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So many universities, so few new students

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-06 07:33

The result of a recent survey conducted by an organization of private schools raises a question: Does Japan really need so many universities?

According to Promotion and Mutual Aid Corp for Private Schools of Japan, a record 47.1 percent of four-year private universities in the country were under-enrolled this year.

Among 565 private universities surveyed, excluding schools that stopped accepting new students this academic year, as many as 266 schools were under-enrolled. Of the 266, 29 private universities had filled less than 50 percent of their enrollment goal.

The gross number of applicants increased slightly from last year. This is because some universities, mainly major private schools, now allow test-takers to apply to several different departments by writing a single exam, and some universities conducted their exams at more convenient local test sites.

Although large universities with enrollment capacity of 3,000 or more account for only 4 percent of the total, about half of all applicants wrote entrance exams for those schools.

The survey shows a situation has developed in which private universities have become polarized into popular large universities in urban areas that attract many students and relatively small, regional schools. One of the reasons for this phenomenon may be that applicants increasingly aspire to attend state-run and other public universities. However, a major factor is that the number of universities has been increasing since standards for establishing universities were revised to be more flexible under a deregulation drive despite the declining birthrate.

Shrinking demographic

The number of universities, including state-run and other public universities, rose to more than 750 from about 600 a decade ago although the population of 18-year-olds shrank by nearly 400,000 from about 1.6 million during the same period. While diverse universities and departments have been created, it is doubtful whether some of these institutions truly deserve to be called universities.

Undoubtedly, the deregulation was initially intended to improve the quality of education by promoting competition through allowing new universities to enter the market. However, there are many universities that took the easy route to recruiting students by introducing interview- and essay-based tests, known as admission office exams, for example.

The government's Central Education Council said in its proposal compiled in July, "Universities that cannot fulfill their mandate from society will inevitably fall by the wayside."

The Council for University Establishment and School Incorporation, which screens the establishment of new universities should tighten preliminary checks on those schools. The Education, Science and Technology Ministry, for its part, needs to expand measures such as the creation of organizations that will accept students should their universities suffer financial collapse.

Government subsidies to private universities are reduced according to the ratio of under-enrolled departments and even completely cut if the number of students enrolled is 50 percent of the capacity or less. Therefore, schools that fail to meet enrollment goals could face tougher management.

The collapse of a private university hits its students hard. Private universities, although they have their own founding philosophy and management policy, must take bold action as soon as possible.

One option they may take is to abolish unpopular departments and instead specialize in unique areas of study. Another possible measure is to reorganize departments into those that develop human resources wanted by local communities.

State-run universities realigned before they were given corporate status and some private universities now appear to be moving toward mergers. Mergers and realignment are among the options that private universities can take. Either way, they need to make bold managerial decisions before they reach the point of collapse.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

(China Daily 08/06/2008 page9)