Page 124 - Open and Distance Education In Asia : Good Practice From AAOU Members

104 OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATON IN ASIA
Good Practices from AAOU Members

junior colleges, which had been formed as The subsequent quantitative expansion of
a transitional measure, had grown socially specialized training colleges was remarkable,
established and expanded during the decades and the number of students had surpassed
after the war, posing a threat to the unitary that of junior colleges about ten years later.
concept. While the university was officially The driving force behind this quantitative
designated as the only conventional type expansion was the increase in the number of
of higher education, a different path was specialized course students, especially male
formed in society. However, because more students, who qualified for admission as high
than 90% of those who used that method school graduates. Also, in July 1975, the “Act
were women, it could be stated that it did on Subsidies for Private Schools” (together
not become a societal force. with an amendment to the “Private Schools
Act”), which was enacted at the same time
On the other hand, during the period of as the law related to specialized training
high economic growth in the 1960s and colleges, functioned strongly as a measure
1970s, there was another set of educational to curb the quantitative expansion of private
institutions that had achieved great growth higher education institutions unlike anything
both quantitatively and qualitatively. They else that had been seen in the post-war
were miscellaneous schools. Miscellaneous era, and the fact that it applied the brakes
schools are a general term for “other types to overall admissions to universities also
of schools” that are outside the provisions promoted the quantitative expansion of
of the School Education Act and were specialized training colleges as an alternative
educational institutions that had no standards course.
thus had not been subject to review under
public standards. However, at that time, This movement towards diversification of
some miscellaneous schools systematically higher education institutions is not limited
provided advanced, specialized education to Japan. Similar movements also occurred
over the same period as junior colleges, around the same time as Japan’s in OECD
in response to the growing demand for countries such as the United States, Sweden,
education in the private sector. As their the United Kingdom, and then-West
power gradually increased, there were Germany. From that time on, the OECD
increasing calls from miscellaneous schools began to replace “higher education” with the
for preferential legal treatment equivalent to more universal concept of “post-secondary
Article 1 schools under the School Education education.” However, it is difficult to say
Act. Then, after a decade-long movement that the term post-secondary education has
by the National Federation of Miscellaneous gained widespread adoption in Japan. This
Schools as a pressure group, a specialized is because the idea of “university” being
training college system was established in the original form of higher education and
1975. distinguishing it from other educational
institutions is still deep-rooted. However,
no matter what term is used, it is certain

The Open University of Japan (OUJ)