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PART 1 Issues and Perspectives ofHigher Education
Chapter 1 Progress of Higher Education in Japan

Since the end of World War 2, universities and other institutions of higher education have achieved remarkable quantitative development. In the 1990 academic year there were 1,162 universities, junior colleges and colleges of technology in Japan, and the proportion of the age group advancing to these institutions reached 36.8%. If students going on to special training schools (advanced courses) (See 5 of Section 2 of Chapter 2) are added, the total proportion of the age group going on to post-secondary institutions becomes 53.7%, Higher education, popularized in this way, has greatly contributed to the economic and social development of the nation through creating and developing scientific research activities, which are among the traditional functions of universities. and training a number of highly qualified professional workers required in various sectors of society, as well as a great number of highly qualified citizens.

At present, institutions of higher education may be classified into universities (including graduate schools), junior colleges, colleges of technology, and special training schools (advanced courses). Some of them are maintained by the national government, some others by local governments and the others by non-governmental bodies. One of the unique features of higher education in this country, as compared with many other countries, is that the great majority of institutions are private ones.

With a view to helping readers understand the historical background of higher education in this country, this chapter will outline the historical development of the higher education system in Japan, broadly dividing its history into two stages: the period from the Meiji era to World War 2 and the period after the war.


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