, was conducted entirely in English, with "family and peace" as the main theme. The forum was organized by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
Higashitani began the class by having students read out a passage from their textbook about the life of Beatles member John Lennon, followed by a discussion activity in which pairs of students played the roles of husband and wife. The students then reported on research they had done about war, before making speeches on what they would do to bring about a peaceful world.
Most of the students spoke with confidence, making presentations in front of their classmates, and inviting comments. Some of them were even able to make their classmates and audience laugh with their humorous presentations.
Nagano High School in Kawachi Nagano, Osaka Prefecture, was chosen to give the demonstration because it is one of the nation's Super English Language High Schools (SELHis).
The Osaka school was designated as one of the pilot institutions by the ministry two years ago.
The 40 students on stage--who graduated from high school last month--had taken one of the school's two courses that focus on foreign-language education.
Following the demonstration, some members of the audience asked how it was possible to help the students speak grammatically correct English with such excellent pronunciation.
Higashitani said he and other teachers often imposed quite a "burden" on students in the form of research projects, skits, discussions and debates so that eventually they would feel less reluctant about speaking in public.
"Of course, this was a really big burden on my students," he said. "But they were able to improve their skills through hard work, eventually managing to follow the tasks we set without giving up."
The students' answers indicated that another key was the fact the classes were held almost entirely in English.
"Since we were in the second year, our teachers have spoken almost always in English in class," one girl said. "They created an environment that forced us to speak in English. In the beginning, I was only able to make one-word responses."
Another student, who said she used to be shy, also appreciated such an environment.
"I realized that if I remained shy while my classmates spoke out, there was nothing left for me to talk about in the end," the student said. "I thought it'd be easier for me to get a head start by saying something, and eventually I found that I wasn't shy anymore."
An audience member said children often feel reluctant to speak out if another student has already shown he or she has a better pronunciation.
A male student recalled that when he was at middle school, those who spoke English with good pronunciation would often be laughed at.
"But in this class, we felt instead ashamed about having poor pronunciation," the boy said. "I believe we could enjoy an atmosphere of working hard by competing against each other."
The ministry has been organizing this kind of annual forum since it compiled the action plan to cultivate "Japanese citizens with a good command of English" in March 2003, which outlines measures the central government should implement for five years until fiscal 2008 to bring about "fundamental reforms" in the nation's English-language education.
The action plan urges teachers to offer English classes mostly in that language. A survey the ministry conducted in February this year, however, showed that the reality was still far from the target, according to Yoshimasa Tezuka, head of the ministry's International Education Division, who spoke prior to the demonstration class.
About 65 percent of surveyed middle schools said the ratio of English was "half or less than half" of the content of each class during the 2005 school year, which ended last month. Fewer than 4 percent of the schools said they offered classes "mostly in English."
At the high school level, on the other hand, survey results tended to depend on whether classes were conducted for English-oriented courses or regular ones.
Tezuka said 46.9 percent of schools with specialized English-oriented courses said they conducted Oral Communication I classes "mostly in English." However, a majority of those schools, 60.5 percent, gave a response of "half or less than half" for English I, a more general course in English.
As for regular courses, the majority of schools used English for just a "half or less than half" ratio in both subjects. The percentages were 42.2 percent for Oral Communication I and 76.7 percent for English I.
"High schools that focus on listening comprehension, as SELHis do, have proved that their students can achieve good results on university entrance exams," Tezuka said. "Therefore, we'd like teachers to work harder on this matter."
===
Support for teachers
When it comes to English education at the primary school level, about 94 percent of public primary schools had introduced some form of such lessons as of the last school year.
Last week, a panel under the Central Council on Education--an advisory council to the education minister--compiled an interim report recommending that English be made compulsory for fifth- and sixth-year primary school students, with classes held about once a week.
Regarding who would teach those primary school students, the report says "for the time being," it is appropriate to take a team-teaching approach between regular classroom teachers and assistant language teachers, or experts in local communities.
Regarding this point, Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, may be a good example on how a local government can support inexperienced primary school teachers in offering English lessons. The city was featured in one of the special-interest meetings at English Forum 2006.
