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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERMENT POLICICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1994 > PART I Chapter 1 Section 3 3

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PART I New Directions in School Education
Chapter 1. Education that Values the Individual
Section 3. Education Based on Respect for the Individual
3. Reforming Upper Secondary Education


The pre-World War II middle schools, equivalent to the present lower secondary schools, existed for the benefit of a minority, and only 18% of the population of the relevant age was able to enter. Today's upper secondary schools function as institutions for almost all young people, as indicated by the current attendance ratio of 96.5%. This change is the result of rapid quantitative expansion driven by strong public demand for upper secondary education throughout the postwar era. In addition, parents' preferences and a rising university advancement rate are reflected in an increasing shift toward general education courses, which now account for 74.2% of upper secondary school students.

Despite this dramatic quantitative expansion, upper secondary education has not responded adequately to the extreme diversification of students' attributes, including abilities, aptitudes, interests, concerns, and career paths. A number of issues have been raised, including the need for upper secondary schools to develop more individualized education programs, the tendency toward uniform curricula, and heavy reliance on standard score when providing career guidance, as well as such problems as involuntary enrollment and the dropout phenomenon.

>From now on, upper secondary education must be based on a sensitive response to social change and the diversification of student attributes, and greater priority must be given to methods that maximize the abilities of individual students. This requires the individualization and diversification of upper secondary education; methods that encourage individual students to learn independently, in accordance with their abilities, aptitudes, interests, concerns, and career paths; and educational programs that provide students with a wide range of options. The results of the March 1994 survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture indicate that the majority of parents approve of these directions in upper secondary education ( Figure I.1.21).

A number of changes are needed to expand the range of study options available to students. For example, it is necessary to diversify the content of education and introduce more flexible education delivery systems. It is also necessary to allow students to transfer schools and switch courses with greater ease. Another key requirement is the improvement of the system for selecting entrants to upper secondary schools, including the diversification of selection methods and the use of multiple selection criteria. The reform of upper secondary education is being approached from these perspectives. The nature of these reforms is discussed in chapter 3.


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