At a time when the number of undergraduate applicants matches openings at most universities--meaning almost anyone can go to college--many institutions may close their doors due to a lack of students.
While the college-age population is dropping along with the falling birthrate, the number of universities has surged as many two-year colleges have turned into more popular four-year institutions.
To survive, some schools are merging, but many others can only wait in fear for the day when they will be forced to shut down.
That sad scenario became a reality for privately-run Tohwa University in Fukuoka, which opened in 1967 with only an engineering department. It did not hold an entrance ceremony this April, a time when new students enter universities and colleges nationwide.
Last August, it announced that prospective students need not apply in and after fiscal 2007.
The institution fell into the red in fiscal 2005 and the number of applicants failed to reach the enrollment quota in fiscal 2006.
In December, it was decided that the university would close at the end of fiscal 2009 when all current students graduate, according to university operators.
A 22-year-old man who graduated in March said he learned about the plan via the Internet. Later, he received a brief note about the decision during class.
He watched as instructors were fired one by one. His professor was soon gone, too, leaving him and fellow students who had studied under the professor in a fix, not even knowing how to operate lab equipment for their studies.
School management said it tried in vain to revitalize the institution.
So far, 21 instructors, about half, have been let go. Thirteen are suing the university to have their dismissals nullified, contending management has sufficient operating funds.
"The university, in a way, functions as an institution for the re-education of graduates. So, without their alma mater, graduates will probably feel that support is gone," said a 53-year-old professor who was fired last October.
Universities that try to rebuild often find there are no easy answers.
Hagi International University, which opened in 1999 in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, suffered from the start because of its bad location. In its first year, only 70 percent of the 300 student quota in the international communication department--the only one offered--was filled.
In the 2005 school year, only 42 students enrolled. The institution filed for bankruptcy that June.
With financial help from the Hiroshima-based Shiomi Holdings Corp., the institution marked a fresh start this April as Yamaguchi University of Human Welfare and Culture.
But only 24 enrolled, far below its quota of 140.
To increase enrollment, the university, which trains students to be social-welfare professionals and nursery school teachers, offers lectures given by top experts in Tokyo via video linkup. The university is also trying to woo local senior high school graduates.
A teacher at a nearby school that sent three graduates to the university said the institution's effort to encourage students to obtain qualifications is an advantage for those hoping to go to college.
Parents, watching their pocketbooks, prefer to send their children to a university close to home as long as the institution offers job-related qualifications.
An index often used to judge a university's financial health measures the difference between income and expenditures against total income. According to the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan, the ratio stood at zero or below in fiscal 2005 at 138 of 504 entities operating private universities. However, in fiscal 2000, the ratio stood at zero or below at only 69 of 435 entities.
"The action needed, in addition to streamlining university operations, is to make sure students enroll at all costs," stressed Yasuhiko Nishii, who is in charge of advising private university management at the corporation.
Naoto Shimoyama, a senior analyst at Rating and Investment Information Inc., said 70-80 percent of income at private universities comes from tuition and enrollment fees and that the main factor in rating universities is their skill at attracting students.
And with the number of 18-year-olds set to decline in the coming decade, the fight for survival among universities will only grow more fierce.(IHT/Asahi: June 9,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200706090056.html
Monday, June 11, 2007
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
More foreign schools are coming to Osaka
While the traditional tourist spots of Japan and the cityscape of Tokyo are becoming bigger drawing cards for foreign tourists, Osaka is proving to be a popular destination for visitors of a different kind--students.
In fiscal 2006, a record number of students on school trips made their way to Osaka Prefecture. According to the Tourism Promotion Division of the Osaka prefectural government, more than 8,000 foreign students streamed into Osaka. The region was especially popular with Chinese students, with the number of such visitors rising four-fold in just a year.
For Japanese schools, it means their students get a chance to interact more with their peers from across the seas.
But many local schools feel they are on shaky ground when it comes to playing host to a bunch of international visitors.
To ease those concerns, the prefectural government is putting out a guidebook this month that gives suggestions and sample ideas to facilitate interchange programs. The idea is to motivate more schools to sign up as host schools. The government's goal is for local schools to host 10,000 overseas students in fiscal 2007.
It is a far cry from the 2004 school year, when only about 120 overseas students visited Osaka on school trips. The following year, the Osaka prefectural government began making earnest efforts to attract more visitors. That year, visitor numbers surged to 3,799 before hitting 8,041 in fiscal 2006.
According to a breakdown by nation and region, in fiscal 2006, 4,024 students, or roughly 50 percent of the total, came from South Korea; 3,291, or 41 percent, from China; followed by 536, or 7 percent, from Taiwan.
Visas for Chinese students on school visits were waived in fiscal 2004--which contributed to the increase.
China's continued strong economic growth is also another factor.
Most of the visiting student groups requested some kind of exchange with local Japanese schools. The Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau has been in charge of fielding such requests and inquiries. In fiscal 2006, 12 elementary schools, 50 junior high schools and 73 senior high schools in Osaka Prefecture participated in international exchange programs.
The Osaka prefectural government noted there was a rush of last-minute requests for exchange visits. Some schools give less than one month's notice before their arrival. In some cases, there was insufficient time to schedule an interchange experience.
On occasion, teachers at local schools find themselves fretting about hosting foreign visitors because they feel inexperienced and are unsure of what is expected of them.
In an effort to bolster the number of recipient schools, the Osaka government appointed a former senior high school principal to serve as a school visit interchange coordinator at the Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau for fiscal 2006. It appointed a former junior high school principal for fiscal 2007.
In March, the prefectural government distributed reference material outlining interchange program activities to its public elementary and junior high schools.
A guidebook further promoting the program is now being prepared for distribution later this month. The booklet is designed to facilitate preparations for the host school.
It will show the flow of preparation and activities from step one, when a bus-load of visiting students arrives at the school gates, right to the moment when they bid farewell. The guidebook will also list examples of actual exchanges.
(IHT/Asahi: June 5,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200706050065.html
In fiscal 2006, a record number of students on school trips made their way to Osaka Prefecture. According to the Tourism Promotion Division of the Osaka prefectural government, more than 8,000 foreign students streamed into Osaka. The region was especially popular with Chinese students, with the number of such visitors rising four-fold in just a year.
For Japanese schools, it means their students get a chance to interact more with their peers from across the seas.
But many local schools feel they are on shaky ground when it comes to playing host to a bunch of international visitors.
To ease those concerns, the prefectural government is putting out a guidebook this month that gives suggestions and sample ideas to facilitate interchange programs. The idea is to motivate more schools to sign up as host schools. The government's goal is for local schools to host 10,000 overseas students in fiscal 2007.
It is a far cry from the 2004 school year, when only about 120 overseas students visited Osaka on school trips. The following year, the Osaka prefectural government began making earnest efforts to attract more visitors. That year, visitor numbers surged to 3,799 before hitting 8,041 in fiscal 2006.
According to a breakdown by nation and region, in fiscal 2006, 4,024 students, or roughly 50 percent of the total, came from South Korea; 3,291, or 41 percent, from China; followed by 536, or 7 percent, from Taiwan.
Visas for Chinese students on school visits were waived in fiscal 2004--which contributed to the increase.
China's continued strong economic growth is also another factor.
Most of the visiting student groups requested some kind of exchange with local Japanese schools. The Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau has been in charge of fielding such requests and inquiries. In fiscal 2006, 12 elementary schools, 50 junior high schools and 73 senior high schools in Osaka Prefecture participated in international exchange programs.
The Osaka prefectural government noted there was a rush of last-minute requests for exchange visits. Some schools give less than one month's notice before their arrival. In some cases, there was insufficient time to schedule an interchange experience.
On occasion, teachers at local schools find themselves fretting about hosting foreign visitors because they feel inexperienced and are unsure of what is expected of them.
In an effort to bolster the number of recipient schools, the Osaka government appointed a former senior high school principal to serve as a school visit interchange coordinator at the Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau for fiscal 2006. It appointed a former junior high school principal for fiscal 2007.
In March, the prefectural government distributed reference material outlining interchange program activities to its public elementary and junior high schools.
A guidebook further promoting the program is now being prepared for distribution later this month. The booklet is designed to facilitate preparations for the host school.
It will show the flow of preparation and activities from step one, when a bus-load of visiting students arrives at the school gates, right to the moment when they bid farewell. The guidebook will also list examples of actual exchanges.
(IHT/Asahi: June 5,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200706050065.html
Monday, June 04, 2007
More effort needed to attract foreign students
To entice more top-notch students from abroad, we need to make learning in Japan more attractive to foreign students.
The government's Asian Gateway plan includes a goal of tripling the number of foreign students enrolled at universities and other educational institutions in Japan--currently standing at 120,000--by the end of 2025.
The Education Rebuilding Council, for its part, proposed in its second report that Japan draft a new policy on foreign students that furthers national strategies, including industrial and diplomatic policies.
In the course of the council's discussions, some called for setting a target of accepting 1 million foreign students.
Japan's standing in the international community would be boosted if it could nurture an affinity for Japanese culture among excellent human resources from abroad.
At a time when human resources are increasingly moving across national borders, hiring capable foreign workers who have studied in this country would certainly give Japanese companies a competitive edge.
When the government came up with a plan in 1983 to accept 100,000 foreign students, students from abroad numbered a meager 10,000. After having reached this target, the emphasis should now shift from increasing the quantity of students to attracting top-quality students.
===
International scholars
The United States and European nations are fighting for the lion's share of excellent foreign students. The number of people studying abroad has drastically increased globally, especially in terms of students from Asia. One estimate puts it that their numbers will roughly triple by the end of 2025.
Students from China and South Korea account for 80 percent of the foreign students in Japan, but the fact remains that many top-notch students from these countries are studying in the United States.
How can Japan catch up with the United States as a magnet for excellent foreign students?
Under the Asian Gateway plan, Japan will aim to maintain at least its current share of foreign students, or about 5 percent of foreign students in the world, while also ensuring foreign students coming to Japan are of high quality.
In order to attract highly qualified human resources, the nation must have an education system that is based on high standards and cutting-edge research. It is also necessary to expand the scope of classes taught in English.
===
Boost appeal
One thing that diminishes the attractiveness of Japan as a destination for studying is reluctance on the part of Japanese companies to hire foreigners, citing language problems and differences in customs.
In some cases, students keen to study in Japan sent letters of inquiry to professors, but had to abandon their plans because their letters went unanswered.
Britain has offices responsible for helping students wishing to study in the country in 110 nations, while Germany has such offices in 13 nations.
The Japan Student Services Organization on the other hand, has offices in South Korea and three other countries.
The Asian Gateway plan proposes increasing the number of overseas offices which provide counseling to students wishing to study in Japan and give necessary advice when they return from Japan. The government should promptly take necessary steps in line with this proposal.
Other issues the nation must address are increasing the number of students studying Japanese in foreign countries and improving the housing situation in Japan, which foreign students find difficult to cope with.
The nation cannot afford to waste any time in taking effective measures to encourage more foreign students to study in Japan.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 4, 2007)
(Jun. 4, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20070604TDY04008.htm
The government's Asian Gateway plan includes a goal of tripling the number of foreign students enrolled at universities and other educational institutions in Japan--currently standing at 120,000--by the end of 2025.
The Education Rebuilding Council, for its part, proposed in its second report that Japan draft a new policy on foreign students that furthers national strategies, including industrial and diplomatic policies.
In the course of the council's discussions, some called for setting a target of accepting 1 million foreign students.
Japan's standing in the international community would be boosted if it could nurture an affinity for Japanese culture among excellent human resources from abroad.
At a time when human resources are increasingly moving across national borders, hiring capable foreign workers who have studied in this country would certainly give Japanese companies a competitive edge.
When the government came up with a plan in 1983 to accept 100,000 foreign students, students from abroad numbered a meager 10,000. After having reached this target, the emphasis should now shift from increasing the quantity of students to attracting top-quality students.
===
International scholars
The United States and European nations are fighting for the lion's share of excellent foreign students. The number of people studying abroad has drastically increased globally, especially in terms of students from Asia. One estimate puts it that their numbers will roughly triple by the end of 2025.
Students from China and South Korea account for 80 percent of the foreign students in Japan, but the fact remains that many top-notch students from these countries are studying in the United States.
How can Japan catch up with the United States as a magnet for excellent foreign students?
Under the Asian Gateway plan, Japan will aim to maintain at least its current share of foreign students, or about 5 percent of foreign students in the world, while also ensuring foreign students coming to Japan are of high quality.
In order to attract highly qualified human resources, the nation must have an education system that is based on high standards and cutting-edge research. It is also necessary to expand the scope of classes taught in English.
===
Boost appeal
One thing that diminishes the attractiveness of Japan as a destination for studying is reluctance on the part of Japanese companies to hire foreigners, citing language problems and differences in customs.
In some cases, students keen to study in Japan sent letters of inquiry to professors, but had to abandon their plans because their letters went unanswered.
Britain has offices responsible for helping students wishing to study in the country in 110 nations, while Germany has such offices in 13 nations.
The Japan Student Services Organization on the other hand, has offices in South Korea and three other countries.
The Asian Gateway plan proposes increasing the number of overseas offices which provide counseling to students wishing to study in Japan and give necessary advice when they return from Japan. The government should promptly take necessary steps in line with this proposal.
Other issues the nation must address are increasing the number of students studying Japanese in foreign countries and improving the housing situation in Japan, which foreign students find difficult to cope with.
The nation cannot afford to waste any time in taking effective measures to encourage more foreign students to study in Japan.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 4, 2007)
(Jun. 4, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20070604TDY04008.htm
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Teachers, parents at odds on early English
While nearly 80 percent of parents are in favor of education ministry plans to make English compulsory for primary school students, nearly 60 percent of teachers are opposed, according to two related surveys by a major education services company.
In April last year, a panel on foreign-language education under the Central Council for Education, an advisory body to the education, science and technology minister, proposed making English compulsory starting from fifth-year students. Following the move, Benesse Corp.
conducted two surveys between July and October: one on about 4,700 parents of students at 31 public primary schools nationwide; and the other on about 3,500 public primary school teachers.
The survey of parents showed that a large majority of respondents were in favor of the change--35.2 percent said they strongly agreed with the proposal and 41.2 percent tended to agree. Just 14 percent disagreed or tended to disagree.
Asked about the timing for starting classes, parents' responses suggested they thought the sooner, the better. The first year of primary school was the grade chosen by 47.8 percent of the respondents, followed by the third year, chosen by 13.5 percent.
The survey of teachers, meanwhile, showed that only 8.7 percent of them in clear agreement with the proposal to make English compulsory at the primary school level, with 28.1 percent agreeing on balance. Of responding teachers, 56.9 percent of them disagreed or leaned toward disagreement with the proposal.
The survey also asked teachers who worked at schools that already offered some form of English lessons--for example, as part of general studies classes--to point out issues their schools were facing in conducting such lessons.
In multiple-choice answers, 40.6 percent indicated that problems were apparent in "the English abilities of the teachers who taught it." "Lack of time for preparation and development of the necessary teaching materials" was chosen by 38.2 percent, while 32.9 percent pointed out that "no curriculum had been developed for teaching" English at primary school.
The survey asked senior teachers who supervised the overall education of their respective schools to answer the questions. When asked if their colleagues in charge of English education seemed burdened by the assignment of teaching English, 54.8 percent of respondents said they found their colleagues did feel some kind of burden.
Their answers suggest that primary school teachers feel they lack the resources needed to teach the language. At Japanese primary schools, homeroom teachers usually teach their assigned classes most of the subjects they study. Therefore, should English be made compulsory, it is likely that homeroom teachers will be expected to teach English in addition to such subjects as Japanese and mathematics because there is an insufficient number of native-speaking assistants employed.
Kensaku Yoshida, a professor of applied linguistics at Sophia University who was among the experts involved in the surveys, pointed out that primary school teachers were generally not confident about teaching English to students.
"Primary school teachers feel anxious that they will face a larger burden should English be made compulsory without the implementation of measures to support them," said the professor, who also serves as a member of the panel on foreign-language education under the Central Council for Education. "It's crucial for the ministry and local boards of education to secure enough training time for the teachers and offer them instruction on various themes, including how to use teaching materials."