All the city's 24 primary schools offer English lessons as part of their general studies classes. Although native speakers sometimes join in those lessons, the city urges regular teachers to play a central role.
"We think children can learn best under the instruction of regular teachers, who know best their students' interests and how they understand things," said Kazuo Nishikawa, a teacher at the city's Hirabaru Primary School.
For primary school teachers who are usually worried about their English skills and teaching techniques, the city organizes occasional meetings to learn about lesson plans, as well as offer them lessons to improve their speaking skills. Some of the teachers have formed clubs on their own to practice speaking and share information.
"Through these activities, the teachers came up with many practical ideas, so we have compiled a book for schools to refer to for their lessons," Nishikawa said. "As we've received many inquiries about this book, we've sent copies to primary schools, universities and local boards of education nationwide."
Because all the city's public schools are connected by a local area network, the city has also created online materials for primary school teachers and their students, through which they can learn lesson plans and practice useful phrases and words. These materials can be used for classes using computers installed in classrooms.
(Apr. 4, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20060404TDY16001.htm
More institutes designated as specialized high schools
Japan's education ministry designated 31 more high schools Monday as institutes specializing in science and mathematics and also designated 34 high schools as focusing on English education, its officials said.
In the fiscal 2006 designation of Super Science High School, one state-run school, 24 public schools and six private schools were added to the current 68, making the total 99.
Twenty-five public schools and nine private schools were also chosen as Super English Language High School, pushing up the total to 100.
Under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology designations, schools will develop new curricula focused on science and math subjects or the English language and research ways to tie up with universities and other institutes for better education.
A designated school in Saitama Prefecture, for example, aims at raising female researchers in the field of science and a Kanagawa Prefecture school makes students teach English to elementary school children.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060403/kyodo/d8goghm84.html
In the fiscal 2006 designation of Super Science High School, one state-run school, 24 public schools and six private schools were added to the current 68, making the total 99.
Twenty-five public schools and nine private schools were also chosen as Super English Language High School, pushing up the total to 100.
Under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology designations, schools will develop new curricula focused on science and math subjects or the English language and research ways to tie up with universities and other institutes for better education.
A designated school in Saitama Prefecture, for example, aims at raising female researchers in the field of science and a Kanagawa Prefecture school makes students teach English to elementary school children.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060403/kyodo/d8goghm84.html
Monday, April 03, 2006
The right to education gives the right to choose
Katsumi Noguchi's commentary on The Asahi Shimbun's opinion page March 4 (Herald Tribune/Asahi on March 16) is critical of the school-choice system.
He argued that the system would do three things: aggravate divisions within local communities and thus dilute the quality of education; lead to school rankings; and shake the very foundation of compulsory education.
I disagree, and hope to refute his argument by addressing the philosophy behind, and significance of, the school-choice system.
The Council for the Promotion of Regulatory Reform, a government panel of which I am a member, submitted its second report in December.
In preparing the report, we repeatedly discussed what measures would be needed to enhance the competence of teachers and improve the quality of schools.
We agreed that education reform should be undertaken from the point of view of students and their guardians, from start to finish. If I may quote Takao Kusakari, a council member in charge of educational problems, reform should be advanced "not as an administrative measure, but as the right of learners."
What elementary, junior and senior high school students and their guardians want more than anything else is for students to be able to study at "good schools" that have "good teachers."
If the system is changed to allow students and their guardians to choose their own schools and evaluate the teachers there, it would encourage both schools and teachers to compete against each other, and grow as a result--better schools, better teachers.
With that in mind, the report asked local boards of education "to establish systems to evaluate teachers and schools that reflect the views of students and guardians" and urged the government to provide guidelines for establishing those kinds of systems.
We are also studying the merits of a school-choice system based on budgetary allocation to schools in proportion to the number of pupils.
These systems are aimed at putting into practice the right to education, one element of the basic social rights guaranteed by Article 26 of the Constitution.
Under the compulsory education system, public elementary and junior high schools are required to provide "good educational service at a low cost" to all Japanese children.
