標籤: 日本技職

國外編輯部／日本古錢教育系統 彌補了技術缺工

 

作者：Blaine Harden

編譯：陳嵩仁、陳采華

日本古錢教育系統 彌補了技術缺工

每年日本約有1％的15歲的學子進入高等專門學校（簡稱高專）裡全力投入訓練，學子們不斷學習，從組裝機器人到寫入軟體、測試二極管與學習英文，  甚至弄髒雙手在工廠粗活中磨練，而等待他們的，是源源不絕的工作機會。

高專以「傳授深入專門的學藝，育成職業必要的能力」為教育目的，此制度類似於臺灣教育中的五專，修業年限五年（商船相關學科為五年又六個月），相當於高中的三年加上短期大學的兩年。畢業後授予副學士學位。

儘管日本近年經濟成長停滯，加上人口逐年萎縮，但他們卻有大量的就業機會。根據高專人員指出，經過五年標準課培訓程，從這57間高專畢業的學生，將會有20多個就業機會等著他們。而其他繼續兩年進階課程的學生，甚至可以達到30多個，這些高專在日本被統稱為「Kosen古錢」。古錢泛指在古代曾被各國使用的貨幣，目前古錢幣已經不再發行，存量稀少且不在市面上流通，所以具有很高的收藏與考古價值。

來到距東京車程約一小時的八王子市（Hachioji），我們就讀於古錢學校的訪談者黑川（Kikaru Kurokawa）表示，目前離畢業還有一年多，但已經有工作在等他了。這位充滿抱負的化學家，14歲時就在家附近的泥水坑裡測試酸雨。而等著他的，是三得利旗下的釀造和蒸餾部門，負責進行水質劃分，三得利株式會社是日本的一家以生產和銷售啤酒、洋酒、軟飲料為主要業務的老牌企業。

古錢透過課堂中學術與技能的融合，解決了日本教育體系的不足之處。許多國家極力提倡的普及教育，因此造成所謂的「技術鴻溝」（Skill gap）。獲得學位的學生，往往忽視該有的實作能力，只一昧追求錢多事少離家近的工作。

政府的國立大學金融管理中心研究部主管金子元久（Motohisa Kaneko）表示：「在日本，主流偏好填鴨式教育，缺乏實際學習指導。舉例來說，主修電子學的畢業生，連最基本的三用電表操作都不太熟悉。」

困擾著日本的「技術鴻溝」問題也正席捲美國。根據2011年由哈佛大學教育研究生的研究來看，美國20~24歲年輕人自2000年以來就業比例從74％下降到62％，自1930年來從未見過的低迷水平。這些都是廣設大學的後遺症，也是大多數阻礙美國青年投入就業市場的元凶。

根據人口普查數據顯示，至20世紀中期，大約只有40％的美國人擁有大學本科學歷，這也呼應了前面研究報告的說法，大學教育並不是提升就業機會的良藥。

「我們丟下了很多孩子」喬治城大學教育勞工中心主任Anthony P. Carnevale說，「美國高中都是為大專以上學歷做準備，但這並非適用每個人。在這段期間，這些孩子喪失了與現實工作接軌的機會。」

讓學生擁有豐厚新資的最佳途徑，是讓學生留在學校，接受以工作為導向的學習。根據最近兩項研究指出，大多工業化國家在強調職業教育的程度遠遠超過美國。日本在1961年因為因應產業需求的關係而發明了「古錢系統」。這對汽車製造業者特別有影響，因為隨著戰後的經濟開始繁榮，造成工程師極度短缺，因此企業推動政府建造學校來培養更多所需人才。

實質效益在八王子市非常成功，學子們解決該地近1000家企業人才短缺問題。幾乎所有的學生在他們的第四年，都會離開校園在並在當地的公司進行無薪實習，而這些公司也發聘書請這些學生畢業後工作。根據數據顯示，五年制的古錢畢業生收入大約相當於美國學士的薪水，而七年制（古錢再進修兩年）畢業生收入則相當於美國碩士。

「古錢把學生放在獲取技術和真正就業的關鍵路口上」，微軟教育計劃副總裁Anthony Salcito說到，與古錢學校合作，培養學生在軟件上的開發，而日本為了跟上全球化的腳步，許多古錢畢業生被派往國外，以幫助管理日本獨資工廠。