Regarding such materials, a ministry official pointed to the need to consider a range of materials.
"Taking into account the pronunciation skills of primary school teachers, the development of audio materials using CDs and videos should also be under consideration," the official said.
(May. 31, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20070531TDY14002.htm
In April last year, a panel on foreign-language education under the Central Council for Education, an advisory body to the education, science and technology minister, proposed making English compulsory starting from fifth-year students. Following the move, Benesse Corp.
conducted two surveys between July and October: one on about 4,700 parents of students at 31 public primary schools nationwide; and the other on about 3,500 public primary school teachers.
The survey of parents showed that a large majority of respondents were in favor of the change--35.2 percent said they strongly agreed with the proposal and 41.2 percent tended to agree. Just 14 percent disagreed or tended to disagree.
Asked about the timing for starting classes, parents' responses suggested they thought the sooner, the better. The first year of primary school was the grade chosen by 47.8 percent of the respondents, followed by the third year, chosen by 13.5 percent.
The survey of teachers, meanwhile, showed that only 8.7 percent of them in clear agreement with the proposal to make English compulsory at the primary school level, with 28.1 percent agreeing on balance. Of responding teachers, 56.9 percent of them disagreed or leaned toward disagreement with the proposal.
The survey also asked teachers who worked at schools that already offered some form of English lessons--for example, as part of general studies classes--to point out issues their schools were facing in conducting such lessons.
In multiple-choice answers, 40.6 percent indicated that problems were apparent in "the English abilities of the teachers who taught it." "Lack of time for preparation and development of the necessary teaching materials" was chosen by 38.2 percent, while 32.9 percent pointed out that "no curriculum had been developed for teaching" English at primary school.
The survey asked senior teachers who supervised the overall education of their respective schools to answer the questions. When asked if their colleagues in charge of English education seemed burdened by the assignment of teaching English, 54.8 percent of respondents said they found their colleagues did feel some kind of burden.
Their answers suggest that primary school teachers feel they lack the resources needed to teach the language. At Japanese primary schools, homeroom teachers usually teach their assigned classes most of the subjects they study. Therefore, should English be made compulsory, it is likely that homeroom teachers will be expected to teach English in addition to such subjects as Japanese and mathematics because there is an insufficient number of native-speaking assistants employed.
Kensaku Yoshida, a professor of applied linguistics at Sophia University who was among the experts involved in the surveys, pointed out that primary school teachers were generally not confident about teaching English to students.
"Primary school teachers feel anxious that they will face a larger burden should English be made compulsory without the implementation of measures to support them," said the professor, who also serves as a member of the panel on foreign-language education under the Central Council for Education. "It's crucial for the ministry and local boards of education to secure enough training time for the teachers and offer them instruction on various themes, including how to use teaching materials."
Regarding such materials, a ministry official pointed to the need to consider a range of materials.
"Taking into account the pronunciation skills of primary school teachers, the development of audio materials using CDs and videos should also be under consideration," the official said.
(May. 31, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/language/20070531TDY14002.htm
Chinese students to visit Japan on exchange program
Two hundred high school students from China will pay a nine-day visit to Japan from Wednesday as part of the government's initiative to broaden exchanges among youths in East Asia Summit member nations.
"We hope that this program will deepen mutual understanding among the youths and contribute to a sense of solidarity in the region and promote good sentiment toward Japan," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.
The initiative, known as the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths Program, was proposed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when he met leaders at the second East Asia Summit in January in the Philippines.
Abe said Japan will invite about 6,000 youths annually for the next five years.
The students will visit various parts of Japan, including Osaka, Hiroshima and Okinawa, attend a seminar on Sino-Japanese ties, experience home-stays and sit in on classes at high schools before leaving June 7, the Foreign Ministry said.
Japan hopes to invite youths from South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said Shiozaki, the government's top spokesman.
ASEAN's members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070530f3.html
"We hope that this program will deepen mutual understanding among the youths and contribute to a sense of solidarity in the region and promote good sentiment toward Japan," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.
The initiative, known as the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths Program, was proposed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when he met leaders at the second East Asia Summit in January in the Philippines.
Abe said Japan will invite about 6,000 youths annually for the next five years.
The students will visit various parts of Japan, including Osaka, Hiroshima and Okinawa, attend a seminar on Sino-Japanese ties, experience home-stays and sit in on classes at high schools before leaving June 7, the Foreign Ministry said.
Japan hopes to invite youths from South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said Shiozaki, the government's top spokesman.
ASEAN's members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070530f3.html
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Graduates' prospects better
The unemployment rate in April indicates a continued steady improvement in the employment environment as part of the longest period of economic expansion since World War II.
The large decrease in the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds also suggests employment prospects for new graduates have improved markedly since the so-called ice age in graduate recruitment.
The overall unemployment rate, which had remained steady at 4 percent for five consecutive months, fell in April--the start of the new business year--due mainly to aggressive recruitment of new graduates.
Large-scale retirement of baby boomers turning 60 years old also began this year, which has prompted companies to seek fresh workers.
The fall in the number of unemployed young people, including the number of graduates who fail to secure employment with their preferred companies and keep searching, was particularly pronounced in this period.
However, the current improvement is unlikely to have a strong influence on the macroeconomy.
According to the labor ministry's monthly labor statistics survey, the average wage per worker had, for the four consecutive months until March, fallen compared with a year earlier. The economy's future prospects will therefore largely depend on whether the fall in the unemployment rate leads to higher wages.
(May. 30, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/20070530TDY01004.htm
The large decrease in the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds also suggests employment prospects for new graduates have improved markedly since the so-called ice age in graduate recruitment.
The overall unemployment rate, which had remained steady at 4 percent for five consecutive months, fell in April--the start of the new business year--due mainly to aggressive recruitment of new graduates.
Large-scale retirement of baby boomers turning 60 years old also began this year, which has prompted companies to seek fresh workers.
The fall in the number of unemployed young people, including the number of graduates who fail to secure employment with their preferred companies and keep searching, was particularly pronounced in this period.
However, the current improvement is unlikely to have a strong influence on the macroeconomy.
According to the labor ministry's monthly labor statistics survey, the average wage per worker had, for the four consecutive months until March, fallen compared with a year earlier. The economy's future prospects will therefore largely depend on whether the fall in the unemployment rate leads to higher wages.
(May. 30, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/20070530TDY01004.htm
Monday, May 28, 2007
Competitive university funding dangerous
Operating subsidies provided by the central government to national universities are the key source of funding to run the schools. The subsidies pay personnel costs for the teachers and other staff, utilities and maintenance expenses for facilities, and expenses related to research labs.
The Finance Ministry and expert government panels, including the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, are increasingly demanding the current subsidy allocation formula based on the size and capacity of a school be changed to a result-based one, based on evaluation of each university's commitment to research and educational activities.
Such an idea is questionable. Is it necessary to introduce competitive principles primarily designed for fiscal discipline into the allocation of state subsidies to universities?
Many officials at national universities should have been shocked by the estimates unveiled recently by the Finance Ministry.
If the operating subsidies were reallocated in line with subsidies allocated for key scientific research projects on the basis of research activities and actual results, 74 out of 87 national universities would see their subsidies reduced.
Hardest-hit would be Hyogo University of Teacher Education, which would see its subsidies cut by 90.5 percent. According to the estimates, nine of the hardest-hit universities would be those specializing in teacher training.
Meanwhile, most national universities in regional areas would see their subsidies cut. Only 13 schools would come out on the winning side, including former imperial universities such as Tokyo University and Kyoto University, which would see their subsidies doubled.
===
Inefficiency worrisome
The possible deterioration in the management of universities specializing in teacher training and those in regional areas, which are supposed to serve as regional intellectual centers, is cause for concern.
Due to the declining birthrate, national universities have also been hit by a wave of reorganization and integration. While it is understandable for national universities to reorganize or integrate themselves to maintain and improve their educational standards, the economic rationalization of state universities may lower the quality of institutions for higher education as a whole.
Branches of learning, particularly the liberal arts and humanities, and pure sciences, the benefits of whose research are less obvious, will decline in the long run. In the future there will be little room for researchers to throw themselves into such embryonic research as that leading to a Nobel prize. What constitutes "results" and who would assess them and how are all unclear.
The introduction of competitive principles in the allocation of state subsidies to national universities is being championed by private-sector members of the council, with Finance Ministry officials and other related offices following suit.
===
Taking sides
The Education, Science and Technology Ministry, worried about further reduction in state subsidies to universities, has sided with the universities which are intensifying their opposition to the result-based subsidies allocation plan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked the Education Rebuilding Council, which is under his direct control, to summarize the results of relevant discussions.
In proportion to the gross domestic product, government fiscal assistance to institutions of higher education in Japan remains only half the average of industrially advanced nations.
In light of its tight fiscal situation, the government deems it difficult to increase outlays for higher education. Yet we hope the education council can come up with proposals to beef up the nation's universities.
Regional state universities also must make further reform efforts. It is essential for these universities to offer educational programs distinctive enough to attract students even from other prefectures, while developing their strengths in specific areas of study.
They must also emphasize their significance in terms of their contribution to regional economies and the development of human resources for local governments and other key entities.
These functions make it all the more necessary to ensure stability in operational subsidies for national universities. It is dangerous to hastily call for putting such funding on a result-oriented, competitive footing.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 28, 2007)
(May. 28, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20070528TDY04008.htm
The Finance Ministry and expert government panels, including the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, are increasingly demanding the current subsidy allocation formula based on the size and capacity of a school be changed to a result-based one, based on evaluation of each university's commitment to research and educational activities.
Such an idea is questionable. Is it necessary to introduce competitive principles primarily designed for fiscal discipline into the allocation of state subsidies to universities?
Many officials at national universities should have been shocked by the estimates unveiled recently by the Finance Ministry.
If the operating subsidies were reallocated in line with subsidies allocated for key scientific research projects on the basis of research activities and actual results, 74 out of 87 national universities would see their subsidies reduced.
Hardest-hit would be Hyogo University of Teacher Education, which would see its subsidies cut by 90.5 percent. According to the estimates, nine of the hardest-hit universities would be those specializing in teacher training.
Meanwhile, most national universities in regional areas would see their subsidies cut. Only 13 schools would come out on the winning side, including former imperial universities such as Tokyo University and Kyoto University, which would see their subsidies doubled.
===
Inefficiency worrisome
The possible deterioration in the management of universities specializing in teacher training and those in regional areas, which are supposed to serve as regional intellectual centers, is cause for concern.
Due to the declining birthrate, national universities have also been hit by a wave of reorganization and integration. While it is understandable for national universities to reorganize or integrate themselves to maintain and improve their educational standards, the economic rationalization of state universities may lower the quality of institutions for higher education as a whole.
Branches of learning, particularly the liberal arts and humanities, and pure sciences, the benefits of whose research are less obvious, will decline in the long run. In the future there will be little room for researchers to throw themselves into such embryonic research as that leading to a Nobel prize. What constitutes "results" and who would assess them and how are all unclear.
The introduction of competitive principles in the allocation of state subsidies to national universities is being championed by private-sector members of the council, with Finance Ministry officials and other related offices following suit.
===
Taking sides
The Education, Science and Technology Ministry, worried about further reduction in state subsidies to universities, has sided with the universities which are intensifying their opposition to the result-based subsidies allocation plan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked the Education Rebuilding Council, which is under his direct control, to summarize the results of relevant discussions.
In proportion to the gross domestic product, government fiscal assistance to institutions of higher education in Japan remains only half the average of industrially advanced nations.
In light of its tight fiscal situation, the government deems it difficult to increase outlays for higher education. Yet we hope the education council can come up with proposals to beef up the nation's universities.
Regional state universities also must make further reform efforts. It is essential for these universities to offer educational programs distinctive enough to attract students even from other prefectures, while developing their strengths in specific areas of study.
They must also emphasize their significance in terms of their contribution to regional economies and the development of human resources for local governments and other key entities.
These functions make it all the more necessary to ensure stability in operational subsidies for national universities. It is dangerous to hastily call for putting such funding on a result-oriented, competitive footing.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 28, 2007)
(May. 28, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20070528TDY04008.htm
Universities making PR push / Competition for students prompts schools to be more image-savvy
Universities are turning to more aggressive public relations campaigns to recruit students as the declining birthrate pushes the number of university applicants to equal the number of available enrollment berths.
The methods of getting the word out include nationwide television commercials, new mascots and image enhancement campaigns commissioned by advertising agencies.
Senshu University in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, launched a nationwide TV advertising campaign from April. In the ad, library bookshelves are shown along with captions that allude to books as if they were boyfriends. "I fell in love and became fascinated with him. But I've encountered another book by fate," one caption reads. Senshu has four other variations on this theme, including one that takes place in a classroom.
According to the university, several other universities air commercials in limited areas, but the nationally broadcast commercial is a first for a university.
The commercial, with its quiet and calming images, also is trying to change the university's masculine reputation. The university's public relations office said, "We'd like women especially to know that our university has changed from 20 years ago." The commercial airs during evening news broadcasts, which are predominantly viewed by women.
In 2004, national universities became independent administrative corporations and given freedom in their management. The universities began experimenting with various forms of public relations to prepare for the time when applicants would equal enrollees. The moves have in turn influenced private universities.
Universities that have consultant contracts with advertising firms also are on the rise.
Ten universities, both national and private, had contracts with Hakuhodo Inc. in Minato Ward, Tokyo, as of the end of fiscal 2006. In fiscal 2004, only two universities had contracts.
Hiroyuki Takeda, Hakuhodo's university public relations head, said, "Universities that don't have well-cultivated skills in public relations are asking us for help."
Tohoku University, which has had a contract with Hakuhodo since the 2004 academic year, said it tried to publicize its excellent professors who are not well known among the public, as well as tout the potential of its scientific research.
A newspaper advertisement on one of the university's seminars carried not only content of the seminar, but also interviews with top professors with world-class achievements as well as graduate and writer Hideaki Sena and fiction writer Makiko Uchidate, who also manages the university's sumo club.
Keio University in Minato Ward, Tokyo, invited Eiichi Okubo, head of advertising at an affiliate of Shiseido Co., to become the university's public relations office chief last August to boost the institution's public relations know-how.
Meiji University in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, created a new mascot called Meijiro, and Shizuoka University is distributing to high school students mobile phone straps and pens with its own mascot, Shizuppii, whose symbol is Mt. Fuji.
Nobuaki Kamei, a representative for a comprehensive research institute of higher education, said: "Universities can't secure students unless students become interested in them. The management of universities will need to rely on public relations methods."
(May. 28, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070528TDY03003.htm
The methods of getting the word out include nationwide television commercials, new mascots and image enhancement campaigns commissioned by advertising agencies.
Senshu University in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, launched a nationwide TV advertising campaign from April. In the ad, library bookshelves are shown along with captions that allude to books as if they were boyfriends. "I fell in love and became fascinated with him. But I've encountered another book by fate," one caption reads. Senshu has four other variations on this theme, including one that takes place in a classroom.
According to the university, several other universities air commercials in limited areas, but the nationally broadcast commercial is a first for a university.
The commercial, with its quiet and calming images, also is trying to change the university's masculine reputation. The university's public relations office said, "We'd like women especially to know that our university has changed from 20 years ago." The commercial airs during evening news broadcasts, which are predominantly viewed by women.
In 2004, national universities became independent administrative corporations and given freedom in their management. The universities began experimenting with various forms of public relations to prepare for the time when applicants would equal enrollees. The moves have in turn influenced private universities.
Universities that have consultant contracts with advertising firms also are on the rise.
Ten universities, both national and private, had contracts with Hakuhodo Inc. in Minato Ward, Tokyo, as of the end of fiscal 2006. In fiscal 2004, only two universities had contracts.
Hiroyuki Takeda, Hakuhodo's university public relations head, said, "Universities that don't have well-cultivated skills in public relations are asking us for help."
Tohoku University, which has had a contract with Hakuhodo since the 2004 academic year, said it tried to publicize its excellent professors who are not well known among the public, as well as tout the potential of its scientific research.
