Japan
Context
Japan scored the highest in the OECD in science in PISA 2015, with a mean score of 538 points, compared to the OECD average of 493 points. Performance in science remained stable across PISA cycles, with an average score change of 2.8 score points, while reading performance has increased and mathematics performance has stayed the same. Socio-economic status had lower-than-average impact on science performance in PISA 2015, explaining 10.1% of the variance in performance (OECD average: 12.9%). The impact of ESCS on performance in science has not changed since 2006. Gender differences in science performance were among the highest in the OECD, with a difference between boys and girls of 14 points, compared to the average difference across the OECD of 4 points. Immigrant students make up 0.5% of the student population of 15-year-olds in Japan, a proportion which is among the lowest in the OECD (OECD average: 12.5%).
Enrolment of 3-year-olds in ECEC and pre-primary education was close to the OECD average in 2015, at 79.8% (OECD average: 77.8%). Pre-primary education is organised by categories: integrated centre for ECEC (Yohorenkeigata-Nintei-Kodomo-En), kindergarten (Yochien), kindergarten division of school for special needs education (Tokubetsu-shien-gakko Yochi-bu) and day nursery (Hoikusho). Each programme lasts from one to three years. Children can begin attending these programmes as early as age 3 and as late as age 5. A set of national standards is in place for the education of 3-5 year-olds (National Curriculum Standard for Kindergarten). Both education-only and integrated programmes exist nationally. A formal curriculum is in place for education-only programmes and is delivered by qualified teachers. This varies for integrated programmes. Compulsory education in Japan begins at age 6 and ends at age 15, shorter than the typical duration across the OECD. Students are first tracked into different educational pathways at age 15, later than the OECD average of age 14. Upper secondary education is divided into four streams: general programmes (three years), specialised programmes (three years), integrated programmes (three years) and upper secondary specialised training school (not less than one year). All programmes award students either a certificate of graduation (general, specialised and integrated programmes) or a certificate of completion (upper secondary specialised training school) and provide access to higher education (except for upper secondary specialised training school programmes of less than three years).
VET in Japan is provided at the upper secondary and tertiary levels. In the OECD Survey of Adult Skills in 2012 and 2015, adult literacy scores in Japan were the highest in the OECD, at 296 points, compared to the OECD average of 268 points. The gap in literacy skills between older adults (age 55-65) and younger adults (age 25-34) was among the highest in the OECD. The percentage of the population aged 25-34 with a tertiary-level qualification is among the highest in the OECD, at 60.1% in 2016, compared to the OECD average of 43.1%. Employment rates for 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education are higher than the OECD average. In 2016, 85.4% were employed, while the OECD average rate was 82.9%.
Note: For each indicator, the absolute performance is standardised (normalised) using a normative score ranging from 0 to 220, where 100 was set at the average, taking into account all OECD countries with available data in each case.
Sources: OECD (2016), PISA 2015 Results (Volume I): Excellence and Equity in Education, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264266490-en; OECD (2016), Skills Matter: Further Results from the Survey of Adult Skills, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264258051-en; OECD (2017), Education at a Glance 2017: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-2017-en.
Evolution of key education policy priorities
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Identified by |
Equity and quality |
Preparing students for the future |
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Selected OECD country-based work, 2008-171 |
In 2011, the OECD identified a need to expand access to student loans and reduce dependence on juku, in order to enhance equity while easing burdens on families. In 2017, the OECD still considered that Japan could benefit from reducing reliance on private, after-school lessons, particularly in juku, in part by increasing school quality, and increasing the access to after-school lessons for students from low-income families. The OECD reported a significant shortage of childcare capacity in major urban areas, and government spending on ECEC, representing 0.5% of GDP as of 2017, is too low. Japan was advised to take further measures to provide a high-quality early-learning environment to all children in ECEC [2011, 2017]. |
The high level of tuition in Japan is an obstacle to university for students from low-income households. [2011]. |
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Evolution of responses to EPO Surveys, 2013 and 2016-17 |
The Japanese government has stated its goals to address the levels of child poverty and educational disparities. It also wants to ensure that students are able to receive the kind of high-quality education they desire, regardless of their home financial situation [2016-17]. |
Japan reported challenges in the transition from school to work, as high rates of highly skilled people are neither in employment nor in education or training. Japan also identified continuing to train future skilled workers in a context of globalisation and a decreasing working-age population as a policy priority [2013; 2016-17]. |
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1. See Annex A, Table A A.3 for the list of OECD publications consulted for this snapshot. |
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Selected education policy responses
In 2009, Japan revised the National Curriculum Standard for upper secondary education, which serves as the fundamental standard of curriculum for students at this level. In general, it is revised once every ten years. The current National Curriculum Standard aims to allow students to acquire and use fundamental knowledge and skills and develop abilities and attitudes to proactively deal with various problems and solve them by thinking, making judgements and expressing themselves (“solid academic ability”); to cultivate self-discipline, empathy and co-operative spirit for others, and a rich sensibility (“richness in mind”); and to foster health and fitness for living a vigorous life (“healthy body”). The government aims to balance these elements to nurture students’ “competencies for living”. In the revision of the National Curriculum Standard, the declining results in PISA from 2000 to 2006 were seriously taken into account (Nakayasu, 2016). The focus was put on aligning the skills taught to children to the key competences measured in PISA (MEXT, 2017; Nakayasu, 2016).