Currently, however, children from high-income families tend to opt for private schools. As a result, the division of schools by income is becoming more distinct.
This is the very "division within local communities" and "school ranking" that Noguchi warned against.
To fix this, the school-choice system can be a decisive factor, helping to improve the quality of public schools and their teaching staff. It would also help schools win the trust of students and guardians.
Some people are concerned about giving students and guardians a certain degree of choice, and the power to evaluate schools.
But not trusting the public to use their rights appropriately is undemocratic.
The government sets teaching guidelines to ensure minimum learning standards. It also needs a set of guidelines to guarantee students' and guardians' right to choose schools.
For example, disadvantaged students with disabilities or from poor families should be given priority in a variety of areas. This can easily be implemented with the combination of the school-choice system and the enrollment-proportional budgetary allocation.
It is also unreasonable to require that all families, regardless of their circumstances, make "contributions" to schools in the name of strengthening "community educational power."
Properly speaking, such matters are the responsibility of schools. Forcing families to play a role is like putting the cart before the horse.
These are parts of the national minimum standards of education. The government's role should be restricted to providing them.
The Council for Regulatory Reform is studying exactly how to base education on the rights of students, as befitting a mature, democratic society. An active citizens' debate on this issue is vital.
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200604010208.html
He argued that the system would do three things: aggravate divisions within local communities and thus dilute the quality of education; lead to school rankings; and shake the very foundation of compulsory education.
I disagree, and hope to refute his argument by addressing the philosophy behind, and significance of, the school-choice system.
The Council for the Promotion of Regulatory Reform, a government panel of which I am a member, submitted its second report in December.
In preparing the report, we repeatedly discussed what measures would be needed to enhance the competence of teachers and improve the quality of schools.
We agreed that education reform should be undertaken from the point of view of students and their guardians, from start to finish. If I may quote Takao Kusakari, a council member in charge of educational problems, reform should be advanced "not as an administrative measure, but as the right of learners."
What elementary, junior and senior high school students and their guardians want more than anything else is for students to be able to study at "good schools" that have "good teachers."
If the system is changed to allow students and their guardians to choose their own schools and evaluate the teachers there, it would encourage both schools and teachers to compete against each other, and grow as a result--better schools, better teachers.
With that in mind, the report asked local boards of education "to establish systems to evaluate teachers and schools that reflect the views of students and guardians" and urged the government to provide guidelines for establishing those kinds of systems.
We are also studying the merits of a school-choice system based on budgetary allocation to schools in proportion to the number of pupils.
These systems are aimed at putting into practice the right to education, one element of the basic social rights guaranteed by Article 26 of the Constitution.
Under the compulsory education system, public elementary and junior high schools are required to provide "good educational service at a low cost" to all Japanese children.
Currently, however, children from high-income families tend to opt for private schools. As a result, the division of schools by income is becoming more distinct.
This is the very "division within local communities" and "school ranking" that Noguchi warned against.
To fix this, the school-choice system can be a decisive factor, helping to improve the quality of public schools and their teaching staff. It would also help schools win the trust of students and guardians.
Some people are concerned about giving students and guardians a certain degree of choice, and the power to evaluate schools.
But not trusting the public to use their rights appropriately is undemocratic.
The government sets teaching guidelines to ensure minimum learning standards. It also needs a set of guidelines to guarantee students' and guardians' right to choose schools.
For example, disadvantaged students with disabilities or from poor families should be given priority in a variety of areas. This can easily be implemented with the combination of the school-choice system and the enrollment-proportional budgetary allocation.
It is also unreasonable to require that all families, regardless of their circumstances, make "contributions" to schools in the name of strengthening "community educational power."
Properly speaking, such matters are the responsibility of schools. Forcing families to play a role is like putting the cart before the horse.
These are parts of the national minimum standards of education. The government's role should be restricted to providing them.
The Council for Regulatory Reform is studying exactly how to base education on the rights of students, as befitting a mature, democratic society. An active citizens' debate on this issue is vital.
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200604010208.html
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