與日本的高中生相比，古錢學生往往忽視的是文科。「對於我們的學生來說，過多的文科課程是一種時間和人才的浪費」電機工程教授兼古錢副院長Tomohiko Ohtsuka說。（延伸閱讀：國外編輯部／人文無用？從安倍政府推技職、欲廢文科說起..）

通過這項政策，日本高等教育更是一枝獨秀，年輕人完成高等教育比率排名世界第三，遠超過第16名的美國，但許多日本大學面臨著人口挑戰，低於15歲的學生數已經連續下降30年了，有些學校正面臨被迫關閉的危機。 但目前學生短缺問題尚未影響到古錢學校，至今，所有古錢校院學生數量約5萬名，且通常以筆試為錄取基準，有些則是透過老師或校長推薦。日本政府每年支付約25000（日）元給每位古錢學生，而學生只需交納3500元的學費。

「父母知道自己的孩子畢業後會有好工作」國家古錢系統總裁Yujiro Hayashi說，「 雖然日本各地學生​​人數一直下降，但我們在招生方面將不會有問題。」

 

【作者：Blaine Harde】

美國記者哈登〈Blaine Harden〉常以記者熟練、精湛的手法，寫出在教育、人權方面前所未有的報導。曾替北韓脫北者申東赫的遭遇發表專書《逃離第14號集中營》，不但成為年度暢銷書，後來還被翻譯成27國文字。並曾於TEDxRainier說出北韓的不平等對待，並表達支持。

 

With workplace training, Japan’s Kosen colleges bridge ‘skills gap’

Every year, about 1 percent of Japanese 15-year-olds turn away from high school. Then they turn into full-time nerds-in-training, enrolling in colleges where they make robots and write software, test diodes and study English, dirty their hands on factory floors and wait for job offers to come flooding in.

Flood in they do, even though Japan’s economy is stagnant and its population is shrinking. Graduates of the standard five-year course at Japan’s 57 national colleges of technology, collectively known as Kosen, can each expect about 20 job offers, school officials say. Students who stay on for two years of advanced study receive about 30 offers.

Kikaru Kurokawa will not graduate until next year from the Kosen here in Hachioji, an hour west of Tokyo. But a job is already waiting for him. The aspiring chemist, who at 14 was testing for acid rain in mud puddles near his house, will go to work this spring in the

water-quality division of Sun­tory, a brewing and distilling conglomerate.

Kosen are hybrids of high schools and colleges that serve a small but important slice of the higher-education market, attracting students — often from working-class families — who combine an instinctive passion for building gadgets with above-average aptitudes in science and math.

By fusing classroom rigor with workplace know-how, these colleges fix a failing of high schools and universities in Japan — and in the United States.

It’s called the “skills gap,” and it’s the bitter fruit of educational systems in both countries that aspire to make college accessible for all but that often produce students who, if they do get a degree, focus too narrowly on abstractions while neglecting the hands-on competence necessary for landing jobs that pay middle-class wages.

“In Japan, the mainstream education system is extending childhood and not giving practical training,” said Motohisa Kaneko, director of research at the government’s Center for National University Finance and Management. “Even the basic competence of university graduates in engineering is rather dubious.”

The skills gap that troubles Japan is tormenting the United States. Since 2000, the percentage of U.S. young adults ages 20 to 24 with jobs has fallen from 74 percent to 62 percent, a level not seen since the 1930s, according to a 2011 study by Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. It concluded that the “college for all” system that emerged in the United States after World War II is failing the majority of American youths.

By the time they reach their mid-20s, only about 40 percent of Americans earn an associate or bachelor’s degree, census data show.

“We are leaving a lot of kids behind,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. “High school in America is about preparing for a college degree that most young people will not get, and in the meantime, these kids are disconnected from anything that is real in the world of work.”

A potential cure for what ails secondary and higher education in the United States and Japan looks a lot like what Kosen colleges have been doing for a half-century: requiring high school-age students to spend time in an actual workplace, integrating abstract subjects such as algebra with the use of cutting-edge machinery, and including local industry in the design of a constantly updated curriculum.

Work-based learning is the best way for the majority of students to stay in school and find jobs that pay well, according to two recent studies. Most industrialized countries stress vocational education far more than the United States does.

Japan invented the Kosen system in 1961 because industry, particularly automakers, demanded it. As the economy began a postwar boom, there was a desperate shortage

of engineers. Corporations pushed the government to create colleges that would churn them out.