A newspaper advertisement on one of the university's seminars carried not only content of the seminar, but also interviews with top professors with world-class achievements as well as graduate and writer Hideaki Sena and fiction writer Makiko Uchidate, who also manages the university's sumo club.
Keio University in Minato Ward, Tokyo, invited Eiichi Okubo, head of advertising at an affiliate of Shiseido Co., to become the university's public relations office chief last August to boost the institution's public relations know-how.
Meiji University in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, created a new mascot called Meijiro, and Shizuoka University is distributing to high school students mobile phone straps and pens with its own mascot, Shizuppii, whose symbol is Mt. Fuji.
Nobuaki Kamei, a representative for a comprehensive research institute of higher education, said: "Universities can't secure students unless students become interested in them. The management of universities will need to rely on public relations methods."
(May. 28, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070528TDY03003.htm
Patissiers' glamorous image growing
The number of people becoming patissiers is growing as media coverage and the growing number of international awards gives the profession a glamorous image.
The patissier boom began about 10 years ago.
"Since the latter half of the 1990s, the French word 'patissier' has been used for Western-style confectioners and they have made a fashionable impression," said an official at the Federation of Japan Confectionery Associations.
The interest in patissiers has expanded as the number of young confectioners returning from Europe with awards from international competitions has grown and the media has started applying the moniker "charismatic patissier" to some of them.
"Women's magazines have taken up the subject of patissiers and this has largely contributed to their popularity," the federation official said.
The interest in the people behind the pastries is paying off in other ways.
"We can now attract customers with the names of patissier." said an official at Namco Ltd., which has cake theme parks.
Many young people dream about becoming a patissier.
The number of applications for Ecole de Patisserie de Tokio, which has been open in Tokyo for 53 years, has exceeded the 200 open spots annually in recent years.
"The number of people wishing to enter here sharply increased in 2001 when a TV drama set in a cake shop was broadcast," a school official said.
The number of high schools offering patisserie courses is also on the rise. Kagoshima Josai High School in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture, started a patisserie course in April because of strong student demand. There were 148 applicants for 40 spots.
Toyohito Yanagimura, who teaches the course at Kagoshima Josai, said it is important to learn confectionery techniques early in life.
"In Europe, the birthplace of confectionery making, people start to study it when they are young. Studying new techniques and acquiring experience early on is important," Yanagimura said. "Young people can also nurture their sensitivity," which he deems necessary to becoming a good patissier.
While people think of the confectionery industry as glamorous, the work is hard. It typically takes four to five years to become a full patissier and the work is physically demanding.
Patissiers stand all day and their creations do not last long.
"Confectionery are perishable and cannot be kept for long," said one patissier. "There is also a limit to mechanization. It's not unusual to have to work past midnight."
"There are many people who join the industry, but there are also many who quit the industry," an industry source said.
Despite the drawbacks, the profession remains a popular career.
"In addition to the flamboyance of the industry, cake-making is a job for self-expression. The yearning among young people is strong, and the boom is expected to continue for a while," said an official in charge of entrance exams at a vocational school for confectioners.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070526f2.html
The patissier boom began about 10 years ago.
"Since the latter half of the 1990s, the French word 'patissier' has been used for Western-style confectioners and they have made a fashionable impression," said an official at the Federation of Japan Confectionery Associations.
The interest in patissiers has expanded as the number of young confectioners returning from Europe with awards from international competitions has grown and the media has started applying the moniker "charismatic patissier" to some of them.
"Women's magazines have taken up the subject of patissiers and this has largely contributed to their popularity," the federation official said.
The interest in the people behind the pastries is paying off in other ways.
"We can now attract customers with the names of patissier." said an official at Namco Ltd., which has cake theme parks.
Many young people dream about becoming a patissier.
The number of applications for Ecole de Patisserie de Tokio, which has been open in Tokyo for 53 years, has exceeded the 200 open spots annually in recent years.
"The number of people wishing to enter here sharply increased in 2001 when a TV drama set in a cake shop was broadcast," a school official said.
The number of high schools offering patisserie courses is also on the rise. Kagoshima Josai High School in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture, started a patisserie course in April because of strong student demand. There were 148 applicants for 40 spots.
Toyohito Yanagimura, who teaches the course at Kagoshima Josai, said it is important to learn confectionery techniques early in life.
"In Europe, the birthplace of confectionery making, people start to study it when they are young. Studying new techniques and acquiring experience early on is important," Yanagimura said. "Young people can also nurture their sensitivity," which he deems necessary to becoming a good patissier.
While people think of the confectionery industry as glamorous, the work is hard. It typically takes four to five years to become a full patissier and the work is physically demanding.
Patissiers stand all day and their creations do not last long.
"Confectionery are perishable and cannot be kept for long," said one patissier. "There is also a limit to mechanization. It's not unusual to have to work past midnight."
"There are many people who join the industry, but there are also many who quit the industry," an industry source said.
Despite the drawbacks, the profession remains a popular career.
"In addition to the flamboyance of the industry, cake-making is a job for self-expression. The yearning among young people is strong, and the boom is expected to continue for a while," said an official in charge of entrance exams at a vocational school for confectioners.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070526f2.html
Friday, May 25, 2007
Merit-based subsidies could mean cuts for 74 colleges
Most national universities would see their government subsidies cut if funds were distributed based on academic excellence, Finance Ministry estimates show.
According to the estimates released Monday, 74 of 87 national universities in the nation, or 85 percent of all national universities, would receive less in subsidies under a performance-based system compared to what they get under the current arrangement, which is based on the size and capacity of a school.
The ministry made the estimates in an effort to see how a merit-based system would affect the allocation of subsidies that the government offers for operational costs at national universities.
But the estimates are likely to draw criticism from universities projected to lose out, and are expected to prompt heated debate over how the subsidies should be decided, observers said.
According to financial statements for national universities covering fiscal 2005, state subsidies totaled 1.59 trillion yen, accounting for 45 percent of the operating income of the universities.
The subsidies are the largest income source for the universities, followed by operating profits of university hospitals, which in 2005 accounted for 27 percent, while tuition fees came to 15 percent.
The ministry, which has argued the subsidy allocation system needs to be drastically reviewed to improve the efficiency of state finances, included its merit-based estimates in a document submitted to a ministry council for fiscal issues. Ministry officials also believe levels of academic research and education activities at national universities would improve if a market mechanism was introduced into the subsidy allocation system.
The estimates were made based on assessments of each university's commitment to research and educational activities. To assess commitment, the ministry looked at how two types of subsidies were allocated--those for certain scientific research projects that the government judged to be useful, and those covering research and educational programs that universities came up with on their own initiative.
If subsidies were reallocated in proportion to the ratio of subsidies spent on key scientific research projects, some universities that have obtained subsidies for those research projects would receive a higher allocation under a merit-based system, while some would receive less, the estimates showed.
According to the estimates, 13 universities would receive more in subsidies, including Tokyo University, Kyoto University and Tokyo Institute of Technology. However, this would leave 74 other universities with less in subsidies.
In terms of those likely to see an increase, Tokyo University would receive more than double the amount it does now, with an estimated 112.9 percent more in subsidies. At the other end of the scale, Hyogo University of Teacher Education would receive about 10 percent of its current levels. The estimates indicated that a number of universities specializing in teacher training would face significant cuts in their subsidies.
If a reallocation estimate is based on amounts of subsidies covering universities' original research and educational programs, the number of universities that would receive a bigger allocation was estimated at just 34, or 40 percent of all state universities.
===
Education minister blasts report
Education, Science and Technology Minister Bunmei Ibuki on Tuesday criticized the Finance Ministry's estimates, saying, "If funds are used only for technological development and applied research, there will be no money for developing human resources for future generations."
Speaking at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting, Ibuki added the ministry's proposal was like "the grasshopper," an apparent reference to Aesop's fable about the grasshopper and the ants.
The minister also expressed skepticism about relying on market principles when allocating state subsidies, saying, "It's a very dangerous idea to allocate funds only with a view to making profits in the short run."
(May. 23, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070523TDY01002.htm
According to the estimates released Monday, 74 of 87 national universities in the nation, or 85 percent of all national universities, would receive less in subsidies under a performance-based system compared to what they get under the current arrangement, which is based on the size and capacity of a school.
The ministry made the estimates in an effort to see how a merit-based system would affect the allocation of subsidies that the government offers for operational costs at national universities.
But the estimates are likely to draw criticism from universities projected to lose out, and are expected to prompt heated debate over how the subsidies should be decided, observers said.
According to financial statements for national universities covering fiscal 2005, state subsidies totaled 1.59 trillion yen, accounting for 45 percent of the operating income of the universities.
The subsidies are the largest income source for the universities, followed by operating profits of university hospitals, which in 2005 accounted for 27 percent, while tuition fees came to 15 percent.
The ministry, which has argued the subsidy allocation system needs to be drastically reviewed to improve the efficiency of state finances, included its merit-based estimates in a document submitted to a ministry council for fiscal issues. Ministry officials also believe levels of academic research and education activities at national universities would improve if a market mechanism was introduced into the subsidy allocation system.
The estimates were made based on assessments of each university's commitment to research and educational activities. To assess commitment, the ministry looked at how two types of subsidies were allocated--those for certain scientific research projects that the government judged to be useful, and those covering research and educational programs that universities came up with on their own initiative.
If subsidies were reallocated in proportion to the ratio of subsidies spent on key scientific research projects, some universities that have obtained subsidies for those research projects would receive a higher allocation under a merit-based system, while some would receive less, the estimates showed.
According to the estimates, 13 universities would receive more in subsidies, including Tokyo University, Kyoto University and Tokyo Institute of Technology. However, this would leave 74 other universities with less in subsidies.
In terms of those likely to see an increase, Tokyo University would receive more than double the amount it does now, with an estimated 112.9 percent more in subsidies. At the other end of the scale, Hyogo University of Teacher Education would receive about 10 percent of its current levels. The estimates indicated that a number of universities specializing in teacher training would face significant cuts in their subsidies.
If a reallocation estimate is based on amounts of subsidies covering universities' original research and educational programs, the number of universities that would receive a bigger allocation was estimated at just 34, or 40 percent of all state universities.
===
Education minister blasts report
Education, Science and Technology Minister Bunmei Ibuki on Tuesday criticized the Finance Ministry's estimates, saying, "If funds are used only for technological development and applied research, there will be no money for developing human resources for future generations."
Speaking at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting, Ibuki added the ministry's proposal was like "the grasshopper," an apparent reference to Aesop's fable about the grasshopper and the ants.
The minister also expressed skepticism about relying on market principles when allocating state subsidies, saying, "It's a very dangerous idea to allocate funds only with a view to making profits in the short run."
(May. 23, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070523TDY01002.htm
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
20,000 in language pickle / Foreign students in need of specialized Japanese teachers
The number of foreign students in need of Japanese-language instruction in 885 municipalities exceeded 20,000 as of 2005, and the figure continues to increase, a government survey has found.
The Education, Science and Technology Ministry has produced guidebooks for language teaching, but most public primary, middle and high school teachers have little experience in teaching Japanese as a second language. Experts have pointed out the need for teachers who specialize in teaching Japanese to foreign children.
In Oizumimachi, Gunma Prefecture, about 6,800 of the town's 42,000 residents are foreigners, and about 10 percent of all students in the seven public primary and middle schools hail from overseas.
Apart from regular classes, the schools also offer Japanese classes to increase foreign students' language abilities. But the classes are taught by regular teachers who are not trained in language teaching.
An Oizumimachi Municipal Board of Education official said, "Although we've hired people who speak Portuguese or Spanish to help out [in the classroom], it would be hard to say our support for teachers is sufficient."
At Okubo Primary School in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, more than half the 180 students come from South Korea, China, the Philippines and other countries.
"Even if these students can speak Japanese in everyday situations, acquiring the fluency that enables them to study in Japanese takes more time," Principal Fumiko Nagaoka said.
According to the ministry, the number of foreign students who needed extra Japanese-language training in 1991 was 5,463, and exceeded 10,000 in 1993. As of 2005, the figure stood at 20,692, accounting for about 30 percent of all foreign students.
The largest group among the students are native Portuguese speakers, accounting for 37 percent, followed by those speaking Chinese (22 percent), and Spanish (15 percent).
This is a consequence of the 1990 revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law that allowed foreigners of Japanese descent to work in Japan, which was previously banned. The revision pushed up the number of people entering the country, mainly from South America.
However, the children of such people often stop attending school due to language difficulties, or find it hard to secure jobs after graduating from school.
The ministry has produced manuals for teachers to help them provide language lessons in conjunction with other subjects. A version of the manual was introduced for primary schools in 2003, and for middle schools in March this year.
The manual for middle school teachers says that setting riddles and playing other word games during Japanese classes can help foreign students increase their vocabulary, and that creating a dictionary of unknown words for students also can be helpful.
Only 70 of the 885 municipalities have specialized Japanese teachers. The ministry plans to expand the teacher-training system to cover Japanese-language instruction.
Prof. Ikuo Kawakami of Waseda University said: "In the United States and Australia, there's a system to foster teachers to teach English to children who can't speak the language. Japan should introduce a similar system and dispatch expert teachers to schools."
===
Foreign residents at record high
The number of foreign residents in Japan as of the end of 2006 hit a record-high of 2.08 million, increasing 3.6 percent from the previous year, according to the Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau.
The figure of 2,084,919 accounted for 1.63 percent of the nation's total population.
By nationality and place of origin, the two Koreas combined had the largest share at 28.7 percent, or 598,219. But because of the aging population and naturalization, the number of special permanent residents is decreasing after peaking in 1991.
In order of descending share after the two Koreas, China registered 26.9 percent or 560,741; Brazil, 15 percent or 312,979; and thereafter the order was the Philippines, Peru and the United States.
There were 188 different nationalities and places of origin.
By prefecture, Tokyo came top with 364,712. Thereafter, Osaka, Aichi, Kanagawa, Saitama, Hyogo, Chiba, Shizuoka, Gifu and Kyoto prefectures accounted for about 70 percent.
Gifu Prefecture increased by 7.6 percent from a year ago, and Aichi by 7.1 percent. The high rates of increase in the two Chubu region prefectures is thought to be attributable to the area's favorable economic conditions.
(May. 22, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070522TDY01002.htm
The Education, Science and Technology Ministry has produced guidebooks for language teaching, but most public primary, middle and high school teachers have little experience in teaching Japanese as a second language. Experts have pointed out the need for teachers who specialize in teaching Japanese to foreign children.
In Oizumimachi, Gunma Prefecture, about 6,800 of the town's 42,000 residents are foreigners, and about 10 percent of all students in the seven public primary and middle schools hail from overseas.
Apart from regular classes, the schools also offer Japanese classes to increase foreign students' language abilities. But the classes are taught by regular teachers who are not trained in language teaching.
An Oizumimachi Municipal Board of Education official said, "Although we've hired people who speak Portuguese or Spanish to help out [in the classroom], it would be hard to say our support for teachers is sufficient."
At Okubo Primary School in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, more than half the 180 students come from South Korea, China, the Philippines and other countries.
"Even if these students can speak Japanese in everyday situations, acquiring the fluency that enables them to study in Japanese takes more time," Principal Fumiko Nagaoka said.
According to the ministry, the number of foreign students who needed extra Japanese-language training in 1991 was 5,463, and exceeded 10,000 in 1993. As of 2005, the figure stood at 20,692, accounting for about 30 percent of all foreign students.
The largest group among the students are native Portuguese speakers, accounting for 37 percent, followed by those speaking Chinese (22 percent), and Spanish (15 percent).
This is a consequence of the 1990 revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law that allowed foreigners of Japanese descent to work in Japan, which was previously banned. The revision pushed up the number of people entering the country, mainly from South America.
However, the children of such people often stop attending school due to language difficulties, or find it hard to secure jobs after graduating from school.
The ministry has produced manuals for teachers to help them provide language lessons in conjunction with other subjects. A version of the manual was introduced for primary schools in 2003, and for middle schools in March this year.
The manual for middle school teachers says that setting riddles and playing other word games during Japanese classes can help foreign students increase their vocabulary, and that creating a dictionary of unknown words for students also can be helpful.
