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PART Issues and Perspectives ofHigher Education

2 Higher Education after World War

Like many other social systems in Japan, the formal education system underwent tremendous changes after World War .

In 1947 the Fundamental Law of Education and the School Education Law were enacted. Under these laws a single track educational system from kindergarten through university was established. The educational system which had been of a multiple-track type was transformed into a sing1e-track 6-3-3-4 system, which resulted in the elimination of various institutional bottlenecks. as well as various dead-ends affecting students who wish to advance to senior-level institutions. This reform led to the spread and expansion of secondary and higher education in the subsequent years.

The major changes under this reform included: 1) all the old-system institutions of higher education, including universities, higher schools, colleges and teacher training institutions, were unified into a new four-year university system; 2) university evening courses, as well as correspondence courses, were developed on behalf of young working peop1e; 3) universities were authorized to set up graduate schools, which were defined as top institutions in the new structure of formal education; 4)opportunities for higher education were opened widely to women; and 5) the scope of higher education was dramatically expanded due to the inauguration of the new university system.

Through these educational reforms after the war, higher education in Japan transformed itself into a higher education open to a great many people. Its scope was gradually enlarged along with the economic development of the nation and the improvement of the level of the standard of living. The higher education system greatly contributed to the development of scientific research and the enhancement of science and technology in the country. It also played a great role in developing a large number of people to sustain the social and economic activities of the nation.

This section will outline firstly the development of new universities during the early period of the post-war educational reform, and secondly the structural reforms in higher education which took place in the subsequent years, as well as the further development of higher education during these years.