In the Hachioji school, students work to solve real-world problems for the area’s nearly 1,000 companies. Last year, a chemical-engineering student came up with a low-cost, nontoxic solution — made with persimmon juice — that replaces a toxic chemical used to make chrome for cars. Nearly all students leave campus during their fourth year to work as unpaid interns at local companies that later compete to hire them. Five-year graduates earn roughly the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, while seven-year grads earn the equivalent of a master’s.

“Kosen put students at the critical intersection of acquiring technical skills for real employability,” said Anthony Salcito, a vice president for education programs at Microsoft, which works with Kosen colleges to train students in software development.

As Japan races to keep up with globalization, many Kosen graduates are being sent abroad to help manage Japanese-owned factories.

What Kosen students tend to ignore, in comparison with high school students in Japan, are the liberal arts.

“For our students, too much liberal arts is a waste of time and talent,” said Tomohiko Ohtsuka, a professor of electrical engineering and vice president of the Kosen here.

By one measure, Japanese higher education is thriving: Japan ranks third in the world in college completion among young adults, well ahead of the 16th-ranked United States. But many Japanese universities face demographic challenges. The number of children younger than 15 has fallen for 30 consecutive years. Some schools might be forced to close.

The shortage of young people has yet to harm Kosen colleges, which serve about 50,000 students and have about 1.7 applicants for each available seat. Students are usually admitted on the basis of a written test. Some get in on the recommendation of a teacher or principal. The government pays about $25,000 a year per Kosen student, while students pay $3,500 each.

“Parents know their children will get good jobs when they graduate,” said Yujiro Hayashi, president of the national Kosen system. “While the number of students across Japan will continue to decrease, we anticipate no problem in finding students.”

 

【Author：Blaine Harde】

Blaine Harden is an American author and journalist. His most recent book is The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot (2015). It’s about the rise of the tyrant who created North Korea and a young fighter pilot who stole his way to freedom with the help of a Russian-made MiG-15.

 

圖片來源：commons.wikimedia.org

原文刊登於《Washington Post》，經作者Blaine Harden授權編譯，未經許可不得轉載

 

 

重量不重質，每況愈下的日本私立大學

 

作者/Rong Zhang、Dennis McCorna

編譯/李明洋

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重量不重質，每況愈下的日本私立大學

高等教育的重要性在於促進經濟成長是眾所皆知的事，而且，在全球化、人口及科技的不斷變化衝擊著國家經濟的此時此刻，更加突顯出了高等教育的重要性。為了保持競爭力，一個國家就必須提升生產力，並且採取鼓勵創新的政策。日本正是這樣的一個國家。在經歷過前所未有的自然及人為動盪後，日本的經濟、社會及代表國家的精神均遭到極大的衝擊。

自2012年重新掌權後，現任首相安倍晉三乃祭出了所謂的「安倍經濟學（Abenomics）」，希望透過貨幣、財政和結構性政策這3支箭來重振日本的經濟。然而，最近經濟學界的權威人士對於安倍經濟學過去對日本經濟的疲弱表現給予了貶抑的評價。由於安倍先前祭出的兩支箭，也就是貨幣和財政政策，都沒能起到刺激經濟的效用，因此，安倍政策的支持者如今也只能將希望寄託在第3支箭上，也就是針對企業和勞動市場法則進行結構性的改革，同時也強調提升已然落後於歐美的日本高等教育品質，以提升國際競爭力。

然而，究竟應該如何提升日本的高等教育品質，儼然成為發生變化的人口結構，以及日益惡化的政府財政所應面對的主要課題。儘管包括整併國立大學、建立認證評鑑制度、擴大競爭性資源的分配，以及促進國際化等許多措施均已到位，然而，對於政府補助日漸減少的私立大學而言，這些措施卻未必具有正向的作用。此外，全球化已導致教育環境趨於惡化，而促使大學無不將招生重點放在學生的數量上，而非學生的素質上。

日本著名社會學家刈谷武彥認為日本高等教育的現況是一種「日本病（Japanese disease）」，並表示「除了少數幾所名校外，進大學已不再需要特別競爭，而且學生也喪失了讀書的動力。」之所以會有這樣的結果，主要是因為有許多私立大學沒有能力吸引到足夠的學生，使其面臨財政困難所致。

前多摩大學校長Gregory Clark也指出，私立大學必須確保招收到一定數量的學生，以維持學校財務的正常運作。然而，在2013學年度，將近半數的4年制私立大學無法招收到足夠的學生，以填補彼等學校的固定學生缺額。由於私立大學佔所有高等教育機構的75%以上，而且許多大專校院在過去10餘年來也相繼升格為4年制大學，致使這個問題的嚴重性更形複雜。