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Progress or impact: Evidence shows that overall, the adjustments made help promote school climate development, give teachers greater autonomy in designing the school curriculum, concentrate on “learning-centred education”, and widen learning on the global and community scale (Aranil and Fukuya, 2010).
Japan has been undertaking different efforts for the internationalisation of its Higher Education sector. In 2014, the Government of Japan issued the Report by the Commission on Improving the Living Environment for International Students, with the target of having 300 000 international students in Japan. The Revitalisation Strategy, implemented in 2013 and revised in 2015, aims to increase the numbers of overseas students in Japan and of Japanese students studying abroad. Based on these reports and strategic plans, the government is providing support to international students to find accommodation, communicate with Japanese students and find employment after graduation. It is increasing scholarships to make studying in Japan more attractive. The government also targeted worldwide strategic priority regions from which to attract promising international students. The Go Global Japan programme (2012) and the Top Global University Project (2014) also provided priority support and financial assistance to universities that are making thorough efforts to encourage internationalisation.
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Progress or impact: From 2016 to 2017, the number of international students increased by 11.6% to 267 042 (JASSO, 2017).
Additional education policies of potential interest to other countries
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The Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education (2018-22) draws on education policy priorities, including the universal mission of education, current issues, and the need to provide better opportunities for each and every person through education. This plan implements principles from the Second Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education (2013-17), while also aiming to solve issues based on its progress and concerns in anticipation of social changes beyond 2030. It adopts a long-term outlook for society from 2030 through five basic policy directions: 1) fostering the necessary skills for students to have the aspiration and ambition to reach their potential; 2) developing the various skills to lead sustainable development of society; 3) preparing an environment conducive to lifelong learning and activity; 4) building a learning safety net by which anyone can play an active role in supporting society; and 5) building the foundation to carry out these education policies. The Plan establishes targets and sets measures for each policy direction.
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Japan has implemented the Project for Promoting Community Co-operation Activities for Learning and Education, based on the amended Social Education Act (2017). Policies that are part of this initiative on collaboration and co-operation between schools and communities include the After-School Classes for Children programme, which supports extracurricular learning, and experiential activities for children after school, provided by local residents. This programme is based on the Comprehensive After-School Plan for Children (2014) that aims to provide a place for all school children, so they can spend after-school time in safety.
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In order to support and enable students who, despite having the motivation and ability, may be forced to abandon their education due to financial difficulties, Japan established its first grant-type scholarship system in 2017, through the Japan Student Services Organisation. These scholarships target university students from households that are exempt from residence taxes and students who need welfare care. In the same year, the Japanese government also increased interest-free scholarship loans, which are now provided to all applicants who satisfy the loan criteria. In addition, Japan eliminated all academic requirements for students from low-income households and is providing interest-free scholarship loans to all students who need them.
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In 2017, a partial amendment to the School Education Act was enacted to implement new higher education institutions within the university system, starting in 2019. It is based on a 2014 proposal from the government’s Education Rebuilding Council to bolster vocational education at universities, colleges of technology (koto senmon gakko), professional training colleges (senmon gakko), high schools, and similar schools, while also systematising new higher education institutions that provide practical vocational education. These new higher education institutions, senmonshoku daigaku (provisional translation: professional universities) and senmonshoku tanki-daigaku (provisional translation: professional junior colleges), will train and educate specialist professionals. The institutions are expected to: 1) contribute to more robust training and education of specialist professionals through close partnerships with industry; 2) expand the options for young students with specialist aspirations; and 3) offer a broader range of lifelong learning options for older adults who want to advance or change their careers.
More information available at: www.oecd.org/education/policyoutlook.htm.