Entrance examinations and remedial education in Japanese higher education

We are witnesses to two major shiftsin Japanese higher education – the changing roleof entrance examinations and the growth ofremedial education. The universalization ofhigher education and decreasing numbers oftraditional college-age youth are alteringlong-established notions about entranceexaminations and education itself. Thisarticle examines the function of entranceexaminations at private institutions andoutlines the newly established position ofremedial education in higher education.     

Efficiency and equity in Japanese higher education

The historical background and institutional characteristics of theJapanese system of higher education are described and then analysed withparticular reference to their relationship to both efficiency and equity.Post-World War II developments are shown to have initiated a movement fromwhat was a system of government regulation towards one which is moremarket-orientated, including a measure of market segmentation. Thesignificance of a fast-growing private sector is emphasised. The socialcharacteristics of the present-day Japanese system are analysed in terms ofthe employment of graduates, the rate of return and the economic use offinancial and human resources. Factors such as family income, background andregion of residence all influence opportunities and it is argued that thesystem cannot be considered as being entirely meritocratic. Nor can it bedescribed as being dependent on market forces; though both price andacademic quality affect student choice of institutions, the two are notnecessarily correlated. The social and economic consequences of the systemare complex and the author concludes by discussing these in the context oflikely changes in the future.     

Finance reform in Japanese higher education

One of the characteristics in Japan's system of higher education is its large private higher education sector. However, recent financing reforms have targetedmainly national universities since the largestproportion of government support to highereducation goes to these institutions. Recentreforms have been changing the structure and natureof national university finance. These changeswere also influenced by a large private sector. Private universities also compete with nationaluniversities in order to increase financialresources. Therefore, there is a need toreconsider resource allocation and thedistribution of functions among whole universities.     

Policy issue in Japanese higher education

Traditionally Japanese governments avoided as far as possible directinterference in higher education policy. In part this was due to concern notto infringe academic freedom and in part a reflection of the major effortbeing made to develop and expand education at the pre-higher educationstages. When demand for higher education did increase, it was readily met byexpanding the private sector.The debate on higher education generated by campus unrest in the late1960s led during the 1970s to discussion on the governance of highereducation and also to some new initiatives such as the creation of theUniversity of Tsukuba and the University of the Air. In the 1980s a newadvisory body, Daigakushin, was created and several new administrativemeasures introduced. Thus, by the 1990s, it could be said that highereducation had become an important policy issue in Japan.The article discusses the reform movement under the following headings:de-regulation and moves towards self-regulation; accountability; highereducation as an economic resource; and internationalization. Some furtherchallenges are reviewed, notably the impact of future demographic changewhen the relevant age cohorts decrease. This is all the more significantsince so much of the system relies on the private sector which is in turndependent on fee-income. The article also draws attention to evidence thatJapanese industry is changing its expectations of what higher educationshould be providing for its students.     

高等教育发展趋势与政策分析

近几年是我国高等教育发展最好的历史时期,是发展思路非常清楚的时期,同时也是争议颇多的时期。目前,我国高等教育面临的长期国情是:穷国办大教育、经济发展不平衡、望子成龙愿望、以发展促问题解决;新的挑战为:大众化新平台、全面建设小康社会、经济全球化大趋势、城镇化发展;新的理念有:可持续发展、和谐社会、创新型国家、终身学习。为此,我国高等教育的进一步发展必须坚持学校的多样化分类发展与特色定位,这是教育教学的根本要求;需要促进现代大学制度建设,这是高等学校内部管理保障的要求;需要加强评估对拨款的影响,这是高等学校外部的保证要求;还要引导高等学校的区域扩展,这是全面建设小康社会的教育需要。     

Differentiation and social selectivity in German higher education

In this paper we investigate social selectivity in access to higher education in Germany and, unlike most previous studies, explicitly devote attention to semi-tertiary institutions such as the so-called universities of cooperative education. Drawing on rational choice models of educational decisions we seek to understand which factors influence upper secondary graduates from different social backgrounds in their choices of diverse tertiary institutions in Germany. We find that scholastic performance, expected job security, study duration, monetary costs and preferences for study content considerably contribute to the creation of socially selective choice patterns of post-secondary careers. The characteristics of semi-tertiary institutions—such as universities of cooperative education that combine firm-based training with tertiary education—constitute a potential alternative that could reduce inequities in access to higher learning.     

英国高等教育国际化政策研究

高等教育国际化是当代高等教育发展的主流特征之一.通过研究英国高等教育国际化政策的具体内容和特点,对我国的高等教育国际化发展提供一些启示.     

Academic social cohesion within higher education

This article explores the theoretical foundations of social cohesion as it relates to higher education institutions. In so doing it seeks (a) to understand the core elements of social cohesion—social capital, human capital and ethical behavioural norms that serve a common good—and (b) to establish a flexible framework for understanding the combined contributions of higher education to society. Tertiary institutional phenomena (those occurring in higher education) that are involved in the creation of social cohesion are hereafter termed academic social cohesion. The particular emphasis is on higher education’s role in cultivating moral awareness as a vital product of institutions’ primary activities. These core functions of colleges and universities are discussed in relation to both academic social cohesion and the degree to which they should involve the creation of specific ethical norms.