為了避免破產，並維持財務的正常運作，私立大學最常採用的策略就是向中國及其他亞洲國家的外國留學生招生，以填補空缺。這個策略十分迎合日本政府所喊出的，在2020年以前招收30萬名國際留學生的「30萬國際留學生計畫（300,000 International Students Plan）」。

由於私立大學將這些國外留學生視為學校存續的關鍵，所以許多大學都致力於強化提供給國際留學生的服務，例如提供大量的日語教育課程，提供生活問題的支持，幫忙解決住房問題，以及協助在日本找工作等。從本質上來講，學生就是大學的客戶，而大學就等同於產業。因此，教導學生的基本目標就是要滿足學生的需求，也可以將之視為讓學生知道他必然能夠拿到畢業證書。

然而，這種只著重學生數量的操作手法，意味著學術上的學習並不是大學裡最重要的事。舉凡任何對日本高等教育知之甚悉的人都知道，這樣的情況並不是什麼新鮮事，因為大多數的日本大學只要學生一被錄取，就不會對學生做多少要求。這樣的現象已經被許多著作提及，而且早已是眾所皆知的事。一旦學生進入大學，他們就不會讀書，只知道玩。對大多數的學生來說，大學生涯是在步入職場之前，唯一相對自由且得以悠閒的時光。

目前，針對「日本病」所提出的處方是一些針對日本學生進行補救教學，以及針對國外留學生進行日語特殊訓練的特殊教育計畫。這些內容同時也被拿來訓練大學新生獨立學習，以及激勵他們對校園生活產生興趣。此外，也提供學生攸關校園生活中各種面向的特殊指導方針，包括課程選修、學分取得、學費資助申請、實習及就業諮詢等。重點放在激勵學生，期望他們能夠投入更多的精力，並且努力學習。

雖然斷定這種處方的療效還言之過早，但是滋賀大學校長佐和隆光指出，之所以會有為數眾多的外國留學生前來日本攻讀大學和職業課程，主要是因為他們在本國的高等教育升學過程中受挫所致。這樣的論點正足以支持目前日本大學因不穩定的財務基礎，致使其不論學生的學業成就如何，只要付得起學費都（願意）招收的現象。

雖然經濟和人口結構的變化均超出了高等教育機構所能掌控的範疇，但在各個層面努力阻止教育品質的快速惡化，以解決現今日本私立大學所面臨的嚴重問題乃是當務之急。

在可見的將來，我們可以想像得到一所學術品質低劣的大學將不利於新生的招收，尤以外國留學生的招收為最，從而加劇學校財務的危機。現在正是日本大學和政治人物應該針對這些問題想出新的創新方法，真正地去解決問題，而不是只想要維持現狀。要讓私立大學做出改變，唯有讓他們瞭解到，維持現狀的結果只會是每況愈下（race to the bottom）。到最後，所有人都是輸家。

 

【作者介紹】

本文第一作者Rong Zhang博士為西日本工業大學(Nishinippon Institute of Technology)副教授，在日本執教超過15年。第二作者Dennis McCornac博士。丹尼斯McCornac博士為馬里蘭羅耀拉大學(Loyola University Maryland)訪問教授，曾在日本和越南的大學擔任教職，對亞洲教育極為熟稔。

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Private Universities in Japan: A Race to the Bottom?

The importance of higher education in promoting economic growth is a well-known axiom of development and this role is only expected to increase as changes in globalization, demography and technology impact national economies. To remain competitive, a nation will need to improve productivity and adopt policies that encourage innovation. One nation requiring such actions is Japan, which has faced unprecedented upheavals, both natural and manmade, that have significantly impacted its economy, society and national psyche.

Following a return to power in 2012, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has pinned hopes on his economic policy dubbed “Abenomics,” a three-pronged approach to reflate the economy through monetary, fiscal and structural policies. Recently, however, economic pundits have been having a field day downplaying Abenomics following the weak economic performance of the Japanese economy over the past quarter. The first two arrows, monetary and fiscal policies, have been less than stimulating, and supporters of Abe’s strategy have now pinned their hope on the third “arrow”:  structural reforms including changes in corporate and labor market regulations as well as emphasis on improving international competitiveness. This includes improving the quality of higher education in Japan, which has lagged behind its American and European counterparts.