Only 70 of the 885 municipalities have specialized Japanese teachers. The ministry plans to expand the teacher-training system to cover Japanese-language instruction.
Prof. Ikuo Kawakami of Waseda University said: "In the United States and Australia, there's a system to foster teachers to teach English to children who can't speak the language. Japan should introduce a similar system and dispatch expert teachers to schools."
===
Foreign residents at record high
The number of foreign residents in Japan as of the end of 2006 hit a record-high of 2.08 million, increasing 3.6 percent from the previous year, according to the Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau.
The figure of 2,084,919 accounted for 1.63 percent of the nation's total population.
By nationality and place of origin, the two Koreas combined had the largest share at 28.7 percent, or 598,219. But because of the aging population and naturalization, the number of special permanent residents is decreasing after peaking in 1991.
In order of descending share after the two Koreas, China registered 26.9 percent or 560,741; Brazil, 15 percent or 312,979; and thereafter the order was the Philippines, Peru and the United States.
There were 188 different nationalities and places of origin.
By prefecture, Tokyo came top with 364,712. Thereafter, Osaka, Aichi, Kanagawa, Saitama, Hyogo, Chiba, Shizuoka, Gifu and Kyoto prefectures accounted for about 70 percent.
Gifu Prefecture increased by 7.6 percent from a year ago, and Aichi by 7.1 percent. The high rates of increase in the two Chubu region prefectures is thought to be attributable to the area's favorable economic conditions.
(May. 22, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070522TDY01002.htm
Monday, May 21, 2007
Japanese to be taught in government schools
MADURAI : In a move to woo Japanese investments, the Tamil Nadu Government has planned to teach Japanese language in a big way to students of government schools.
Addressing `SMExpressions 2007,' a seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here on Friday, Managing Director of the Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT), C. Umashankar, said investment from Japan in Tamil Nadu was very minimal, when compared to that from the U.S., Germany and Koreas.
The content for teaching Japanese through DVDs to schoolteachers and students would be prepared in two months. The DVDs would be given free of cost. Using them beginner, intermediate and professional courses would be taught. Successful students would be given diploma certificates.
Stating that Japan, one of the biggest economies of the world, was hiring Chinese workforce at present, Mr. Umashankar said Japanese knowledge among Indian students would make them employable there.
He said the Government had sought formal clearance from the Centre to get special economic zone status for seven sites where it had proposed to have tidel parks. The hearing of these proposals would be held on June 29.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/19/stories/2007051915730700.htm
Addressing `SMExpressions 2007,' a seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here on Friday, Managing Director of the Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT), C. Umashankar, said investment from Japan in Tamil Nadu was very minimal, when compared to that from the U.S., Germany and Koreas.
The content for teaching Japanese through DVDs to schoolteachers and students would be prepared in two months. The DVDs would be given free of cost. Using them beginner, intermediate and professional courses would be taught. Successful students would be given diploma certificates.
Stating that Japan, one of the biggest economies of the world, was hiring Chinese workforce at present, Mr. Umashankar said Japanese knowledge among Indian students would make them employable there.
He said the Government had sought formal clearance from the Centre to get special economic zone status for seven sites where it had proposed to have tidel parks. The hearing of these proposals would be held on June 29.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/19/stories/2007051915730700.htm
TOKYO: Panel calls for more foreign students
A government panel chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Wednesday for a three-fold increase in the number of foreign students in Japan by 2025.
That would bring the number to about 350,000. Currently, about 120,000 foreign students are in Japan, accounting for about 5 percent of the total number of foreign students worldwide.
In its final report, the Asian Gateway Strategy Council urged the government to maintain that percentage.
Some analysts estimate the number of students overseas will grow to around 7 million by 2025.
In 2003, the number of foreign students in Japan reached 100,000, the target set in 1983. Still, the number stayed at around 120,000 for three years from 2004.(IHT/Asahi: May 17,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200705170125.html
That would bring the number to about 350,000. Currently, about 120,000 foreign students are in Japan, accounting for about 5 percent of the total number of foreign students worldwide.
In its final report, the Asian Gateway Strategy Council urged the government to maintain that percentage.
Some analysts estimate the number of students overseas will grow to around 7 million by 2025.
In 2003, the number of foreign students in Japan reached 100,000, the target set in 1983. Still, the number stayed at around 120,000 for three years from 2004.(IHT/Asahi: May 17,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200705170125.html
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Employment rate for university graduates 96.3%
The employment rate of university students graduating this spring was 96.3 percent, up one percentage point from the same period the previous year, according to a joint survey of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
The figure marks a record high since fiscal 1996, when the joint survey started. The health ministry said that due to the improving economy and the mass retirement of the baby-boomer generation, many companies are trying to secure human resources, while also pointing out that the employment rate of high school graduates in rural areas has fallen behind that of urban areas because of the sluggish economy conditions there.
The percentage for male university students was 96.6 percent, and that for female university students was 96 percent, 1.1 points up and one point up from the same period the previous year, respectively.
Meanwhile, the education ministry said 93.9 percent of high school students graduating this spring had found jobs as of the end of March, 1.1 percent up from the same period last year. The ratio has been increasing for five years in a row.
(May. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070516TDY02007.htm
The figure marks a record high since fiscal 1996, when the joint survey started. The health ministry said that due to the improving economy and the mass retirement of the baby-boomer generation, many companies are trying to secure human resources, while also pointing out that the employment rate of high school graduates in rural areas has fallen behind that of urban areas because of the sluggish economy conditions there.
The percentage for male university students was 96.6 percent, and that for female university students was 96 percent, 1.1 points up and one point up from the same period the previous year, respectively.
Meanwhile, the education ministry said 93.9 percent of high school students graduating this spring had found jobs as of the end of March, 1.1 percent up from the same period last year. The ratio has been increasing for five years in a row.
(May. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070516TDY02007.htm
Japan's 'edge' threatened by drop in students abroad: expert
Since the number of Japanese students studying in the United States peaked 10 years ago at more than 47,000, slow growth has given way to decline and there is concern that the growing number of other Asian students overseas could hurt Japan's future.
"In macro terms, there is no question that Japan's competitive advantage and edge is being eroded" by this trend, said David H. Satterwhite, executive director of the Fulbright Commission Japan.
The commission has funded educational exchanges for Japanese students since 1952.
While the trend has longer term implications within 15 to 30 years, it is a "trend to be concerned about nonetheless," he said.
With Chinese and Koreans studying abroad in increasing numbers, Satterwhite said he believes the tendency is "putting them into the international ranks faster than their Japanese student counterparts," he said via e-mail.
The decline can be attributed to a number of factors, including Japan's sustained economic recovery, which "has made more pronounced a long-standing attitude" held by companies of not seeking international experience in prospective employees.
In Japan, students are traditionally hired upon graduation and offered in-house training and lifetime employment.
In Japan's hiring system, where university students traditionally advance in age-defined "cohort groups," Satterwhite noted many students "have felt disadvantaged when they are away from the network of their recommending professors or classmates."
Soichiro Shibata, 22, a graduating senior majoring in political science at Yale University, offered a similar viewpoint.
While the level of English proficiency required can deter students from studying abroad, he said, there is also a sense among students that attending top universities in Japan such as the University of Tokyo gives one a "better shot at getting into a good company."
Students opt to stay home because they feel "that once you leave Japan, you're kind of out of the game, you're going to have a tougher time being employed in Japan, and that it's a very risky venture," Shibata said.
Another major factor in the decline is Japan's aging population coupled with low birthrates, resulting in fewer 18-year-olds enrolling in university, Satterwhite wrote in a recent report on U.S.-Japan educational exchange released by the Institute of International Education.
The economic recovery, along with increasingly competitive educational opportunities in Japan, has resulted in graduates seeking work at home rather than "seeking to improve one's marketability through studies abroad" as during the recession, he said.
Shibata, who attended elementary and middle school in the United States, said that no one else from his high school applied to overseas schools.
"People don't really see going abroad as an option," he said. If not for his childhood experience, he might have felt the same, he added.
Employers "are for the most part not looking at the skill set or content of what has been studied abroad, just as they are not primarily interested in the transcript or subject matter of courses taken by graduates of Japanese universities," Satterwhite noted.
The trend could reverse if the economy were to enter another downturn, he said.
"At that point it is an attractive option for students to go abroad and improve their English, picking up skills that may be attractive to potential employers," he said, and perhaps "differentiating themselves" from others in the job market.
For many students, there has simply been insufficient incentive to leave Japan, Shibata said.
Despite the tough economic times in the 1990s, "Japan is still one of the richest countries in the world, and the jobs you can get in Tokyo are better than most things you can get elsewhere," he noted.
The traditional business structure would have to shift to a "more merit-based, market-based system in which it will be up to each individual to gain the training necessary to secure and succeed in a job," in order for students to seek practical training and English skills as a "more desirable and realistic option," the undergrad said.
Mari Kita, an international criminal justice major at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said she feels that although fewer Japanese students may be studying in the United States, more are studying in other countries "since the world is more globalized as compared to say, 10 years ago, when people's perception was going (to) study abroad means studying in English-speaking countries."
Though unable to cite exact figures, Satterwhite said some universities are more active in recruiting older students to make up for the declining enrollment of 18-year-olds and that there is a "sense" that more adults are considering graduate degrees.
Kita, who has studied in the United States since 2003, said she has met "more and more people, especially women, older than 30, who are coming to the U.S. or other countries to study whatever they wish to study."
Masato Hasegawa, 31, a Ph.D. candidate in Chinese history at Yale, said he is a rarity among his peers, many of whom are working and starting families.
"People still come to the U.S. to get advanced degrees, but goals are becoming more practical, and more applicable to doing business," he said.
English ability has always been an advantage, Satterwhite said, but rotation experience within a firm is "deemed far more important to advancement than experience abroad, or even English proficiency."
In an economy still "just 12 to 14 percent geared to exports, as a percentage of GDP, the globalized economy has not yet come home to roost within many or most firms," he said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070515a8.html
"In macro terms, there is no question that Japan's competitive advantage and edge is being eroded" by this trend, said David H. Satterwhite, executive director of the Fulbright Commission Japan.
The commission has funded educational exchanges for Japanese students since 1952.
While the trend has longer term implications within 15 to 30 years, it is a "trend to be concerned about nonetheless," he said.
With Chinese and Koreans studying abroad in increasing numbers, Satterwhite said he believes the tendency is "putting them into the international ranks faster than their Japanese student counterparts," he said via e-mail.
The decline can be attributed to a number of factors, including Japan's sustained economic recovery, which "has made more pronounced a long-standing attitude" held by companies of not seeking international experience in prospective employees.
In Japan, students are traditionally hired upon graduation and offered in-house training and lifetime employment.
In Japan's hiring system, where university students traditionally advance in age-defined "cohort groups," Satterwhite noted many students "have felt disadvantaged when they are away from the network of their recommending professors or classmates."
Soichiro Shibata, 22, a graduating senior majoring in political science at Yale University, offered a similar viewpoint.
While the level of English proficiency required can deter students from studying abroad, he said, there is also a sense among students that attending top universities in Japan such as the University of Tokyo gives one a "better shot at getting into a good company."
Students opt to stay home because they feel "that once you leave Japan, you're kind of out of the game, you're going to have a tougher time being employed in Japan, and that it's a very risky venture," Shibata said.
Another major factor in the decline is Japan's aging population coupled with low birthrates, resulting in fewer 18-year-olds enrolling in university, Satterwhite wrote in a recent report on U.S.-Japan educational exchange released by the Institute of International Education.
The economic recovery, along with increasingly competitive educational opportunities in Japan, has resulted in graduates seeking work at home rather than "seeking to improve one's marketability through studies abroad" as during the recession, he said.
Shibata, who attended elementary and middle school in the United States, said that no one else from his high school applied to overseas schools.
"People don't really see going abroad as an option," he said. If not for his childhood experience, he might have felt the same, he added.
Employers "are for the most part not looking at the skill set or content of what has been studied abroad, just as they are not primarily interested in the transcript or subject matter of courses taken by graduates of Japanese universities," Satterwhite noted.
The trend could reverse if the economy were to enter another downturn, he said.
"At that point it is an attractive option for students to go abroad and improve their English, picking up skills that may be attractive to potential employers," he said, and perhaps "differentiating themselves" from others in the job market.
For many students, there has simply been insufficient incentive to leave Japan, Shibata said.
Despite the tough economic times in the 1990s, "Japan is still one of the richest countries in the world, and the jobs you can get in Tokyo are better than most things you can get elsewhere," he noted.
The traditional business structure would have to shift to a "more merit-based, market-based system in which it will be up to each individual to gain the training necessary to secure and succeed in a job," in order for students to seek practical training and English skills as a "more desirable and realistic option," the undergrad said.
Mari Kita, an international criminal justice major at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said she feels that although fewer Japanese students may be studying in the United States, more are studying in other countries "since the world is more globalized as compared to say, 10 years ago, when people's perception was going (to) study abroad means studying in English-speaking countries."
Though unable to cite exact figures, Satterwhite said some universities are more active in recruiting older students to make up for the declining enrollment of 18-year-olds and that there is a "sense" that more adults are considering graduate degrees.
Kita, who has studied in the United States since 2003, said she has met "more and more people, especially women, older than 30, who are coming to the U.S. or other countries to study whatever they wish to study."
Masato Hasegawa, 31, a Ph.D. candidate in Chinese history at Yale, said he is a rarity among his peers, many of whom are working and starting families.
"People still come to the U.S. to get advanced degrees, but goals are becoming more practical, and more applicable to doing business," he said.
English ability has always been an advantage, Satterwhite said, but rotation experience within a firm is "deemed far more important to advancement than experience abroad, or even English proficiency."
In an economy still "just 12 to 14 percent geared to exports, as a percentage of GDP, the globalized economy has not yet come home to roost within many or most firms," he said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070515a8.html
Friday, May 11, 2007
Chinese students in Japan look forward to Premier Wen's "ice-melting visit"
Right before Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's official visit to Japan, which will be on next Wednesday through Friday, representatives of Chinese students in Japan gathered in Tokyo last week to express their excitement and expectations for the "ice-melting visit."
On behalf of about 100,000 Chinese students in Japan, Li Guangzhe, chairman of the Organization of All Chinese Students in Japan, expressed best wishes for the premier's upcoming visit.
"We expect an all-around improvement of the Sino-Japanese ties brought by the premier's tour, and are eager to see that the water from the 'melting ice' becomes spring of the bilateral friendly cooperation," said the doctoral degree student of the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
There are currently about 100,000 Chinese students in Japan, and likewise, there are also a large number of Japanese students in China. Overseas students have constituted influential forces in promoting people-to-people contact between the two countries and should make more efforts to promote the development of bilateral ties, Li said.
"It will be top-level Chinese leader's first visit to Japan in six years, and Premier Wen will give a speech at the Japanese parliament, the first ever in 22 years," said Shi Jiangshui, a doctor from Tokyo University, adding that he and his Chinese schoolmates are full of expectations that Premier Wen's Japan visit will give a new motive force to the overall exchange between he two countries and to the development of bilateral ties.
"I believe that the premier's visit is to bring about a spring breeze which will melt the ice in the Sino-Japanese relationship, and the water from the melting ice will nourish the flowers of friendship between China and Japan," said Ren Yuqian, a Chinese student from prestigious Keio University.
"Premier Wen's visit will encourage Chinese students in Japan to contribute more to the Sino-Japanese friendship," She added.
According to official statistics, Japan is now hosting the biggest percentage of Chinese overseas students, and the current number of Chinese students in Japan is the highest on record.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Govt mulls university fund cuts / But education ministry, govt council at odds on promoting competition
A disagreement between the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy and the Education, Science and Technology Ministry over how to allocate government subsidies to state-run universities has raised questions about the extent to which competition can be introduced into the education system.
The government council said funds should be allocated based on the efforts each university has made to reform, or their academic achievements. However, the ministry, backed by the country's universities, counter that academic results are not always easy to assess.
The dispute was triggered by a report submitted on Feb. 27 by four members of the council from the private sector, including Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) Chairman Fujio Mitarai.
The report said, "The method of allocating government subsidies for management of state-run universities must be drastically changed to reward effort and achievements."
