The Asian region is one of the most economically dynamic in the world and has a fundamental weight in international trade, which is why we must closely monitor everything that happens in preparing its Human Resources in Universities. Japan is an example of how Higher Education has had a significant impact on its great economic growth for years.
Four periods can be distinguished in the history of Japanese higher education:
The first period (1868-1886): It is part of a process of restructuring political, economic and social institutions aimed at promoting the industrialization of the country. The development of Japanese industrial infrastructure was in its infancy and lacked the technological know-how to drive rapid growth.
The second stage (1886-1914): Characterized the system of National Universities (officially called Imperial), which provided that education must serve the purposes of the State. In this way, the Japanese State became the axis of education and all learning. Universities were particularly oriented to applied science and technology. These educational reforms coincided with the first industrial revolution in Japan.
In the third period (1914-1945): Japan made great progress, both in industry and in higher education. The warlike policy of military expansion fueled the growth of heavy industry, such as the production of steel and other metals, the construction of shipyards and large ships, the manufacture of machine tools and chemical products. Between 1915 and 1938 Japanese industrial production increased sixfold and for the first time surpassed agricultural production, thus transforming Japan from an agricultural nation to an industrial one.
In the fourth period (from 1945 to the present time): We find Japan, defeated in the war, with its industrial production reduced to the level it had in 1910. On the other hand, the pre-war Japanese education system was severely criticized for its undemocratic theoretical and structural foundations and its total adherence to the ultra-nationalist policy of expansion and military conquests. In 1949, the occupation authorities initiated a substantial reform of the Japanese educational system; The basic purposes of this reform were to enable citizens to exercise in a democratic society and to provide general education to all students, regardless of specialization.
Educational reform after the Second World War also had a major impact. The new system, based on North American models, established nine years of free compulsory education and three more optional years of secondary education. Those who had the right skills and paid the modest educational fees could graduate from college.
Current situation
The Japanese higher education may be described as an example of higher education mass in a country with high population density and highly industrialized.
Some statistics:
Data from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japan. Fiscal Year 2008.
Universities carry out teaching and research functions in the various academic disciplines. To enter them, it is required to have completed 12 years of schooling (six at the primary level, three at the basic level and three at the upper level).
Undergraduate programs last four years, except medical and dental programs that span six years. The courses comprise two cycles, one for general education and the other for specialized education; This is intended to provide students with a balanced education, as well as to train in them the qualities necessary to be a good citizen.
The levels of the Japanese educational system are:
1. Kindergarten (3-6 years): it is not compulsory and it is not free.
2. Elementary school (6−12 years old): compulsory and free
3.Lower secondary education (12−15 years): the Upper Secondary School is included, which has three different teaching models:
a) Full Time (lasts 3 years).
b) Part Time (generally evening classes).
c) At a distance.
4. Upper secondary education: to access it you must pass an exam.
5. Higher education: There are three branches in higher education:
a) University (4 years): to access the university levels you have to pass some very hard tests.
b) Doctorates and Masters.
c) Technological Colleges: a kind of Vocational Training, extension of secondary education.
In Japan there are basically three types of schools:
1. Public
2. Private
3. Nationals
At one point, the Japanese education system was praised for having sustained Japan's high economic growth. A system was created called the CC (control and competitiveness) and EE (efficiency and equity) rule.
Control: The Ministry of Education of Japan stated how it should be the infrastructure, the number of educators, the size of the classroom and the curriculum with which schools must operate, in addition to controlling and supervising all educational institutions in each region to that can achieve these goals. Thanks to this policy, it was possible to carry out a uniform education at the national level, managing to raise or in any case maintain the educational level throughout the country.
Competitiveness:
Competitiveness between prefectures contributed to raising the level and increasing the facilities of educational institutions. Likewise, the privilege that is obtained based on the entrance exams and the entrance to the schools based strictly on the capacity, incite competition in people, increasing the number of applicants and maintaining the elevated academic level.
Efficiency: The Japanese Ministry of Education distributes its limited budget with a tendency to train important human resources, to promote modernization and industrialization. The most important careers have been chemistry, engineering, agronomy and medicine. This kind of politics made possible the effective training of human resources that sustained the post-war economic growth.
Equity: The outstanding people of the different social classes can carry out their higher studies, because the educational institutions have been carrying out a selection process based strictly on the academic capacity of the people, regardless of social classes or income level.
We can conclude that the Japanese educational system teaches us some lessons on the basis of its economic development that is largely based on well-prepared human capital, mainly due to Higher Education and Research in these countries.
Bibliographic reference
- Kobayashi, Tetsuya. «The University and the Technical Revolution in Japan: A Model for Developing Countries? Faculty of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan ». Higher Education, Vol. 9, No. 6, 1980, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japan
- The Encyclopedia of Higher Education. Eds. Burton R. Clark and Guy Neave, Pergamon Press, Great Britain, 1992.
- Nakajima, Takeshi: "The Japanese Educational System".