How to improve higher education in Japan, however, has become a major task given the changing demographics and the dire straits of the government’s fiscal position. While a number of initiatives such as incorporating national universities, initiating a certified evaluation system, expanding competitive resource allocations, and promoting internationalization are already in place, these initiatives have not necessarily positively impacted private universities, which have suffered from continued declines in financial support from the national government. In addition, one could also argue that globalization has contributed to the deterioration of the educational environment, as quantity rather than quality of students has become the focus of university admission.

Kariya Takehiko, a well-known sociologist, terms the current situation in Japanese higher education the “Japanese disease” and notes that “with the exception of a small number of elite colleges, getting into university is no longer particularly competitive and students have lost their incentive to study.” A major factor contributing to this ailment is large number of private universities in financial difficulties due to the inability to attract enough students.

Gregory Clark, former president of Tama University, has noted private universities need to secure a certain number of students to maintain themselves as viable economic entities. During the 2013 academic year, however, slightly fewer than one-half of private four-year universities were unable to enroll enough students to fill their quota for a fixed number of students. The extent of the problem is further complicated by the fact private institutions comprise over 75 percent of all institutions and over the past decade a number of junior colleges have been restructured into four-year institutions.

One common strategy adopted by private institutions to avoid bankruptcy and remain financial viable is to recruit foreign students, primarily from China and other parts of Asia, to fill the open spaces. These efforts to increase the number of international students are in line with the Japanese government’s “300,000 International Students Plan,” which sets a long-term goal of having 300,000 registered international students at universities by 2020.

As private universities look to these foreign students as keys to survival, a large number are working hard to strengthen services for international students, such as providing substantial Japanese-language education courses, support for daily life issues, and help with housing and job-seeking in Japan. Essentially, students are the clients of the universities and higher education is an industry. Thus, the fundamental goal of student instruction is the satisfaction of the students, which can be looked at as implying students need to be assured that they will eventually graduate with a diploma.

This focus on quantity of students, however, implies that academic learning may not be the top priority. And anyone familiar with Japanese higher education knows this is not a new trend, as most Japanese universities have always demanded little of their students once they are enrolled. This phenomenon has been noted by the authors’ experiences, and is a well-known feature of Japanese higher education. Once students get into college, they do not study but play. For most, it is their only stretch of relative freedom and leisure before entering the workforce.

Some of the current prescriptions to treat the “Japanese disease” are special education programs consisting of remedial education for Japanese students and special training in the Japanese language for foreign students. Training is also being provided to foster new students’ independence in learning and stimulate their interest in campus life. Special guidance regarding all aspects of campus life, including class registration, credit acquisition, and applications for financial support, internships, and employment inquiries is also made available. Emphasis is placed on motivating students in the hope that students will devote more energy and effort to the task of learning.

The efficacy of such medicines may be too early to determine, but Takamitsu Sawa, president of Shiga University, asserts that the majority of foreign students pursuing undergraduate and vocational curricula in Japan are doing so because they have failed to advance to higher education in their own countries. This supports the contention that universities with insecure economic foundations will admit students almost regardless of their academic achievements or readiness so long as they can pay the fees.

While there is no doubt that economic and demographic changes are beyond the control of the institutions themselves, efforts to staunch the rapid deterioration in educational quality will be required on all fronts to resolve some of the more glaring problems facing private university higher education in Japan today.

Down the road, it is also easy to visualize poor university academic quality being detrimental to the recruitment of new students, in particular foreign students, which would exacerbate the financial crisis further. It is time for universities and politicians to consider new and innovative approaches to these problems, which actually provide solutions rather than maintaining the status quo. Private universities can be the agents of change by understanding that maintaining the status quo will simply result in a grand race to the bottom. And the bottom is a place where no one can win.

【Author】

Dr. Rong Zhang is an Associate Professor at Nishinippon Institute of Technology and has been teaching in Japan for more than 15 years. Dr. Dennis McCornac is a Visiting Affiliate Professor at Loyola University Maryland. He has extensive experience in Asia previously holding university positions in both Japan and Vietnam.