Government subsidies are a major revenue source for universities to cover labor costs and educational and research budgets. About 1.2 trillion yen in management subsidies are paid annually to 87 state-run universities across the nation. The amount allocated to each of the universities is being reduced by 1 percent each year from fiscal 2004, when state-run universities became independent entities, to fiscal 2009.
The report proposed that from fiscal 2010, the method of allocating the subsidies should shift from a uniform reduction to one based on competition.
However, at a convention of the Japan Association of National Universities held on March 8, presidents of state-run universities expressed strong opposition to the recommendations in the report. One of them said, "Education will be ruined if universities are evaluated only by results that are easy to understand." Another commented: "Management subsidies are necessary for universities to survive. If the amounts are cut further, more universities will go bankrupt."
In response to these concerns, Education, Science and Technology Minister Bunmei Ibuki argued for a review of the proposals for cuts in the subsidies at a meeting of the council on April 17, pointing out that the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was supposed to be prioritizing educational reforms.
But Finance Minister Koji Omi voiced his support for the report. "Is it really necessary to maintain 87 state-run universities?" he asked.
On the principle of introducing competition between education institutions, the ministry in 2001 hammered out a policy of drastic realignment of higher education, including possible consolidation of state-run universities and the introduction of performance-based management systems, in a report on structural reform of universities.
As a result, the number of state-run universities has fallen from 99 in 2002 to 87, and evaluations of universities are being conducted by third parties. But reforms have so far been voluntary, with each university allowed to decide what practical measures it will implement.
===
Private sector criticism
Council members from the private sector have been critical of the reforms so far introduced.
International Christian University Prof. Naohiro Yashiro said, "It's not enough to expect each university to improve its own educational quality."
Mitarai commented: "Universities in provincial regions are all aiming to be the same thing, with a large number of faculties. They haven't been able to utilize elements unique to their region."
Concerns over the state of the country's universities have been exacerbated by rapid advances in India and South Korea, both of which are striving to enhance their credentials in the technology sector. Many critics believe Japanese universities are failing to attract talented researchers and students from other countries to undertake advanced studies in Japan.
Takatoshi Ito, a graduate school professor at Tokyo University, and a representative of the private sector on the council, said, "The government should encourage universities with potential to hone their capabilities further." He argued that more money should be invested in universities that can compete with prestigious institutions overseas.
On the issue of state-run universities in provincial regions, Ito said he believes drastic realignment or consolidation should be enforced if necessary.
Following submission of the report, the ministry conducted a simulation, in private, on what would happen if competition was introduced through changing the allocation of management subsidies.
According to sources in the ministry, the results shocked many, with as many as 47 likely to be forced to close.
Many state-run universities in provincial regions play a key role in fostering teachers and doctors for their respective region, and also conduct joint research and development with local small and midsize companies with weak R&D capabilities.
Wakayama University President Akira Oda said he was troubled by the idea of diverting money from regional institutions. "Letting universities in provincial regions collapse could lead to a widening gap between large cities and provincial regions," he said. Some researchers also believe introducing competition could result in declining standards in basic scientific research and history, where strong results take longer to realize.
Four national research organizations, including the Japan Association of National Universities and the National Institute of Natural Sciences, submitted a letter last month asking the education minister to rethink the management subsidy issue.
"If funds are provided only to studies that can produce outstanding results in short periods, budding examples of excellence in applied studies will be lost," the letter said.
"If competition is brought into basic research fields, only high-profile studies will get any attention, which could distort the basics of academic studies," Gunma University President Mamoru Suzuki said.
(May. 6, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070506TDY03003.htm
The government council said funds should be allocated based on the efforts each university has made to reform, or their academic achievements. However, the ministry, backed by the country's universities, counter that academic results are not always easy to assess.
The dispute was triggered by a report submitted on Feb. 27 by four members of the council from the private sector, including Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) Chairman Fujio Mitarai.
The report said, "The method of allocating government subsidies for management of state-run universities must be drastically changed to reward effort and achievements."
Government subsidies are a major revenue source for universities to cover labor costs and educational and research budgets. About 1.2 trillion yen in management subsidies are paid annually to 87 state-run universities across the nation. The amount allocated to each of the universities is being reduced by 1 percent each year from fiscal 2004, when state-run universities became independent entities, to fiscal 2009.
The report proposed that from fiscal 2010, the method of allocating the subsidies should shift from a uniform reduction to one based on competition.
However, at a convention of the Japan Association of National Universities held on March 8, presidents of state-run universities expressed strong opposition to the recommendations in the report. One of them said, "Education will be ruined if universities are evaluated only by results that are easy to understand." Another commented: "Management subsidies are necessary for universities to survive. If the amounts are cut further, more universities will go bankrupt."
In response to these concerns, Education, Science and Technology Minister Bunmei Ibuki argued for a review of the proposals for cuts in the subsidies at a meeting of the council on April 17, pointing out that the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was supposed to be prioritizing educational reforms.
But Finance Minister Koji Omi voiced his support for the report. "Is it really necessary to maintain 87 state-run universities?" he asked.
On the principle of introducing competition between education institutions, the ministry in 2001 hammered out a policy of drastic realignment of higher education, including possible consolidation of state-run universities and the introduction of performance-based management systems, in a report on structural reform of universities.
As a result, the number of state-run universities has fallen from 99 in 2002 to 87, and evaluations of universities are being conducted by third parties. But reforms have so far been voluntary, with each university allowed to decide what practical measures it will implement.
===
Private sector criticism
Council members from the private sector have been critical of the reforms so far introduced.
International Christian University Prof. Naohiro Yashiro said, "It's not enough to expect each university to improve its own educational quality."
Mitarai commented: "Universities in provincial regions are all aiming to be the same thing, with a large number of faculties. They haven't been able to utilize elements unique to their region."
Concerns over the state of the country's universities have been exacerbated by rapid advances in India and South Korea, both of which are striving to enhance their credentials in the technology sector. Many critics believe Japanese universities are failing to attract talented researchers and students from other countries to undertake advanced studies in Japan.
Takatoshi Ito, a graduate school professor at Tokyo University, and a representative of the private sector on the council, said, "The government should encourage universities with potential to hone their capabilities further." He argued that more money should be invested in universities that can compete with prestigious institutions overseas.
On the issue of state-run universities in provincial regions, Ito said he believes drastic realignment or consolidation should be enforced if necessary.
Following submission of the report, the ministry conducted a simulation, in private, on what would happen if competition was introduced through changing the allocation of management subsidies.
According to sources in the ministry, the results shocked many, with as many as 47 likely to be forced to close.
Many state-run universities in provincial regions play a key role in fostering teachers and doctors for their respective region, and also conduct joint research and development with local small and midsize companies with weak R&D capabilities.
Wakayama University President Akira Oda said he was troubled by the idea of diverting money from regional institutions. "Letting universities in provincial regions collapse could lead to a widening gap between large cities and provincial regions," he said. Some researchers also believe introducing competition could result in declining standards in basic scientific research and history, where strong results take longer to realize.
Four national research organizations, including the Japan Association of National Universities and the National Institute of Natural Sciences, submitted a letter last month asking the education minister to rethink the management subsidy issue.
"If funds are provided only to studies that can produce outstanding results in short periods, budding examples of excellence in applied studies will be lost," the letter said.
"If competition is brought into basic research fields, only high-profile studies will get any attention, which could distort the basics of academic studies," Gunma University President Mamoru Suzuki said.
(May. 6, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070506TDY03003.htm
Many high school grads still unemployed
High school graduates in Hokkaido this spring did not benefit from the strong economic recovery, which has generally boosted employment of high school graduates in big cities.
As of the end of January, the nationwide average number of high school senior students who had been promised employment stood at 88.1 percent, a gain of 2.8 percentage points from the previous year, making it the second highest employment rate in the last 10 years.
However, in less-populated areas, many high school graduates are still pounding the pavement to find work in their hometown or other areas.
"We're unemployed, though we've graduated, and we're depressed. I just want a job," a high school graduate in Kushiro, Hokkaido, said.
Out of 145 graduates from a public high school in Kushiro, 49 are still unemployed since graduating in March.
Another graduate, 18, who found a job in mid-April said that before she got the job, she was ashamed to face her parents, so she confined herself to her room.
Last summer, she began to get information from a local job center and took exams for three companies, but the number of applicants was always five to six times more than the one to three jobs available.
She graduated without landing a job and was depressed that she had to continue going to the job center.
In mid-April, when she was looking for a part-time job, one of her high school teachers helped her get a position with a funeral service company. "Some of my friends are still unemployed after taking exams for 10 companies. I was about to give up on finding a job," she said.
In late April, Hello Work Kushiro, the job center in Kushiro, was still displaying a poster that calls on companies to give local high school graduates an opportunity to work.
A Hello Work Kushiro official said the poster was put up last summer, but the office did not feel that it should be taken down yet.
"The economic expansion is said to be the longest after the war, but people here don't feel that way," he said.
A 19-year-old who graduated this spring sought help from the center. He did not look hard for a job when he was a student, but concern about his future after graduation prompted him to interview for two jobs, which he did not get.
He is now working at a karaoke box parlor, but is looking for full-time work. "A freeter can be fired any time, so I don't have job security," he said.
About 10 new graduates visit the office each day, and recently, many of them are accompanied by their parents.
Hidemitsu Muroya, a deputy chief at the office, said local companies had not increased the number of workers they needed.
As of the end of March, the number of high school graduates who had received job offers stood at 78.2 percent in the eight cities, towns and villages under the supervision of the office.
Of the 68 graduates of a prefectural high school in Goshogawara, Aomori Prefecture, who landed jobs in spring, only 19 work for companies in the prefecture. The other 49 work for companies, such as bargain stores and hotels, in the Tokyo metropolitan and surrounding areas.
A high school teacher who offers career counseling for students said he told them that with the job market remaining weak in the prefecture, they could seek better-paying jobs in other prefectures and then return home someday.
As of the end of March, the number of high school graduates in the prefecture promised job surged 2.4 percentage points to 90.7 percent, but 55 percent of them received promises from companies outside the prefecture.
This is the first time since the early 1990s that the number of high school graduates who work for companies in other prefectures is higher than the number working in the prefecture, indicating that the economic recovery has not trickled down to the prefecture.
By region, as of the end of January, Hokkaido had the lowest job offers with 66.6 percent.
The 84.6 percent in southern Kyushu, 85.1 percent in northern Kyushu, 85.3 percent in the Sanin region and 86.7 percent in the Tohoku region were lower than the national average.
Tokyo Metropolitan University Prof. Akio Inui, an expert on freeters, said that in areas that have not seen an economic recovery, it remains to be seen whether the employment situation will improve.
"Measures to improve employment have to take local situations into consideration in light of the gap in employment rates in localities," he said.
===
'Working poor' living at Net cafes
Some big city companies hire young people from other prefectures as full-time employees, but many outsiders can only find part-time jobs, and some of them have become the so-called working poor, meaning they cannot free themselves from low-paying jobs.
Recently, many young people in urban areas, including Tokyo, are starting to use Internet cafes or comic book cafes as lodgings.
A survey conducted in April by the National Confederation of Trade Unions and other organizations in 10 prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka and Aichi prefectures, found that nearly 80 percent of 34 Internet cafes had young people who had become "long-term residents."
Makoto Kawazoe, secretary general of the Metro Tokyo Youth Union, said the number of part-time workers in cities had increased.
"Young people who have been dismissed have to leave the dorms. Since they don't have any savings, they can't pay deposits and key money for an apartment. That's why they live in Internet cafes," he said.
(May. 5, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070505TDY02005.htm
As of the end of January, the nationwide average number of high school senior students who had been promised employment stood at 88.1 percent, a gain of 2.8 percentage points from the previous year, making it the second highest employment rate in the last 10 years.
However, in less-populated areas, many high school graduates are still pounding the pavement to find work in their hometown or other areas.
"We're unemployed, though we've graduated, and we're depressed. I just want a job," a high school graduate in Kushiro, Hokkaido, said.
Out of 145 graduates from a public high school in Kushiro, 49 are still unemployed since graduating in March.
Another graduate, 18, who found a job in mid-April said that before she got the job, she was ashamed to face her parents, so she confined herself to her room.
Last summer, she began to get information from a local job center and took exams for three companies, but the number of applicants was always five to six times more than the one to three jobs available.
She graduated without landing a job and was depressed that she had to continue going to the job center.
In mid-April, when she was looking for a part-time job, one of her high school teachers helped her get a position with a funeral service company. "Some of my friends are still unemployed after taking exams for 10 companies. I was about to give up on finding a job," she said.
In late April, Hello Work Kushiro, the job center in Kushiro, was still displaying a poster that calls on companies to give local high school graduates an opportunity to work.
A Hello Work Kushiro official said the poster was put up last summer, but the office did not feel that it should be taken down yet.
"The economic expansion is said to be the longest after the war, but people here don't feel that way," he said.
A 19-year-old who graduated this spring sought help from the center. He did not look hard for a job when he was a student, but concern about his future after graduation prompted him to interview for two jobs, which he did not get.
He is now working at a karaoke box parlor, but is looking for full-time work. "A freeter can be fired any time, so I don't have job security," he said.
About 10 new graduates visit the office each day, and recently, many of them are accompanied by their parents.
Hidemitsu Muroya, a deputy chief at the office, said local companies had not increased the number of workers they needed.
As of the end of March, the number of high school graduates who had received job offers stood at 78.2 percent in the eight cities, towns and villages under the supervision of the office.
Of the 68 graduates of a prefectural high school in Goshogawara, Aomori Prefecture, who landed jobs in spring, only 19 work for companies in the prefecture. The other 49 work for companies, such as bargain stores and hotels, in the Tokyo metropolitan and surrounding areas.
A high school teacher who offers career counseling for students said he told them that with the job market remaining weak in the prefecture, they could seek better-paying jobs in other prefectures and then return home someday.
As of the end of March, the number of high school graduates in the prefecture promised job surged 2.4 percentage points to 90.7 percent, but 55 percent of them received promises from companies outside the prefecture.
This is the first time since the early 1990s that the number of high school graduates who work for companies in other prefectures is higher than the number working in the prefecture, indicating that the economic recovery has not trickled down to the prefecture.
By region, as of the end of January, Hokkaido had the lowest job offers with 66.6 percent.
The 84.6 percent in southern Kyushu, 85.1 percent in northern Kyushu, 85.3 percent in the Sanin region and 86.7 percent in the Tohoku region were lower than the national average.
Tokyo Metropolitan University Prof. Akio Inui, an expert on freeters, said that in areas that have not seen an economic recovery, it remains to be seen whether the employment situation will improve.
"Measures to improve employment have to take local situations into consideration in light of the gap in employment rates in localities," he said.
===
'Working poor' living at Net cafes
Some big city companies hire young people from other prefectures as full-time employees, but many outsiders can only find part-time jobs, and some of them have become the so-called working poor, meaning they cannot free themselves from low-paying jobs.
Recently, many young people in urban areas, including Tokyo, are starting to use Internet cafes or comic book cafes as lodgings.
A survey conducted in April by the National Confederation of Trade Unions and other organizations in 10 prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka and Aichi prefectures, found that nearly 80 percent of 34 Internet cafes had young people who had become "long-term residents."
Makoto Kawazoe, secretary general of the Metro Tokyo Youth Union, said the number of part-time workers in cities had increased.
"Young people who have been dismissed have to leave the dorms. Since they don't have any savings, they can't pay deposits and key money for an apartment. That's why they live in Internet cafes," he said.
(May. 5, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070505TDY02005.htm
Thursday, April 26, 2007
English university applications up, rise in Japanese studies
Britain's Minister for Higher Education Bill Rammell said Wednesday the number of university applications in England hit an all-time high this year, up 6 percent from last year, sparking a rise in those hoping to study Japanese.
The figures showed that applications in what were described as a number of "strategic subjects" including Japanese -- as well as physics, chemistry, biology, French and German -- had "increased significantly."
The research, conducted by the University Central Admissions Service, tabled a 37 percent year-on-year rise in applications to study Japanese in England in 2007, taking the total number of applicants for the subject to 1,058.
