Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Japanese Government Policies in Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 2001 >Introduction Section3.4

The problem of juvenile delinquency began to ease in the late 1960s. Yet, amid rapid societal changes like the evolving industrial structure and progress of urbanization, juvenile delinquency began to increase again in the early 1970s and has continued with few signs of decline up until now.

  Under the circumstances, the problematic behavior of students such as bullying, violence and juvenile delinquency became an issue of urgency and a situation often described as a "decay of education."

  To help enhance the qualifications and abilities of teachers, a medium- and long-term response of adding master's courses to universities offering teacher education was added, thereby increasing the opportunities for incumbent teachers to study at graduate schools. In addition, new types of universities for teacher education were established and teacher training was institutionalized, commencing with induction training for beginning teachers. Furthermore, in order to improve the instruction system for better school management, the position of vice principal was given legal status and later the post of a coordinating and advising teacher was introduced in March 1976. Beginning in FY1980, the Fifth Program to Improve the Legal Standards for the Staffing Levels of Teachers and Other Personnel was implemented, with one of the major goals being the realization of class sizes below 40 students.