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圖片來源：flickr@clio1789

原文經合作媒體：《The Diplomat》授權編譯，未經許可不得轉載

 

國外編輯部／人文無用？從安倍政府推技職、欲廢文科說起…

 

作者/John W. Traphagan

編譯/李苾琳、余欣融

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人文無用？從安倍政府推技職、欲廢文科說起…

日本NHK針對60所日本國立大學調查指出，其中26所有人文社會科學系的學校已證實未來將計劃廢除或減少招生名額。起因為安倍政府制訂的國立大學改革計劃：大學培育的人才應為「社會所需」。前任文部科學大臣下村博文發信要求日本所有的國立大學，要積極廢除人文社會科學院，或是轉型成自然科學院。

部分國內最富盛名的大學，諸如東京大學、京都大學皆拒絕此要求，滋賀大學校長和隆光澤圭公開譴責負責大學事務的文部科學省，表示這種想法「大逆不道」、而由上位領導者帶頭更是「反智」；然而也有一些國立大學表示能理解文部科學省的政策，他們會停止人文社會科學系的招生，符合法令的要求。

安倍政府的目標是大力推動符合社會需求的「技職教育」，但卻遺漏了一點。安倍只看到「經濟成長」此一社會需求（喔，但經濟學隸屬社會科學，得淘汰了），但卻沒發現人類行為、社會組織、文化藝術等專業，才是「真正有型」地符合社會所需。所有組織的中心都將回歸到「人」，不論是政府、企業、軍事單位，或其他形態的組織，為了讓「人」能有效率地工作，他們得瞭解人類行為的多樣複雜性、文化形塑思想的重要性，並發展具分析及解決隨著人們開始共同工作而不斷產生需求的智能工具。

當然，像日本這樣重視技職教育的工業社會中，讓部分國立大學變得就業導向很合理，但是教育不應該處於欠缺諸如藝術、文學、道德等深度討論的真空狀態。如何詮釋ㄧ個人的世界、如何建立一個人對外在環境的美感、如何與他人互動等等，對於人能作為一個人，抑或成為一名成功的員工都是至關重要的。

安倍政府對人文社會學科的攻擊說來有些諷刺，因為日本政府一直積極地向全世界推銷日本的流行文化。日本未來的宮崎駿會怎麼樣呢，他們能進入日本的國立大學就讀嗎？宮崎駿就讀私立的學習院大學（Akushuin University），雙主修政治和經濟，同時也加入了兒童文學（漫畫）研究社。他的電影享譽國際，在國內也有極高評價，作品反思人類與大自然的衝突、人類社會的複雜性，難以想像他的價值觀沒有受人文社會科學所啟發。

宮崎駿

日本國寶級動畫大師宮崎駿，執導的電影常反映出人類對於自然及科技之間的關係。（圖/Flickr）

 

接受專業培訓、找工作都是很重要的事，然而一個優秀的員工還需要會思考、會分析、會應對，針對各種商業行為提出合乎倫理的做法。這些「技能」看似不是社會所需，卻是能讓一個國家穩定、具備國際競爭力的重要元素。如果沒有賈柏斯的審美哲學，沒有設計師、工程師為他效勞，今天的蘋果會在哪裡呢？

社會需要什麼？不能單用一張財務狀況表就能算出。把人文社會科學從國立大學中排除，就代表此高等教育短視近利，其後也會負面影響日本的國際經濟地位。

 

【作者介紹】John W. Traphagan

德州大學奧斯汀分校宗教系及人類行為系教授

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The Japanese Government’s Attack on the Humanities and Social Sciences

Recent news stories about education in Japan have noted that 26 of the 60 national universities that offer courses in the humanities and social sciences have confirmed they will either close or reduce faculties in these areas. This follows a decree issued by the Japanese government that universities “serve areas that better meet society’s needs” in a letter sent from Education Minister Hakuban Shimomura to all of Japan’s national universities. The letter called on them to take “active steps to abolish [the social sciences and humanities]” or convert them to academic opportunities in the natural sciences.

Some of the country’s most prestigious universities, such as the University of Tokyo and University of Kyoto have refused to comply with the order, and Takamitsu Sawa, president of Shiga University, recently published an op-ed piece in the Japan Times denouncing the ministry’s philosophy, calling its proposals “outrageous” and its leaders “anti-intellectual.” However, several national universities have indicated that they will cease recruiting students to humanities and social science courses and comply with the edict.