"The department has done a lot of work to increase the take-up of studies in the strategic subjects and this includes Japanese as a foreign language," a spokesperson for the government's Department for Education and Skills told Kyodo News.
A UCAS spokesperson added that the rise in applications to study Japanese could be partly attributed to an increased diversity of subjects offered at high school, with Japanese growing in popularity as a subject to be added to the school curriculum.
The numbers of international students applying to English universities also saw a boost between 2006 and 2007, with an increase in applicants from both the European Union and other overseas countries, including Japan.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070425/kyodo/d8ono5mg0.html
The figures showed that applications in what were described as a number of "strategic subjects" including Japanese -- as well as physics, chemistry, biology, French and German -- had "increased significantly."
The research, conducted by the University Central Admissions Service, tabled a 37 percent year-on-year rise in applications to study Japanese in England in 2007, taking the total number of applicants for the subject to 1,058.
"The department has done a lot of work to increase the take-up of studies in the strategic subjects and this includes Japanese as a foreign language," a spokesperson for the government's Department for Education and Skills told Kyodo News.
A UCAS spokesperson added that the rise in applications to study Japanese could be partly attributed to an increased diversity of subjects offered at high school, with Japanese growing in popularity as a subject to be added to the school curriculum.
The numbers of international students applying to English universities also saw a boost between 2006 and 2007, with an increase in applicants from both the European Union and other overseas countries, including Japan.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070425/kyodo/d8ono5mg0.html
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Govt to propose restriction on graduate school intakes
The government's Education Rebuilding Council reached a basic agreement Monday on a draft proposal that includes a cap on the percentage of state-run university students admitted to graduate schools at the same university, at about 30 percent.
The draft proposal, part of efforts to revitalize graduate education, was approved at a meeting of the council's third subpanel on general education-rebuilding measures, which took place in the Prime Minister's Office.
Capping access to graduate schools is viewed as an effective method of improving quality at the graduate level as it should make it easier for state-run universities to attract talented students from outside their own undergraduate programs.
Initially, the subpanel planned to set the limit at about 20 percent, but raised the figure to 30 percent to head off opposition from university officials.
The draft proposal also includes plans to attract more foreign students and foreign researchers, particularly from China and India, funded by dedicated budgets in official assistance development, as well as for preferential tax treatment for state-run graduate schools to make it easier for them to receive donations from the private sector, to place them on a firmer financial footing.
(Apr. 24, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070424TDY02008.htm
The draft proposal, part of efforts to revitalize graduate education, was approved at a meeting of the council's third subpanel on general education-rebuilding measures, which took place in the Prime Minister's Office.
Capping access to graduate schools is viewed as an effective method of improving quality at the graduate level as it should make it easier for state-run universities to attract talented students from outside their own undergraduate programs.
Initially, the subpanel planned to set the limit at about 20 percent, but raised the figure to 30 percent to head off opposition from university officials.
The draft proposal also includes plans to attract more foreign students and foreign researchers, particularly from China and India, funded by dedicated budgets in official assistance development, as well as for preferential tax treatment for state-run graduate schools to make it easier for them to receive donations from the private sector, to place them on a firmer financial footing.
(Apr. 24, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070424TDY02008.htm
Temple Japan to reform as Japanese university in '09
Temple University Japan (TUJ) will reorganize in 2009 as a full-fledged Japanese university, TUJ and other sources said over the weekend.
The change will allow TUJ to offer full Japanese university degrees, a step made possible with the abolishing this month of a regulation that had obliged Japanese universities to own campus land and buildings.
According to TUJ Dean Kirk R. Patterson, "The biggest hurdle in setting up an official Japanese university has been removed," and paves the way for TUJ to become the first foreign university to be designated a Japanese university.
The move is expected to intensify competition among universities nationwide for a smaller pool of students.
Temple University, operated by the Pennsylvania state government, opened TUJ in 1982, one of the first such branches run by foreign universities. TUJ now has about 2,800 students, of whom 1,700, or about 60 percent, are Japanese.
TUJ leases buildings in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. It conducts classes in English based on curricula from Temple's main U.S. campus.
In 2005, regulations were changed to allow TUJ students to receive discounts on commuter passes, a benefit that those attending Japanese universities already receive.
However, under existing rules, TUJ bachelor's or postgraduate degrees are not recognized as Japanese university degrees, although they are deemed official U.S. university degrees.
In 2003, Japanese universities became able to use leased land and buildings in special deregulated zones. That rule was dropped this month, effectively allowing foreign schools to become Japanese universities.
A new Japanese university is required to have assets to support education activities if it fails to reach full enrollment capacity in the first four years.
TUJ will be required to expand its teaching staff, which is now fewer than the minimum set for Japanese universities, Patterson said.
The increase must be approved by the education ministry's Council for University Chartering and School Juridical Person.
Patterson said TUJ and education ministry officials will discuss ways to enable the planned new TUJ to offer U.S.-style education as far as possible.
At present, six foreign universities, including Temple, operate branch schools in Japan.(IHT/Asahi: April 23,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704230052.html
The change will allow TUJ to offer full Japanese university degrees, a step made possible with the abolishing this month of a regulation that had obliged Japanese universities to own campus land and buildings.
According to TUJ Dean Kirk R. Patterson, "The biggest hurdle in setting up an official Japanese university has been removed," and paves the way for TUJ to become the first foreign university to be designated a Japanese university.
The move is expected to intensify competition among universities nationwide for a smaller pool of students.
Temple University, operated by the Pennsylvania state government, opened TUJ in 1982, one of the first such branches run by foreign universities. TUJ now has about 2,800 students, of whom 1,700, or about 60 percent, are Japanese.
TUJ leases buildings in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. It conducts classes in English based on curricula from Temple's main U.S. campus.
In 2005, regulations were changed to allow TUJ students to receive discounts on commuter passes, a benefit that those attending Japanese universities already receive.
However, under existing rules, TUJ bachelor's or postgraduate degrees are not recognized as Japanese university degrees, although they are deemed official U.S. university degrees.
In 2003, Japanese universities became able to use leased land and buildings in special deregulated zones. That rule was dropped this month, effectively allowing foreign schools to become Japanese universities.
A new Japanese university is required to have assets to support education activities if it fails to reach full enrollment capacity in the first four years.
TUJ will be required to expand its teaching staff, which is now fewer than the minimum set for Japanese universities, Patterson said.
The increase must be approved by the education ministry's Council for University Chartering and School Juridical Person.
Patterson said TUJ and education ministry officials will discuss ways to enable the planned new TUJ to offer U.S.-style education as far as possible.
At present, six foreign universities, including Temple, operate branch schools in Japan.(IHT/Asahi: April 23,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704230052.html
Monday, April 23, 2007
Indian schools make a mark
Every day at the Global Indian International School (GIIS) in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward starts with yoga. All the students -- from kindergarteners to 14-year-old ninth-graders -- have a 20-minute session in their classrooms. The focus is on breathing, which it's thought helps them to relax and concentrate better during lessons.
So, it was hardly a surprise to find that in a fourth-grade math class that followed, the 9-year-olds were full of enthusiasm to tackle a new problem -- how to correctly read such a huge figure as 21,439,127 in the Western way of counting numbers.
"Twenty-one million, four-hundred-and-thirty-nine thousand, one hundred and twenty seven," a student slowly recited before the others. "Yes, that's correct. Very good," the teacher responded. They have already learned that the number is described differently in the Hindu-Arabic number-counting system.
"Next," the teacher says, "please write down the numeral 84,769,801 in both the Indian Place-Value System and the International Place-Value System."
The children's faces lit up with smiles when they worked it out and showed their right answers to the teacher. But they were even more joyful when the teacher told them it was 10.30 a.m. -- break time -- and they could tuck into snacks and drinks they'd brought from home.
GIIS opened in July last year in Minami-Shinozakicho in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward, a 5-minute walk from Mizue Station on the Shinjuku subway line. Now with about 170 mostly Indian pupils aged 3 to 14, it is presently the fifth Asian branch of the Singapore-based international school, and the only one in Japan. Another is planned for Yokohama next year.
As GIIS follows the Indian government-authorized Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum, it ensures that graduates can enter schools back home and stay on track for college there. Should they wish to attend university in Japan, they would first have to pass the government test allowing them to take entrance exams at individual universities.
A new phenomenon in Japan, the arrival of Indian international schools here follows on the heels of the rapid growth in the number of Indian residents -- in turn largely driven by the IT sector's demand for highly skilled engineers, with whom India is famously well-blessed.
Kindergarteners at Global Indian International School in Edogawa Ward start off the day by practicing yoga.
Children lunch in their classrooms, eating meals brought from home.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the city now hosts 7,581 Indian residents, compared with 4,398 in 2002, and the year-on-year growth rate of 8.4 percent (according to data released last month) is the fastest of any ethnic group.
Clearly, more and more Indian parents are having to think hard about how to educate their children.
Daughter's education
It was a problem that Niyanta Deshpande, director of GIIS in Tokyo, faced. He came to Japan nine years ago with his wife to work in IT sales and marketing. He says that he had few problems with either the language (he's now a fluent Japanese speaker) or the food. But he realized that his Japan-born daughter's education was an issue.
"We didn't realize initially that we had a problem, but as our child grew up we realized we did. My daughter could speak only Japanese in the day-care center. She could not speak Indian languages or English there. That's why I sent them [his wife and daughter] back to India when my daughter was 3."
Now, with his daughter aged 4, Deshpande is preparing to resume life together with his family in Japan.
But it's not just Indian people who are welcoming Indian-style education here, with many Japanese becoming aware of the high academic standards it offers -- especially in mathematics.
Rumors among people that Indian children "memorize the multiplication tables from 1×1 to 99×99 in India" have done a lot to fuel this interest, which has been reflected in press headlines such as "Indian schools boast astonishing math skills."
Deshpande said that media reports may have been exaggerated, but he can instantly multiply 55×55, for example, using techniques he was taught by his grandmother. He added that 99×99 is very easy, too. "Simply do 99×100," he explained with a smile, "then subtract 99."
At the school, English is the language used, but Japanese students and those of other nationalities are welcome if their English is sufficient, Deshpande said. There are now 16 Japanese students.
In a fourth-grade math class at Global Indian International School, students line up to show their answers to the teacher.
Compared with other international schools -- some of which charge tuition fees of about 2 million yen a year -- GIIS's fees are around 700,000-800,000 yen yen.
"It's a challenge to keep the cost low," Deshpande said. "But the management part of my job is rather simple. The most interesting part is that we are trying to have a very good relationship with our neighborhood and the local community. I think it is very important for us.
"In this school, all children have a chance to learn the Japanese language and Japanese cultural things such as origami and calligraphy so they can develop their understanding of the country. That will help toward Japan and India being strategic partners in many ways, not only in business but also in global politics."
India International School in Japan (IISJ) is Tokyo's other Indian international school. IISJ, too, has become increasingly popular since its opening in 2004 with 27 pupils, as it also follows the CBSE curriculum and the fees are reasonable. Currently, some 170 students are enrolled, including five Japanese, in the school in Morishita, Koto Ward.
Students sing at the opening ceremony of the newly relocated India International School in Japan in Morishita, Koto Ward.
To cope with its growth, IISJ this month moved into five floors of a seven-story building near its original location, giving it 4,000 sq. meters of floor space -- five times more than before.
But schools such as this and GIIS are not just catering to Tokyo's Indian population, they also make it possible for more Indian families to relocate here, IISJ Director Nirmal Jain said.
Two birds; one stone
"Because the school is here, Japanese companies can get more mature, experienced engineers to work for them," she noted. "Middle-aged engineers are ready to come because the school gives a suitable education. So the growing number of students is a natural development."
Regarding teachers, she said she did not find it difficult to find good ones because many Indian wives who come here with their husbands have a teaching license. Previously, she said, they had nowhere to work in Japan and stayed at home -- so establishing an Indian school has killed two birds with one stone.
At the opening ceremony of the new IISJ school building, Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, chairman of India Center in Tokyo, said one of the most important aspects of the school is that Indian children can get the same education as they would in Delhi.
But he also echoed the widely held view that the school will serve to foster relations between the two countries. "We are investing in the future of the Japan-India relationship 30 years from now," he said.
It's a sentiment obviously being shared by an ever-widening community of people right here and now -- where the mysteries of instant 55×55 multiplication are among the many pearls of wisdom now being brought from the distant subcontinent.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070422x2.html
So, it was hardly a surprise to find that in a fourth-grade math class that followed, the 9-year-olds were full of enthusiasm to tackle a new problem -- how to correctly read such a huge figure as 21,439,127 in the Western way of counting numbers.
"Twenty-one million, four-hundred-and-thirty-nine thousand, one hundred and twenty seven," a student slowly recited before the others. "Yes, that's correct. Very good," the teacher responded. They have already learned that the number is described differently in the Hindu-Arabic number-counting system.
"Next," the teacher says, "please write down the numeral 84,769,801 in both the Indian Place-Value System and the International Place-Value System."
The children's faces lit up with smiles when they worked it out and showed their right answers to the teacher. But they were even more joyful when the teacher told them it was 10.30 a.m. -- break time -- and they could tuck into snacks and drinks they'd brought from home.
GIIS opened in July last year in Minami-Shinozakicho in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward, a 5-minute walk from Mizue Station on the Shinjuku subway line. Now with about 170 mostly Indian pupils aged 3 to 14, it is presently the fifth Asian branch of the Singapore-based international school, and the only one in Japan. Another is planned for Yokohama next year.
As GIIS follows the Indian government-authorized Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum, it ensures that graduates can enter schools back home and stay on track for college there. Should they wish to attend university in Japan, they would first have to pass the government test allowing them to take entrance exams at individual universities.
A new phenomenon in Japan, the arrival of Indian international schools here follows on the heels of the rapid growth in the number of Indian residents -- in turn largely driven by the IT sector's demand for highly skilled engineers, with whom India is famously well-blessed.
Kindergarteners at Global Indian International School in Edogawa Ward start off the day by practicing yoga.
Children lunch in their classrooms, eating meals brought from home.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the city now hosts 7,581 Indian residents, compared with 4,398 in 2002, and the year-on-year growth rate of 8.4 percent (according to data released last month) is the fastest of any ethnic group.
Clearly, more and more Indian parents are having to think hard about how to educate their children.
Daughter's education
It was a problem that Niyanta Deshpande, director of GIIS in Tokyo, faced. He came to Japan nine years ago with his wife to work in IT sales and marketing. He says that he had few problems with either the language (he's now a fluent Japanese speaker) or the food. But he realized that his Japan-born daughter's education was an issue.
"We didn't realize initially that we had a problem, but as our child grew up we realized we did. My daughter could speak only Japanese in the day-care center. She could not speak Indian languages or English there. That's why I sent them [his wife and daughter] back to India when my daughter was 3."
Now, with his daughter aged 4, Deshpande is preparing to resume life together with his family in Japan.
But it's not just Indian people who are welcoming Indian-style education here, with many Japanese becoming aware of the high academic standards it offers -- especially in mathematics.
Rumors among people that Indian children "memorize the multiplication tables from 1×1 to 99×99 in India" have done a lot to fuel this interest, which has been reflected in press headlines such as "Indian schools boast astonishing math skills."
Deshpande said that media reports may have been exaggerated, but he can instantly multiply 55×55, for example, using techniques he was taught by his grandmother. He added that 99×99 is very easy, too. "Simply do 99×100," he explained with a smile, "then subtract 99."
At the school, English is the language used, but Japanese students and those of other nationalities are welcome if their English is sufficient, Deshpande said. There are now 16 Japanese students.
In a fourth-grade math class at Global Indian International School, students line up to show their answers to the teacher.
Compared with other international schools -- some of which charge tuition fees of about 2 million yen a year -- GIIS's fees are around 700,000-800,000 yen yen.
"It's a challenge to keep the cost low," Deshpande said. "But the management part of my job is rather simple. The most interesting part is that we are trying to have a very good relationship with our neighborhood and the local community. I think it is very important for us.