高等教育的外部性与高等教育财政政策的选择

高等教育的外部性主要表现在对经济和社会的外部性两个方面.高等教育的不同产品、不同类型的高等学校具有不同的外部性.高等教育财政政策应考虑外部性因素,适当根据外部性的大小进行财政政策的选择,完善国家学生资助体系,同时建立高等教育财政经费的社会监督机制.     

论高等职业技术教育的社会开放性

高职教育培养能适应社会发展需要的高技术应用性人才,为此,就一定要面向社会,走开放性的社会化办学、育人之路。本文从三个方面论述了高职教育的社会开放性。     

地方高校发展与高等教育政策调整

近年来,我国地方高校在规模迅猛扩张的同时,普遍陷入了多重发展困境之中。从制度变迁的类型和路径依赖两个角度来看,这种困境产生的制度根源有两个:一是以中央政府为主体的激进式强制性制度变迁的局限性,二是对传统高等教育管理模式的路径依赖。今后高等教育政策调整必须遵循两个基本的指导思想:一是弥补激进式强制性制度变迁的局限,二是摆脱对传统高等教育管理方式的路径依赖。     

中国近代高等教育的社会信任习惯及其形成

我国近代高等教育的社会信任由科举信任、官本位型信任和职业获得型信任混合构成,并成为过去乃至现在人们信任和认同高等教育的习惯。这一习惯影响着人们对高等教育的认知图式和交往方式。     

Transformations in Japanese education policy for quality management

Summary The pursuit of heightened educational quality and equalized educational opportunities in the Japanese public school system is now losing its functional integrity. The new educational policy from the 1990’s onwards, was meant to focus on the divisional roles to be taken on by the private and public schools in trying to limit the public schools’ role to offer educational opportunities only to the general students. Behind this policy, there lies a rapid spread of despair towards the public school system based on the opinion that high quality education cannot be obtained by public schools, which base their philosophy on providing equal but uniform education. In a realistic sense, the new educational policy perhaps indicates Japan’s recognition of the present ‘at risk’ educational situation. Yet unfortunately, this shift in direction will concurrently signify the inevitable all-out dismantling of what Japan has prided as the pre-eminent feature of its school education system. This issue of improving quality standards in public schools certainly requires a divergent approach. It should be undertaken through individualized reform, school by school.

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Zusammenfassung Entwicklungen im Qualit?tsmanagement der japanischen Bildungspolitik Der Anspruch, hohe Qualit?t und gleiche Bildungschancen im ?ffentlichen Schulsystem Japans zu garantieren, ist im Begriff, seine funktionale Integrit?t zu verlieren. Die neue Bildungspolitik seit den 1990er-Jahren verfolgte das Ziel, sich auf die Rollenverteilung zwischen privaten und ?ffentlichen Schulen zu konzentrieren und dabei zu versuchen, die Rolle der ?ffentlichen Schulen auf die allgemeine Vermittlung von Bildungschancen für alle Schüler/innen zu beschr?nken. Hinter dieser Politik steht die wachsende Entt?uschung über das ?ffentliche Schulsystem, die sich aus der allgemeinen Einsch?tzung entwickelte, dass ?ffentliche Schulen, deren Philosophie in der Vermittlung ausgleichend gerechter, aber auch uniformer Bildung liegt, hochqualifizierte Ausbildung nicht leisten k?nnen. Realistisch gesehen, deutet die neue Bildungspolitik m?glicherweise darauf hin, dass Japan seine derzeit „gef?hrdete“ Bildungssituation erkennt. Doch leider deutet diese Akzentverschiebung gleichzeitig auch die unvermeidliche Demontage dessen an, was Japan bisher mit Stolz als herausragendes Element seines Bildungssystems betrachten konnte. Qualit?tsstandards in ?ffentlichen Schulen zu verbessern, bedarf sicherlich einer divergierenden Herangehensweise. Sie sollte in Form individueller Reformen, Schule für Schule, vorgenommen werden.

     

The knowledge triangle, European higher education policy logics and policy implications

While it is common to claim that university reforms are based on universal and standardised ideas about ‘modernising’ the university, few studies have examined in a more coherent way how the combined external pressure for change with respect to the areas of education, research and innovation has affected the university. In this paper it is argued that one can identify three different sets of logics concerning the current external reform agenda, and that these logics together create new challenges as to how knowledge is created, diffused and governed by the university. In the conclusion, it is discussed whether the current pressure for reform might change the university as we know it, or whether new institutional translations might emerge from the process renewing the university while maintaining its identity.     

MOOCs,institutional policy and change dynamics in higher education

The last couple of years have witnessed a growing debate about online learning in higher education, notably in response to the global massive open online course (MOOC) phenomenon. This paper explores these developments from an institutional policy perspective, drawing on an analysis of the initial stages of different approaches to MOOCs and e-learning being taken up at three Australian universities. It points to four commonalities emerging from the institutional constructions of these initiatives including (1) the use of e-learning policy as a vehicle for curriculum redesign; (2) an emphasis on internal curriculum redesign as a core rationale for MOOCs; (3) a desire to capitalise on promotional opportunities but a reticence around wholly embracing the concept and structure of MOOCs and (4) the absence of access-driven concerns in university policy despite the prominence of such concerns in broader public debate. The approach is framed by a consideration of change dynamics in higher education and highlights the emphasis on internal university work within the policy narrative, suggesting this could represent an attempt to reframe the debate about MOOCs away from popular arguments about systemic disruption and instead use them to progress forms of change that align to broader strategic objectives.