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CHAPTER 2 IMPROVEMENT OF CONTENT OF- EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENTOF ABILITY
9 Admission Procedures to University
(2) Improvement of the Admission Procedures to University


It has been shown that adequate procedures for admission of qualified applicants to Japanese universities have not yet been established. The Central Council for Education, an advisory organ to the Minister of Education, in July, 1963, proposed the following recommendations for improvement of university admission procedures.

"Study and establish methods of obtaining highly reliable information regarding the scholastic aptitudes and achievement of candidates for university admission, and administer nation-wide objective tests by adopting such methods. Establish an institute specializing in the study and development of scholastic aptitude tests and scholastic achievement tests and in the administration of these tests."

In accordance with these recommendations, the Educational Test Research Institute was established. The Institute has made studies of the results of scholastic achievement tests once administered to applicants for the national universities and of the findings of researches undertaken by each university. As a result of these studies the Institute came to the conclusion that scholastic aptitude tests should be used for the selection of candidates for university admission in combination with scholastic achievement tests. According to this assumption, the Institute has administered its own tests on an experimental basis.

According to the study made jointly by UNESCO and the International Association of Universities on the admission process, the methods employed by the various countries for the selection of qualified candidates for university admission are described as follows:

The selection methods for higher education employed in the various countries can be devided into two types: one is a method to control the number of students through examinations. The other is to control student entrance through orientation or guidance. The former method is widely employed but now is being studied and modified concerning what organization should administer the examinations and when should they be administered. The latter is a method of advice, based On judgment of student performance and ability, to assist students to make appropriate choice of institutions(or courses) commensurate with their ability.

With regard to these two methods, the following five points identify the trend of improvement in selection procedures in the various countries:

1) Reduce the burden of examination programs by cutting the number of examinations in the admission process to higher education institutions to two. The first examination should be given at the stage of secondary education, and should be preliminary and advisory for the choice of future courses. The second examination should be used as a basis, but not the sole basis, of selection.

2) Make maximum use of the information about student capabilities and performance by bringing the secondary schools into participation in the selection for higher education institutions.

3) Restrict the privilege of repetition of application.

4) Provide alternative educational opportunities for candidates who fail to gain admission to university (or course) of their first choice by developing universities (or courses) suitable to their abilities through which candidate may continue their studies. Such new developments should include the establishment of new kinds of courses other than the traditional one.

5) Provide expert counselling for candidates as they approach entrance to higher education by establishing professional guidance staffs attached to institutions of higher education. Members of these staffs should also help in the placement of admitted students in selection of courses suitable to their aptitudes and abilities.


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