"In this school, all children have a chance to learn the Japanese language and Japanese cultural things such as origami and calligraphy so they can develop their understanding of the country. That will help toward Japan and India being strategic partners in many ways, not only in business but also in global politics."
India International School in Japan (IISJ) is Tokyo's other Indian international school. IISJ, too, has become increasingly popular since its opening in 2004 with 27 pupils, as it also follows the CBSE curriculum and the fees are reasonable. Currently, some 170 students are enrolled, including five Japanese, in the school in Morishita, Koto Ward.
Students sing at the opening ceremony of the newly relocated India International School in Japan in Morishita, Koto Ward.
To cope with its growth, IISJ this month moved into five floors of a seven-story building near its original location, giving it 4,000 sq. meters of floor space -- five times more than before.
But schools such as this and GIIS are not just catering to Tokyo's Indian population, they also make it possible for more Indian families to relocate here, IISJ Director Nirmal Jain said.
Two birds; one stone
"Because the school is here, Japanese companies can get more mature, experienced engineers to work for them," she noted. "Middle-aged engineers are ready to come because the school gives a suitable education. So the growing number of students is a natural development."
Regarding teachers, she said she did not find it difficult to find good ones because many Indian wives who come here with their husbands have a teaching license. Previously, she said, they had nowhere to work in Japan and stayed at home -- so establishing an Indian school has killed two birds with one stone.
At the opening ceremony of the new IISJ school building, Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, chairman of India Center in Tokyo, said one of the most important aspects of the school is that Indian children can get the same education as they would in Delhi.
But he also echoed the widely held view that the school will serve to foster relations between the two countries. "We are investing in the future of the Japan-India relationship 30 years from now," he said.
It's a sentiment obviously being shared by an ever-widening community of people right here and now -- where the mysteries of instant 55×55 multiplication are among the many pearls of wisdom now being brought from the distant subcontinent.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070422x2.html
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Panel OK's plan to attract 1 mil. foreign students by '25
An Education Rebuilding Council subcommittee agreed Wednesday on a plan to accept more foreign students into universities and graduate schools in Japan, and to set a target figure of 1 million such students by 2025.
The No. 3 subcommittee plans to include these proposals in its second report to be compiled in May.
Members of the subcommittee, which is tasked with internationalizing higher education, met in the morning at the Prime Minister's Office.
They reached a basic agreement to recommend:
-- Introduction of a unified Japanese-language examination for foreign students wishing to go on to higher education in Japan.
-- Expansion of the scholarship system to encourage foreign students to choose Japan as a place of study.
-- Letting foreign students start the academic year in September, the beginning of the academic year in most overseas countries.
-- Having more classes held in English.
-- Adopting a more flexible credit-transfer system.
(Apr. 19, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070419TDY03011.htm
The No. 3 subcommittee plans to include these proposals in its second report to be compiled in May.
Members of the subcommittee, which is tasked with internationalizing higher education, met in the morning at the Prime Minister's Office.
They reached a basic agreement to recommend:
-- Introduction of a unified Japanese-language examination for foreign students wishing to go on to higher education in Japan.
-- Expansion of the scholarship system to encourage foreign students to choose Japan as a place of study.
-- Letting foreign students start the academic year in September, the beginning of the academic year in most overseas countries.
-- Having more classes held in English.
-- Adopting a more flexible credit-transfer system.
(Apr. 19, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070419TDY03011.htm
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Universities seek to balance intake quotas
While some of the country's universities experienced difficulty trying to meet their intake quotas, others accepted more students than their enrollment quotas, according to evaluations conducted last year by three authorized university evaluation organizations.
The independent evaluation system to ensure university standards began in the 2004 academic year, with the Fundamental Law of Education stipulating that all universities be evaluated at least every seven years. The three organizations are the National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, the Japan University Accreditation Association, and the Japan Institution for Higher Education Evaluation.
In the last academic year, 73 universities were evaluated.
The Japan University Accreditation Association found that Minobusan University in Minobucho, Yamanashi Prefecture, had an average enrollment rate of 63 percent for the past five years.
The association asked the university to submit a report on its plans for improvements before the end of June 2009, without conducting an assessment, citing the need for the university to adopt drastic measures to improve its standards.
The university met its enrollment quota for this academic year with 40 new students, and said it would try to fulfill the enrollment quota to improve its finances.
In addition, at least 12 universities had enrollment rates 20 percent to 30 percent lower than their intake quotas, which could possibly affect their fiscal stability.
On the other hand, Gifu Keizai University's business and sports management department, a new department established last year, accepted 258 students, a figure much higher than its 70-student quota. The Japan Institution for Higher Education Evaluation was concerned the university's facilities and educational system might not be able to cope with so many students.
"We accepted more students for the new department because we feared we might not be able to meet our quota," said a Gifu Keizai University official.
This year, after doubling its intake quota to 150 and hiring two more lecturers, the university accepted 198 students.
The Japan University Accreditation Association demanded that 18 universities--including Waseda University in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, which had enrollment rates 1.2 times to 1.4 times higher than its intake quotas--reduce their enrollment rates, saying that large student bodies might make it difficult to provide adequate teaching.
Universities are given a free hand to implement the organizations' evaluations and suggestions.
While many universities are evaluated by just one organization, some prefer to have multiple assessments to improve their reputation.
(Apr. 18, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070418TDY03001.htm
The independent evaluation system to ensure university standards began in the 2004 academic year, with the Fundamental Law of Education stipulating that all universities be evaluated at least every seven years. The three organizations are the National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, the Japan University Accreditation Association, and the Japan Institution for Higher Education Evaluation.
In the last academic year, 73 universities were evaluated.
The Japan University Accreditation Association found that Minobusan University in Minobucho, Yamanashi Prefecture, had an average enrollment rate of 63 percent for the past five years.
The association asked the university to submit a report on its plans for improvements before the end of June 2009, without conducting an assessment, citing the need for the university to adopt drastic measures to improve its standards.
The university met its enrollment quota for this academic year with 40 new students, and said it would try to fulfill the enrollment quota to improve its finances.
In addition, at least 12 universities had enrollment rates 20 percent to 30 percent lower than their intake quotas, which could possibly affect their fiscal stability.
On the other hand, Gifu Keizai University's business and sports management department, a new department established last year, accepted 258 students, a figure much higher than its 70-student quota. The Japan Institution for Higher Education Evaluation was concerned the university's facilities and educational system might not be able to cope with so many students.
"We accepted more students for the new department because we feared we might not be able to meet our quota," said a Gifu Keizai University official.
This year, after doubling its intake quota to 150 and hiring two more lecturers, the university accepted 198 students.
The Japan University Accreditation Association demanded that 18 universities--including Waseda University in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, which had enrollment rates 1.2 times to 1.4 times higher than its intake quotas--reduce their enrollment rates, saying that large student bodies might make it difficult to provide adequate teaching.
Universities are given a free hand to implement the organizations' evaluations and suggestions.
While many universities are evaluated by just one organization, some prefer to have multiple assessments to improve their reputation.
(Apr. 18, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070418TDY03001.htm
Monday, April 16, 2007
New steps aim to raise Japan's share of Asian students on campus
With the rising number of students worldwide seeking overseas educations, Japan hopes to gain a larger share of Asian students.
To that end, the government plans to allow transfer of college credits earned overseas, sources said over the weekend.
The move will enhance partnerships between domestic and Asian colleges through such moves as "twinning" programs for easy transfer of credits, according to the Asian Gateway Strategic Council, a policy group chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
To promote academic and personnel exchanges, the panel will also propose a rating system that would measure a Japanese school's level of internationalization.
The policy panel's guideline is due out in May. The panel was set up to explore measures to make Japan more open to foreign workers and other internationalization moves.
Under the twinning program, foreign students entering Japanese colleges after completing their second year overseas will be able to complete their undergraduate degree by studying three more years in Japan. Currently, most foreign students here take longer to graduate because they first study at Japanese language schools.
The new program would reduce their total stay in Japan and financial cost, the panel's draft guideline said.
The panel also advises setting up information centers in Asian countries to advise prospective students.
A rating system will also be set up to evaluate Japanese schools on their readiness to accept foreign students, and on what they have achieved through academic partnerships with overseas colleges.
After implementing the 1983 "Plan to Accept 100,000 Foreign Students," Japan raised its share of foreign students to 100,000 by 2003. The upward trend slowed after that, however, dropping in 2006 for the first time in nine years.
The number of students worldwide seeking educational opportunities abroad is expected to rise in the next two decades. Japan aims to increase its quota of foreign students, which today totals less than 120,000.
The worldwide number of students seeking degrees outside their home countries equaled 1.8 million in 2000, but by 2025, that figure is predicted to rise fourfold.
The panel will continue hearing opinions from experts and concerned ministries until May. The panel's report will be included in this year's government guideline for structural reforms to be compiled in June.
(IHT/Asahi: April 16,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704160086.html
To that end, the government plans to allow transfer of college credits earned overseas, sources said over the weekend.
The move will enhance partnerships between domestic and Asian colleges through such moves as "twinning" programs for easy transfer of credits, according to the Asian Gateway Strategic Council, a policy group chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
To promote academic and personnel exchanges, the panel will also propose a rating system that would measure a Japanese school's level of internationalization.
The policy panel's guideline is due out in May. The panel was set up to explore measures to make Japan more open to foreign workers and other internationalization moves.
Under the twinning program, foreign students entering Japanese colleges after completing their second year overseas will be able to complete their undergraduate degree by studying three more years in Japan. Currently, most foreign students here take longer to graduate because they first study at Japanese language schools.
The new program would reduce their total stay in Japan and financial cost, the panel's draft guideline said.
The panel also advises setting up information centers in Asian countries to advise prospective students.
A rating system will also be set up to evaluate Japanese schools on their readiness to accept foreign students, and on what they have achieved through academic partnerships with overseas colleges.
After implementing the 1983 "Plan to Accept 100,000 Foreign Students," Japan raised its share of foreign students to 100,000 by 2003. The upward trend slowed after that, however, dropping in 2006 for the first time in nine years.
The number of students worldwide seeking educational opportunities abroad is expected to rise in the next two decades. Japan aims to increase its quota of foreign students, which today totals less than 120,000.
The worldwide number of students seeking degrees outside their home countries equaled 1.8 million in 2000, but by 2025, that figure is predicted to rise fourfold.
The panel will continue hearing opinions from experts and concerned ministries until May. The panel's report will be included in this year's government guideline for structural reforms to be compiled in June.
(IHT/Asahi: April 16,2007)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704160086.html
Council eyes budget boost for national universities
The Education Rebuilding Council has mapped out recommendations to increase significantly the government budget for national universities, including a call for a review of its plan to cut university grants, for its second report to be released in May, sources close to the council said Sunday.
The council, chaired by Nobel laureate Ryoji Noyori, will suggest that the government earmark a budget that gives priority to higher education, such as universities and graduate schools, the sources said.
Finding ways to balance rebuilding education and fiscal reconstruction, the two areas being touted as the most important issues by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is a big challenge when compiling the fiscal 2008 budget.
The draft compiled by the council points out that Japan's education budget is very low compared with other industrialized countries, the sources said.
As such, the council will recommend special outlays that can be distributed in line with contents of university programs to rebuild education, the sources said.
Regarding the government plan to cut grants to national universities, the draft proposes an amount to cover their minimum utility fees and overhead costs for their facilities, the sources said.
Furthermore, with regard to the special educational and research outlays, the draft suggests that the outlays be distributed in line with the evaluation of university education and research programs rather than doing so solely based on the number of lecturers and students, the sources said.
In its second report, the council also plans to mention concrete measures for increasing the education budget, the sources said.
There have been suggestions that, aside from the Education, Science and Technology Ministry's education budget, official development assistance be used to invite scholars from overseas or that a portion of consumption tax be used for education.
Japan's budget for public education accounts for 3.7 percent of its gross domestic product, a figure lower than the 5.9 percent in France and 5.7 percent in the United States.
(Apr. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070416TDY02009.htm
The council, chaired by Nobel laureate Ryoji Noyori, will suggest that the government earmark a budget that gives priority to higher education, such as universities and graduate schools, the sources said.
Finding ways to balance rebuilding education and fiscal reconstruction, the two areas being touted as the most important issues by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is a big challenge when compiling the fiscal 2008 budget.
The draft compiled by the council points out that Japan's education budget is very low compared with other industrialized countries, the sources said.
As such, the council will recommend special outlays that can be distributed in line with contents of university programs to rebuild education, the sources said.
Regarding the government plan to cut grants to national universities, the draft proposes an amount to cover their minimum utility fees and overhead costs for their facilities, the sources said.
Furthermore, with regard to the special educational and research outlays, the draft suggests that the outlays be distributed in line with the evaluation of university education and research programs rather than doing so solely based on the number of lecturers and students, the sources said.
In its second report, the council also plans to mention concrete measures for increasing the education budget, the sources said.
There have been suggestions that, aside from the Education, Science and Technology Ministry's education budget, official development assistance be used to invite scholars from overseas or that a portion of consumption tax be used for education.
Japan's budget for public education accounts for 3.7 percent of its gross domestic product, a figure lower than the 5.9 percent in France and 5.7 percent in the United States.
(Apr. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070416TDY02009.htm
NPO aims to help Latin teens (in Japan)
A nonprofit organization in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, is raising funds from businesses and individuals to help teenagers, mainly from Latin America, find better jobs.
The NPO, called Yumeiku Project (Dream Education Project), will use the funds to help the teens learn basic Japanese, so their communicative skills will improve sufficiently to drag them out of menial jobs into employment that is more technically demanding.
Under the projected program, the teenagers will be instructed about information technology skills required for the workplace and be given a grounding in Japanese corporate culture.
About 15,000 foreigners currently live in the city, home to Toyota Motor Corp.'s headquarters. They are largely from Latin American countries--about half of them from Brazil.
Most of them stay in apartment complexes in the Homi district on a hill in the city.
"We hope to educate Latin American teenagers to get along well in Japanese society," said Ushio Hamada, leader of the Dream Education Project.
The group was launched last April after Hamada received an inquiry from Torcida, another nonprofit organization based in the city, that wanted to know if it could help foreign teenagers find well-paying jobs.
Torcida has been teaching Japanese to foreign children in the Homi district for 10 years.
"We were afraid most of our students would end up doing odd jobs offered by temp agencies. It's difficult for them to set their life's goals very high," a Torcida member said.
"We asked [Hamada] if he had any idea about to how help them brighten their future," the member added.
The NPO hopes to collect a total of 4 million yen from businesses and individuals. It will ask recipients to return 10,000 yen a month over a one-year period once they find suitable employment.
All repayments will be used to replenish the group's funds.
(Apr. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070416TDY19003.htm
The NPO, called Yumeiku Project (Dream Education Project), will use the funds to help the teens learn basic Japanese, so their communicative skills will improve sufficiently to drag them out of menial jobs into employment that is more technically demanding.
Under the projected program, the teenagers will be instructed about information technology skills required for the workplace and be given a grounding in Japanese corporate culture.
About 15,000 foreigners currently live in the city, home to Toyota Motor Corp.'s headquarters. They are largely from Latin American countries--about half of them from Brazil.
Most of them stay in apartment complexes in the Homi district on a hill in the city.
"We hope to educate Latin American teenagers to get along well in Japanese society," said Ushio Hamada, leader of the Dream Education Project.
The group was launched last April after Hamada received an inquiry from Torcida, another nonprofit organization based in the city, that wanted to know if it could help foreign teenagers find well-paying jobs.
Torcida has been teaching Japanese to foreign children in the Homi district for 10 years.
"We were afraid most of our students would end up doing odd jobs offered by temp agencies. It's difficult for them to set their life's goals very high," a Torcida member said.
"We asked [Hamada] if he had any idea about to how help them brighten their future," the member added.
The NPO hopes to collect a total of 4 million yen from businesses and individuals. It will ask recipients to return 10,000 yen a month over a one-year period once they find suitable employment.
All repayments will be used to replenish the group's funds.
(Apr. 16, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070416TDY19003.htm
Women flock to join 'college of change'
Saturday, March 31, was the final day of school for 47 graduates of the interestingly named I'M Personal College in Tokyo.