The goal expressed by the Abe government is to promote practical vocational education to anticipate the needs of society. But one is left wondering what, exactly, Abe sees as the needs of society beyond economic growth (oh, and economics is a social science that would be eliminated). It is difficult to comprehend how studying human behavior, social organization, culture, and the arts is only tangential to anticipating the needs of society. All organizations involve humans – whether government, industry, the military, or anything else. In order for humans to work effectively and efficiently, they must understand the dimensions of human behavior, must recognize the importance of culture in shaping ideas, and must have the intellectual tools necessary to analyze and address the constant flow of human needs that arise as people work together.

While there is, of course, an important place for vocational education in industrial societies like Japan, and there may well be reasons to shift some of the national universities in Japan to a more vocational orientation, that education should not occur in a vacuum devoid of deep discussions about topics such as art, literature, and ethics. Understanding how to interpret one’s world, how to assess the aesthetics of one’s environment (including the space in which one works), and how to think about interactions with others is fundamental to being human and to being a successful worker/employee and should be addressed thoughtfully in any educational institution – whether or not it is primarily vocational.

There is a certain irony in the Abe government’s attack on the liberal arts, because for some time the government also has been actively promoting exports of the country’s popular culture around the world. What will happen to the future Hayao Miyazakis of Japan – perhaps the most significant icon of contemporary Japanese popular artistic culture around the world – who might attend a national university? Miyazaki attended Gakushin University, which is private, and majored in political science and economics while also participating in the university’s research club on children’s literature (manga). His films, many of which are considered masterpieces both nationally and internationally, show a deep awareness and understanding of the human condition and the nature of conflict, the complexities of human social organization, and the varied ways in which we interpret our world. It is difficult to imagine that his perspective is not at least in part a product of the education he received in economics and political science at university. And, of course, this exploration of humanity comes to us through the powerful aesthetic sensibilities expressed through the worlds created in his drawings.

While gaining vocational training and getting a job is important, good employees are those who can think creatively, understand and interpret the contexts in which they interact with others, and employ an ethical approach to the activities of business and life in general. These are not tangential to vocational training nor to the needs of society, but are central elements in generating a capable and inventive workforce that is able to make any country secure and internationally competitive. Where would Apple be without the aesthetic ideas of Steve Jobs and the designers and engineers who worked for him?

The needs of society, like the needs of individual humans, are not able to be simply calculated on a balance sheet, but involve not only the pragmatics of learning a skill, but equally the pragmatics of learning to live and work with others in a thoughtful, analytical, and ethical manner. Eliminating the social sciences and humanities from national universities represents a stunningly narrow-minded and short-sighted attitude about the purpose and aims of higher education. And it will work against ensuring Japan a strong economic position internationally in the future.

 

【Author】John W. Traphagan

Professor of Religious Studies and Human Dimensions of Organizations at the University of Texas at Austin.

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圖片來源：flickr@Eric G.、Gonzalo Alonso

原文刊登於《THEDIPLOMAT》，經作者John W. Traphagan授權編譯，未經許可不得轉載

 

日本輸出教育 新興國家都舉手

 

日本的教育制度以培養即時實務人才的職業教育、具高度學習能力及有紀律的國中、小學教育聞名。有鑑於新興國家對日本教育制度抱持高度興趣，日本政府計畫於2016年起，將高職、高中、國中及小學等「日式教育」的Know-How（專門技巧）輸出海外。隨著推廣到國際，預期能連帶推動教材及教科書產業與國際接軌。

為因應亞洲、中東等新興國家對基礎建設的專業工科人才的需求，日本的教育輸出其中一項即為5年課程培養土木測量專業知識的工程師、汽車保養等技術人才的高等專門學校的營運方法。

日本國中小以班級為單位分配工作、清掃教室、營養午餐、飼養小動物、社團活動的課程獲得很高評價。有許多國家希望參考日本培養學生能力的全國統一課程，建立一套教學系統，培養該國學童體會互相幫忙的重要性，學習合作解決問題的方法，培養團體生活的紀律。

日本文部科學省表示，每個國家重視的教育面向各有不同。土耳其及巴西對高職教育特別有興趣；印度與緬甸則偏好中小學制度；埃及則對道德及紀律養成的方法特別關注。

日本文部科學省預計2016年召開政府及出版社，產、官、學三方會議，將依各國國情的差異進行分析研究，準確掌握需求後，進一步派遣人才，協助新興國家建立教育課程及教職員研習制度，帶領日本的大學、專門學校、教科書、教材廠商前往新興國家發展。（資料來源：讀賣晚報）


圖片來源：flickr@World Bank – East Asia and Pacific

本文轉載自合作作者：駐日代表處教育組，未經許可不得轉載