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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE, SPORTS AND CULTURE 1996 > Priorities and Prospects for a Lifelong Learning Society Chapter 2 Section 1 1

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Priorities and Prospects for a Lifelong Learning Society: Increasing Diversification and Sphistication
Chapter 2. Lifelong Learning Today
Section 1: Who Is Learning What, Where?
1. The learning Population: Steady Growth in the Number of Adult Learners


There has been a steady rise in the number of people in the general adult population who are involved in learning activities. The results of public opinion surveys conducted by the Prime Minister's Office on the subject of lifelong learning show that in September 1988, 40.1% of adults had engaged in learning activities in the year preceding the survey. By the time of the February 1992 survey this figure had risen to 47.6%.

If we analyze the learning population using statistics from the MESSC "Social Education Survey" and other sources, we find that the number of people participating in courses and lectures at citizens' public halls rose from about 7,632,000 in fiscal 1989 to approximately 8,733,000 in fiscal 1992, while the number taking courses at culture centers * increased from approximately 1,375,000 in fiscal 1990 to about 1,922,000 in fiscal 1993. Another feature of recent trends is a gradual rise in the number of university students outside the traditional age group. This reflects efforts to make Japan's universities more open ( chapter 2, section 1, subsection 7 ). While it is difficult to generalize about the situation of learners in Japan, a number of statistics point to steady growth in the learning population.


* Culture centers: These are private-sector facilities providing a variety of lifelong learning activities to the general public on a fee-paying basis.


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