After the graduation ceremony in the morning, they had a party with around 60 invited guests in a Roppongi club, where they danced, snacked and partied just like new graduates do at such events in Japan. But there was a unique difference: more than half the graduates were stay-at-home mothers or housewives.
When the school opened in 1989, its one-year "business school" for housewives might have been an eyebrow-raiser. But 18 years on, it now has some 1,500 graduates, and its educational scope has widened from housewives in particular to women in general.
Organizing the annual graduation party is considered one of the most important challenges for students, whose curriculum aims to prepare them for professional roles in the business world. So, at that event, they were not only enjoying themselves but also working hard to ensure that the gathering ran smoothly.
"I cannot believe that I am doing this," said new graduate Chiyako Fuwa, a stay-at-home mother of two, whose key role was as a time-keeper and director of the event. "The preparations for this have been very tough, but it is a very exciting experience," she said. "I feel like I can do anything if I can do this," she added with a beaming smile.
Specifically, the school runs two courses -- one for students who wish to become writers; the other for those aiming to be counselors. Either way, students take classes once a week for a year, at a cost of around 300,000 yen. This year, about half the writing-course students, and most taking the counseling classes, were housewives aiming to get a job as their next step.
"Over the past 18 years," said 59-year-old school founder Kazuko Nagai, "I've often thought that I couldn't keep it going. It was financially very hard, especially in the first 10 years. I repeatedly debated with myself if I should close this school.
"But I didn't close. That's because of the graduation day. Every time I attend the ceremony, I truly think I was right to have kept this school going one more year. It is impressive to see how these students change during the one-year course."
In fact, the school was born out of Nagai's own struggles in life. She got married two years after graduating from a university in Tokyo without having any job experience. In those days, single women over 25 were often compared with "Christmas cakes," she recalls. In other words, society regarded them as having passed their "sell-by dates."
As a housewife, Nagai realized that her life's work had become that of "housekeeper" -- but she knew that didn't suit her. Constantly, she says, she worried whether she could raise her two children properly while having no money of her own.
Then, at age 33, she began studying at night school to become an advertising copywriter. By the time she was 40, two years after setting up her own ad agency, she was winning prizes for her work. That, though, wasn't enough, and when she was 41 Nagai founded her school to help raise women's awareness and send more of them back into the working world.
"At 40, I looked around and saw housewives of my age questioning their lives," she says. "Their grown-up children no longer needed much care, and their husbands were very busy taking important positions at work. Some said their job had basically finished -- though probably they would have to look after elderly parents or in-laws in the future.
"Listening to them," she said, "I wondered how these healthy, mature women could be thinking of retiring in their 40s."
Also, Nagai's innate feminist philosophy gave her another drive.
"Our generation, baby boomers, tried to pursue equal opportunities for men and women in society. Wearing jeans of the same design, we tried to introduce the idea of 'married couples who live like friends.' But, in reality, I thought that if housewives in their 40s accept that way of living, they would not be able to change the lifestyle of their daughters' generation."
Although the situation for working women in Japan is improving, with ever more holding down jobs after marriage, and the equal employment opportunity law now 20 years old, Nagai sees the need for schools like hers continuing, since women's participation in decision-making in society is still low.
Indeed, female lawmakers account for only 11 percent of current Diet [Parliament] members. According to 2006 statistics from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, just 10.3 percent of people in managerial posts are women.
To change this situation, Nagai argues that it is crucial to create a system to give more chances for housewives to acquire skills and work in society.
"I believe that unless we increase the total number of working women, we will never see a Diet in which half the members are women," she said. "I'm glad to help in working toward that goal."
Nagai speaks softly, but she is no comforting mother. Faced with a student making excuses for not having done her homework, or turning up late for classes, she can be severe toward their "unprofessional attitude" -- which she calls "housewife disease."
"This school can be a clinic to cure that disease. I tell students they should regard their homework as their actual work, and their classes as their work appointments," Nagai said.
"But at the same time, it's amazing to see how they can change during the one year. They become more independent and start living their lives fully."
Fuwa, the graduate working as a time-keeper at the event, said one of the most important things she got from the school was "courage" -- courage to take a step forward in life. She now plans to work as a freelance writer for magazines.
"I've been a housewife for 10 years and it took a lot of energy to get out of the house and change my lifestyle. Now, I feel confident about myself, and I think I can rise to any challenge," she said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070415x3.html
After the graduation ceremony in the morning, they had a party with around 60 invited guests in a Roppongi club, where they danced, snacked and partied just like new graduates do at such events in Japan. But there was a unique difference: more than half the graduates were stay-at-home mothers or housewives.
When the school opened in 1989, its one-year "business school" for housewives might have been an eyebrow-raiser. But 18 years on, it now has some 1,500 graduates, and its educational scope has widened from housewives in particular to women in general.
Organizing the annual graduation party is considered one of the most important challenges for students, whose curriculum aims to prepare them for professional roles in the business world. So, at that event, they were not only enjoying themselves but also working hard to ensure that the gathering ran smoothly.
"I cannot believe that I am doing this," said new graduate Chiyako Fuwa, a stay-at-home mother of two, whose key role was as a time-keeper and director of the event. "The preparations for this have been very tough, but it is a very exciting experience," she said. "I feel like I can do anything if I can do this," she added with a beaming smile.
Specifically, the school runs two courses -- one for students who wish to become writers; the other for those aiming to be counselors. Either way, students take classes once a week for a year, at a cost of around 300,000 yen. This year, about half the writing-course students, and most taking the counseling classes, were housewives aiming to get a job as their next step.
"Over the past 18 years," said 59-year-old school founder Kazuko Nagai, "I've often thought that I couldn't keep it going. It was financially very hard, especially in the first 10 years. I repeatedly debated with myself if I should close this school.
"But I didn't close. That's because of the graduation day. Every time I attend the ceremony, I truly think I was right to have kept this school going one more year. It is impressive to see how these students change during the one-year course."
In fact, the school was born out of Nagai's own struggles in life. She got married two years after graduating from a university in Tokyo without having any job experience. In those days, single women over 25 were often compared with "Christmas cakes," she recalls. In other words, society regarded them as having passed their "sell-by dates."
As a housewife, Nagai realized that her life's work had become that of "housekeeper" -- but she knew that didn't suit her. Constantly, she says, she worried whether she could raise her two children properly while having no money of her own.
Then, at age 33, she began studying at night school to become an advertising copywriter. By the time she was 40, two years after setting up her own ad agency, she was winning prizes for her work. That, though, wasn't enough, and when she was 41 Nagai founded her school to help raise women's awareness and send more of them back into the working world.
"At 40, I looked around and saw housewives of my age questioning their lives," she says. "Their grown-up children no longer needed much care, and their husbands were very busy taking important positions at work. Some said their job had basically finished -- though probably they would have to look after elderly parents or in-laws in the future.
"Listening to them," she said, "I wondered how these healthy, mature women could be thinking of retiring in their 40s."
Also, Nagai's innate feminist philosophy gave her another drive.
"Our generation, baby boomers, tried to pursue equal opportunities for men and women in society. Wearing jeans of the same design, we tried to introduce the idea of 'married couples who live like friends.' But, in reality, I thought that if housewives in their 40s accept that way of living, they would not be able to change the lifestyle of their daughters' generation."
Although the situation for working women in Japan is improving, with ever more holding down jobs after marriage, and the equal employment opportunity law now 20 years old, Nagai sees the need for schools like hers continuing, since women's participation in decision-making in society is still low.
Indeed, female lawmakers account for only 11 percent of current Diet [Parliament] members. According to 2006 statistics from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, just 10.3 percent of people in managerial posts are women.
To change this situation, Nagai argues that it is crucial to create a system to give more chances for housewives to acquire skills and work in society.
"I believe that unless we increase the total number of working women, we will never see a Diet in which half the members are women," she said. "I'm glad to help in working toward that goal."
Nagai speaks softly, but she is no comforting mother. Faced with a student making excuses for not having done her homework, or turning up late for classes, she can be severe toward their "unprofessional attitude" -- which she calls "housewife disease."
"This school can be a clinic to cure that disease. I tell students they should regard their homework as their actual work, and their classes as their work appointments," Nagai said.
"But at the same time, it's amazing to see how they can change during the one year. They become more independent and start living their lives fully."
Fuwa, the graduate working as a time-keeper at the event, said one of the most important things she got from the school was "courage" -- courage to take a step forward in life. She now plans to work as a freelance writer for magazines.
"I've been a housewife for 10 years and it took a lot of energy to get out of the house and change my lifestyle. Now, I feel confident about myself, and I think I can rise to any challenge," she said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070415x3.html
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Few takers for early college entry
The early enrollment of second-year high school students in universities has attracted few participants in the decade since the system was introduced, according to the Education, Science and Technology Ministry.
This spring, only 10 students nationwide enrolled in universities early, and only 72 participated in the system over the decade.
The system initially was a measure to reform universities, but only six universities have used it so far.
Due to this lack of interest, the ministry has decided not to expand the system, for which only second-year high school students are eligible.
No high school student has applied for early enrollment to Showa Women's University in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, since its three departments, including the human life sciences department, introduced the system in the 2005 academic year.
A university spokesman said, "We believe we'll eventually get an early enrollment application as long as we keep the door open."
The first early entrant enrolled in Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima this spring--three years after the system was introduced.
A university spokesman said: "Better students tend to prefer universities in Tokyo. However, the early entry system helps us to attract talented students earlier than other schools, so we believe the system is a survival measure for provincial universities."
The system was introduced in 1997 to provide youths with education appropriate to their particular personalities and abilities in contrast to the usual egalitarian, uniform education.
Although there were concerns that the system would prompt universities to tap better students earlier, some universities regard the system as an effective way to attract students.
However, in recent years, only an average 10 students a year have taken advantage of early enrollment.
Forty-seven students have entered Chiba University early since it introduced the system in the 1998 academic year, while 21 students have enrolled in Meijo University in Nagoya since the 2001 academic year.
Two students entered Aizu University in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, and one student each enrolled in Seijo University in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, and Elisabeth University of Music. The three universities introduced the system between the 2005 and 2006 academic years.
This spring, Chiba University accepted six early entrants, but other universities attracted on average only one student or none under the system.
According to the ministry's survey, in the 2004 academic year, 29 universities discussed introducing the system, but the number dwindled to five in the 2006 academic year.
The ministry has offered several reasons why the system has failed to attract universities and students:
-- The system has few advantages for either universities or individual students.
-- It is difficult to measure the applicants' outstanding qualities, which are required for acceptance as an early entrant.
-- If an early entrant fails to graduate from the university, he or she is only certified as a middle school graduate.
Due to the system's lack of popularity, the ministry has decided for the time being to prohibit younger students from applying, saying it is difficult to evaluate the system's value.
"The early entrant system is necessary to develop work personnel for the country," said Chiba University Prof. Nobuo Ueno, who was involved in the introduction of the system at the university.
"I'd like people to be aware that some youths can develop their capabilities further through a specialized education," He added.
(Apr. 12, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070412TDY02008.htm
This spring, only 10 students nationwide enrolled in universities early, and only 72 participated in the system over the decade.
The system initially was a measure to reform universities, but only six universities have used it so far.
Due to this lack of interest, the ministry has decided not to expand the system, for which only second-year high school students are eligible.
No high school student has applied for early enrollment to Showa Women's University in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, since its three departments, including the human life sciences department, introduced the system in the 2005 academic year.
A university spokesman said, "We believe we'll eventually get an early enrollment application as long as we keep the door open."
The first early entrant enrolled in Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima this spring--three years after the system was introduced.
A university spokesman said: "Better students tend to prefer universities in Tokyo. However, the early entry system helps us to attract talented students earlier than other schools, so we believe the system is a survival measure for provincial universities."
The system was introduced in 1997 to provide youths with education appropriate to their particular personalities and abilities in contrast to the usual egalitarian, uniform education.
Although there were concerns that the system would prompt universities to tap better students earlier, some universities regard the system as an effective way to attract students.
However, in recent years, only an average 10 students a year have taken advantage of early enrollment.
Forty-seven students have entered Chiba University early since it introduced the system in the 1998 academic year, while 21 students have enrolled in Meijo University in Nagoya since the 2001 academic year.
Two students entered Aizu University in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, and one student each enrolled in Seijo University in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, and Elisabeth University of Music. The three universities introduced the system between the 2005 and 2006 academic years.
This spring, Chiba University accepted six early entrants, but other universities attracted on average only one student or none under the system.
According to the ministry's survey, in the 2004 academic year, 29 universities discussed introducing the system, but the number dwindled to five in the 2006 academic year.
The ministry has offered several reasons why the system has failed to attract universities and students:
-- The system has few advantages for either universities or individual students.
-- It is difficult to measure the applicants' outstanding qualities, which are required for acceptance as an early entrant.
-- If an early entrant fails to graduate from the university, he or she is only certified as a middle school graduate.
Due to the system's lack of popularity, the ministry has decided for the time being to prohibit younger students from applying, saying it is difficult to evaluate the system's value.
"The early entrant system is necessary to develop work personnel for the country," said Chiba University Prof. Nobuo Ueno, who was involved in the introduction of the system at the university.
"I'd like people to be aware that some youths can develop their capabilities further through a specialized education," He added.
(Apr. 12, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070412TDY02008.htm
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Korean universities seek ‘internationalization’
Education ministry plans to relax regulations for foreign applicants, those studying overseas
Starting next year, South Korean universities will recognize a greater amount of course credits earned at foreign universities. In addition, the secondary school curriculum in several Asian nations will be given approval by the South Korean government so that students in those countries can more easily gain admission to South Korean universities. Such plans are part of a government blueprint aimed at "internationalizing" the South Korean education system, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development said on March 2.
According to the ministry’s data, 11,326 South Korean students earned a total of 162,097 credits from foreign universities in 2005. However, as domestic universities are only allowed to count foreign-earned credits toward a maximum of half of the required credits for graduation, only 162 of those students who had studied abroad were able to earn a double major. By abolishing such regulations, the ministry hopes to encourage students to study at both foreign and domestic universities and to make it easier to earn a double major while doing so.
As part of efforts to court more foreign students, the ministry plans to approve the secondary school curriculum in the Philippines, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and some regions of China so that students there can more easily get into South Korean universities. Those nations require 10 or 11 years of education prior to entering university, whereas the South Korean government requires 12, which has been a stumbling block for students in those countries to study in Korea.
The ministry also plans to ease another rule in order to allow South Korean universities to more easily build branch schools overseas. In addition, the ministry plans to require universities to raise the amount of English-only classes to 3.1 percent by 2010 from the 2.19 percent level in 2006. The ministry will also require each university to hire more foreign professors in order to raise the number from the average 3.67 percent of the faculty at Korean universities in 2006 to 5.0 percent by 2010.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/193996.html
Starting next year, South Korean universities will recognize a greater amount of course credits earned at foreign universities. In addition, the secondary school curriculum in several Asian nations will be given approval by the South Korean government so that students in those countries can more easily gain admission to South Korean universities. Such plans are part of a government blueprint aimed at "internationalizing" the South Korean education system, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development said on March 2.
According to the ministry’s data, 11,326 South Korean students earned a total of 162,097 credits from foreign universities in 2005. However, as domestic universities are only allowed to count foreign-earned credits toward a maximum of half of the required credits for graduation, only 162 of those students who had studied abroad were able to earn a double major. By abolishing such regulations, the ministry hopes to encourage students to study at both foreign and domestic universities and to make it easier to earn a double major while doing so.
As part of efforts to court more foreign students, the ministry plans to approve the secondary school curriculum in the Philippines, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and some regions of China so that students there can more easily get into South Korean universities. Those nations require 10 or 11 years of education prior to entering university, whereas the South Korean government requires 12, which has been a stumbling block for students in those countries to study in Korea.
The ministry also plans to ease another rule in order to allow South Korean universities to more easily build branch schools overseas. In addition, the ministry plans to require universities to raise the amount of English-only classes to 3.1 percent by 2010 from the 2.19 percent level in 2006. The ministry will also require each university to hire more foreign professors in order to raise the number from the average 3.67 percent of the faculty at Korean universities in 2006 to 5.0 percent by 2010.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/193996.html
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