Education in Japan

Education in Japan
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and TechnologyMasahito Moriyama
National education budget
Budget¥5.4 trillion (4.1% of GDP)[2][3]
Per student¥2.2 million[1]
General details
Primary languagesJapanese
System typeNational, prefectural, local
Literacy (2012)
Total99.8%[4]
Primary10.9 million[5]
Secondary3.98 million[5]
Post secondary3.97 million[5]
Attainment
Secondary diploma95.97%[7]
Post-secondary diploma61.95%[6]

Education in Japan is managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan. Education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels, for total of nine years.[8]

The contemporary Japanese education system is a product of historical reforms dating back to the Meiji period, which established modern educational institutions and systems.[9] This early start of modernisation enabled Japan to provide education at all levels in the native language (Japanese),[10] rather than using the languages of powerful countries that could have had a strong influence in the region.[11] Current educational policies focus on promoting lifelong learning, advanced professional education, and internationalising higher education through initiatives such as accepting more international students, as the nation has a rapidly ageing and shrinking population.[12][13]

Japanese students consistently achieve high rankings in reading, mathematics, and sciences according to OECD evaluations. In the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Japan ranked eighth globally, with an average score of 520 compared to the OECD average of 488.[14][15][16] Despite this relatively high performance, Japan’s spending on education as a percentage of GDP is 4.1%, below the OECD average of 5%.[17] However, the expenditure per student is relatively high. As of 2023, around 65% of Japanese aged 25 to 34 have attained some form of tertiary education, with a significant number holding degrees in science and engineering, fields crucial to Japan’s technology-driven economy.[18] Japanese women surpass men in higher education attainment, with 59% holding university degrees compared to 52% of men. MEXT reports that 80.6% of 18-year-olds pursue higher education, with a majority attending universities.[19]

  1. ^ "Education spending". OECD.
  2. ^ "Japan" (PDF). OECD. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Education and science expenditures of the government's general account in Japan from fiscal year 2012 to 2021". Statista Research Department.
  4. ^ "Can you imagine what it's like to be illiterate?". Japan International Cooperation Agency. 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Education In Japan". World Education News and Reviews. 1 May 2005. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Japan". OECD. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  7. ^ "High school graduation rates, by OECD country: 2014" (PDF). National Science Foundation. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Foreign Press Club of Japan Fact Book". Fpcj.jp. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Meiji Development: Modernization of Education – Rutgers Meets Japan: Early Encounters". Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  10. ^ "JAPAN'S GROWTH AND EDUCATION 1963[CHAPTER3 2 (3) a]". www.mext.go.jp. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  11. ^ "The Meiji Restoration and Modernization | Asia for Educators | Columbia University". afe.easia.columbia.edu. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Japan's Lifelong Learning Promotion Law". Centre For Public Impact (CPI). Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Measures to Address Japan's Aging Society | February 2021 | Highlighting Japan". www.gov-online.go.jp. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Key Features of OECD Programme for International Student Assessment 2018 (PISA 2018)" (PDF). National Institute for Educational Policy Research. p. 2. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Japan – Student performance (PISA 2015)". OECD. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  16. ^ "PISA – Results in Focus - Japan" (PDF). OECD. 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Japan – Student performance (PISA 2015)". OECD. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  18. ^ "PISA – Results in Focus - Japan" (PDF). OECD. 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  19. ^ "Overview of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology" (PDF). MEXT. p. 29. Retrieved 7 September 2019.