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CHAPTER 1. CHAPTER . QUANTITATIVE EXPANSIONOF EDUCATION

The percentage of compulsory school graduates entering schools ofhig1?er level increased rapidly after World War as the educational system was democratized and the nation's living standards improved. In 1935, the percentage of the compulsory school(elementary school) graduates entering secondary schools was only 18.5 per cent, but in 1950, that is, soon after the new school system was inaugurated, the percentage of compulsory school (lower secondary school) graduates entering upper secondary schools increased up to 45.5 per cent by 1950 and it further rose to 70.6 per cent in 1964.

Figure 1. Percentage of Compulsory School Graduates Entering Upper Secondary School, 1950-1964

The percentage of girls completing compulsory education who entered schools of higher level was relatively low in the days prior to the War, but it has risen year after year under the post-war new school system to reach 67.8 per cent as compared with 73.3 per cent for boys in 1964

The so-called baby boom after World War resulted in rapid increase in the number of lower secondary school graduates in and after 1963. To meet this situation, the Ministry of Education in 1962 laid a plan for increasing the enrollment in upper secondary schools. The plan aimed at enabling about 1,500,000 boys and girls to enter upper secondary schools every year for the period of 1963-1965 during which period the number of youth of upper secondary school age would increase rapidly, the figure being estimated on the assumption that at least 60 per cent of the compulsory school graduates, would enter the upper secondary schools by 1965. The plan was carried out effectively with the cooperation of the prefectural authorities and private schools and in some prefectures the percentage of the compulsory schoo? graduates entering upper secondary schools was higher than that originally planned. Consequently, the number and percentage of the compulsory school graduates entering upper secondary schools were 1,690,000 and 67.8 per cent in 1963 and 1,710,000 and 70.6 per cent in 1964, respectively.