Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Japanese Government Policies in Education, Science, Sports and Culture 2000 > Trends in Educational Reform Section 2 Q2 The "Continuity" Between Primary, Lower and Upper Secondary Schools and Universities

Based on this consistent approach, educational reform is being advanced from primary schools through universities. However, many issues still remain regarding the question of whether the transition from primary, lower and upper secondary school levels to the university level is really being carried out in a way that is desirable and based on such factors as one's individuality and future career.

In December 1999, the Central Council for Education compiled and published a report on how to handle these issues. The report places particular stress on each and every individual concentrating on one's future and independently selecting one's career and mentions the necessity of both universities and students selecting each other based on good knowledge of one other in future university entrance procedures. For this to happen, it is first crucial that universities that still make a point of selecting students based on the way of thinking immediately after the end of World War II, when the upper secondary school advancement ratio was 40% and the university advancement ratio 10%, change their attitudes. It is important that universities clarify their admission policies (see Q10 .) and also make known what kind of education they are offering and toward what aims. The question of "Which school is right for me?" should be more important than standard scores to students taking entrance exams.

In addition to continuity between school levels, the report also recommends that awareness should be broadened to the continuity from school education to working life and students should be given opportunities to deepen their consideration of future lifestyles and career paths from primary school age.

Based on the thinking of this report, the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (MESSC) will continue to promote further educational reform.

Main Contents of the report, "Regarding Reform of Continuity Between Primary and Lower and Upper Secondary Schools, and Universities (16 December 1999, Central Council for Education)