EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS IN JAPAN 1971[CHAPTER1 2 (1)]

The major facilities for infants in Japan are kindergartens and nursery schools.

In recent years, with the increasing interest of parents in the care and education of their children, kindergartens and nursery schools have increased markedly in number. In 1969, the number of children three years old and over who were enrolled in kindergartens and nursery schools reached 1.550,000 and 900,000,respectively. Enrollments in kindergartens had increased by approximately 500,000front 1964 and enrollments in nursery schools by approximately 200.000.Tlte proportion of the first graders in 1969 who had received kindergarten education when they were five years old was 5 1.8% This proportion has increased steadily each year. Although the figures are not exactly comparable with those for kindergartens, in l969 the proportion of first grade pupils who had been enrolled in nursery schools for not less than six months from infancy up to the time of entrance into elementary Schools Was 33.4%. The proportions of children of three years old and four years old who were enrolled in kindergartens were 4% and 36%, respectively in 1969. The corresponding proportions in 1966 had been 3% and 28%. Enrollment ratios in kindergartens, however, are widely different from prefecture to prefecture, ranging from a high of 84.3%to a low of I4.2%. The difference being about 70%

The provision of public and private kindergartens is also greatly different from one prefecture to another. Prefectures having financially disadvantaged municipalities are generally less advanced in providing public kindergartens, while in prefectures with 'major urban areas, such as Tokyo and Kanagawa, private kindergartens are more universal.

Figure 2. Trends in Enrollment Ratios of Kindergartens and Nursery Schools, 1959 -1969

Note:Actual numbers are given in Basic Table 1. Basic Table 1

Enrollment ratios in kindergartens =

Pupils who have attended kindergartens x100 / First grade pupils

Enrollment ratios in nursery schools =

Pupils who have been enrolled in nursery schools for not less than 6 months during the year priorto entrance into elementary schools x 100 / First grade pupils

The enrolhent ratios in nursery schools for 1969 showsthe proportion of first grade pupils who had been enrolled innursery school for not less than six months from infancy up tothe time of entrance into elementary schools.


	Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS IN JAPAN 1971 > CHAPTER 2 (1)