(2)The Reform of the Educational System Based upon the Recommendations of the Special Council for Education

Based on the recommendations of the Special Council for Education, various reforms of the educational system were carried out during the early postwar years.

The reforms having the most significant effect on the educational system were these concerning the higher schools and universities. According to the 1918 Higher School Order newly promulgated on December 6, 1918, the higher schools were to be places where boys could complete higher level general education while formerly they virtually served only as preparatory schools for the Imperial Universities. The reforms, as authorized in the University Order promulgated on December 6, 1918 also broadened the concept of the university so that local public and private institutions could claim this status; moreover, in special cases single-faculty institutions were allowed to seek university status according to this Order. These changes in the structure of higher education are the most memorable reforms promoted by the Special Council for Education. However, equally important was the Council's role in stimulating a rapid increase in the number of schools and the improvement of school facilities, especially at the middle level.

The expansion of schools on the middle level along with the favorable economic conditions which was obtained during the course of World War I, and the changing occupational structure resulted in a situation where growing numbers of middle level students aspired to go on for further education. Stimulated by this demand, universities as well as other higher educational institutions began to enlarge their facilities.

In December, 1918, the 1918 Higher School Order and the University Order were promulgated as stated above and a six-year plan for the establishment of government higher educational institutions and the expansion of their facilities was submitted by the government to the session of the Imperial Diet which began later in that same month. These plans provided for the enlargement of ten government higher schools, seventeen vocational specialized schools (six higher technical schools, four higher agricultural schools and seven higher commercial schools) and two specialized schools (one foreign language school and one pharmaceutical specialized school). In addition one new faculty was to be added to each of four Imperial Universities, and six former specialized and vocational specialized schools (five medical specialized schools and one higher commercial school) were to be upgraded to university status, and two vocational specialized schools and six faculties of three Imperial Universities were to be enlarged. It was estimated that these expansion plans beginning in 1919, when fully implemented, would provide places for as many as 20,000 students in 1925 as opposed to the 13,884 that were admitted in 1917.

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