Efficiency and equity in Japanese higher education

The historical background and institutional characteristics of the Japanese system of higher education are described and then analysed with particular reference to their relationship to both efficiency and equity. Post-World War II developments are shown to have initiated a movement from what was a system of government regulation towards one which is more market-orientated, including a measure of market segmentation. The significance of a fast-growing private sector is emphasized. The social characteristics of the present-day Japanese system are analysed in terms of the employment of graduates, the rate of return and the economic use of financial and human resources. Factors such as family income, background and region of residence all influence opportunities and it is argued that the system cannot be considered as being entirely meritocratic. Nor can it be described as being dependent on market forces; though both price and academic quality affect student choice of institutions, the two are not necessarily correlated. The social and economic consequences of the system are complex and the author concludes by discussing these in the context of likely changes in the future. (DIPF/Orig.abstract)