Waseda Opinions: A Call to Limit the Number of Universities in Japan

? ? I am a senior electrical engineering major at one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan, and I?m planning to continue my studies at graduate school in Germany in order to deepen my research and knowledge. Even though my university in Japan has a good reputation, lots of students do not study seriously. They mainly do part-time jobs and club activities instead of studying. Furthermore, most of them are going to wind up in jobs that are not connected to their majors in university.

? ? This is how things generally work in Japan. First of all, university itself is more for the sake of job-hunting, not higher education. Furthermore, there is no restriction of the number of universities, thereby creating a situation where whoever wants to go to university can go to some institution called a ?university,? often without taking entrance exams. Consequently, students who have neither the intellectual aptitude nor passion for study can go to university. Hence, many universities are finding it difficult to maintain a high quality of students and research.

? ? Because of this situation, it is reasonable to argue that the Japanese government should limit the number of universities so they are in a position to be more selective when admitting students - the desire of course to accept only those who show a certain level of intellect and motivation. At the same time, the government should also create an adequate number of technical schools, where students study specific practical or professional skills. This will help ensure that Japan?s tertiary education system can provide Japan?s industries with a strong labor force.

? ? Currently in Japan, there are 752 universities, and 79 percent of them are private. 2.5 million students are going to university, which is 52.5 percent of high school graduates. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that a large number of Japanese teenagers have some desire to go to university or college. Certainly in Japan, as in most societies, students often have to have a bachelor?s degree as a prerequisite when pursuing a white collar career. To many, this situation makes going to university a ?necessity? and even a symbol of ?prestige.? However, because of the over-distribution of university degrees, nowadays if a person has Japanese university degree, it does not always guarantee their ability?it is just a document.

? ? Contrastingly, there are 376 universities and 2 million undergraduate students in Germany, which makes up 24.8% of high school graduates. Instead of university or higher education, the German government encourages many pupils to do apprenticeships. After graduation from secondary education (15 years old), German pupils have to choose between going on to further education or beginning an apprenticeship. It is called a ?Dual-system? in general. If they become an apprentice, they go to school twice a week, and work the rest of the week until they are 20 years old. After that, they can work full-time in their field - whether it is as a banker, architect, or an electrician - because they already have 5 years of relevant work experience. German university students, on the other hand, undergo an education with a similar workload to students in other developed countries. However, unlike Japanese students, German students are serious about their studies.

? ? In terms of GDP, Japan is the third largest economy in the world, and Germany is fourth. However, despite relatively similar levels of economic output, the number of universities and students in Germany are fewer than in Japan. Therefore, it is reasonable to claim that the German education system is more effective than Japan?s. If only one-fourth of Japanese high school students went to university, there would be approximately 1.2 million students attending. If these students were distributed equally among universities in Japan at a ratio similar to Germany?s, it would seem adequate to have only 225 universities in Japan. As an apprentice system similar to Germany?s does not yet exist in Japan, technical colleges could make up the shortfall in training opportunities, although they are not as highly regarded, generally seen as inferior.

? ? Some people possibly say that if the number of universities is limited, it would lead to increased social stratification based on prestige. Furthermore, it would trigger a widening gap between rich and poor, which is a fair criticism. Nevertheless, it needs to be stressed that a high standard should be kept in higher education. Graduation from university should virtually guarantee that students have strong curiosity and deep knowledge in their area of study, especially since universities generally do not provide students with job experience. If companies want to employ someone that has vast job experience or specific skills, they should hire people from technical schools, or headhunt people who have relevant ability from other companies.

? ? The changes that I have proposed will not be easy and cannot be accomplished overnight. However, these changes are necessary if the tertiary education system in Japan is going to be of better use to society. It is imperative that the government evaluate which universities have the ability to continue contributing to higher education. Basically, universities should educate students well, and do research that meets international standards. Discontinuing many universities, or perhaps converting them into technical colleges, is necessary in order to allow the remaining ones to more effectively focus on such goals as increasing diversity on Japanese university campuses; encouraging academics to publish in recognized, peer-reviewed publications; raising the standard of incoming freshman; and boosting the world rankings of Japanese universities. The sooner the government chooses to start down the path to reforming higher education, the better. A tertiary education system that can compete at an international standard will make the strain of change entirely worth it.

Source: http://wui.weblogs.jp/advanced/2013/01/a-call-to-limit-the-number-of-universities-in-japan.html

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