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PART lssues and Perspectives of Elementaryand Secondary Education

Excessive competition in entrance examinations and the problem of juku (private classes on school subjects ) which pressures examinations have been feared to cause deformation of sound school education and to exert undesirable influences on the personality formation of pupils.

Basic counter measures shall be the making of a situation where pupils need not to go to juku ; schools, then, must work harder to improve their teaching methods. Also needed is an effort to negotiate revision of examination questions given by some "prestigious" schools.

Behind this problem, however, is a social climate in which too much value is placed on the educational background of individuals. "Going to good schools and thereby obtaining a good social standing" is a deeply rooted belief among our people. For the fundamental solution of the problem of entrance examinations, the rectification of this belief and the problem of the entrance examination"industry"must be tackled from broad perspectives. The improvement of entrance examination systems and the upper secondary school counselling systems for students advancing to upper institutions is an issue of great importance for education authorities to tackle.

The improvement of the public upper secondary school entrance examinations is under the responsibility of the prefectural boards of education. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has set up an advisory committee for their improvement, and, referring to the recommendations of the committee, revised, in 1984, its relevant regulations by virtue or which diversification of the upper secondary schools might be facilitated. At the same time, the Ministry provided guidance to the prefectural boards of education to the effect that 1) in giving academic achievement tests and using students records from lower secondary schools, proper attention be given to the characteristics of individual upper secondary schools and their courses ; 2) efforts be made to provide multiple opportunities to sit for entrance examinations ; and 3) selection measures be diversified, for example, by making positive use or recommendations and interviews so that various abilities or students can be considered. Upon adopting the above guidelines and after the examination of possible implementation, prefectures nave started to admit some students into upper secondary schools. including general course, on recommendation and to positively use interviews, and further improvements are yet to come.

An often raised question in guidance for the advancement to upper secondary school is relative to the selection of an upper secondary school, which is done based on "deviation value" of students' scores on achievement tests. As"deviation value"shows the relative academic position of a particular student in comparison with others with objective numerals, it is highly valued by the lower secondary school counsellors who do wish to have every student accepted somewhere.

For a solution of this problem, in addition to the rectification of the social climate of placing too much value on the educational background of individuals and the improvement of upper secondary school entrance examinations, it is necessary to properly exercise career guidance at lower secondary school being not too much dependent on "deviation value", but taking fully into account ability, aptitude, interests and concerns of students.

Also to be noted is that university entrance examinations give much influence on the education of upper secondary school and other schools of lower levels. Further improvement of university entrance examinations therefore is definitely necessary.