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CHAPTER 25 EDUCATION
This chapter covers school education and social education.
For school education, presented are statistics on the fundamental elements of school education such as the number of schools, students enrolled, teachers, etc. as well as on school facilities and educational expenditure. The principal sources of data are "Basic Survey of Schools" by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. In addition, there are, for school facilities, "Survey on Actual Situation of Facilities of Public Schools" by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and for educational expenditure, "Survey of Local Educational Expenditure" and "Survey of Household Expenditure for Children's Education" by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, "Current Financial Conditions of Private Schools" by the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan. For educational expenses in the household expenditure, see "22 Family Income and Expenditure".
For social education, statistics on personnel engaged in social education, social education classes and courses, and on institutions for social education such as citizen's public halls are presented. The principal source of these data is "Social Education Survey" conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. As regards statistics on libraries and museums, refer to "26 Culture".
Basic Survey of Schools (Fundamental Statistical Survey)
The survey has been conducted annually since 1948 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for the purpose of clarifying basic elements related to schools such as the number of schools, students enrolled, graduates, teachers, school facilities, school expenditures, etc. Before this survey was started, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology or the governors of prefectures had tabulated statistics based on the reports submitted by schools under their jurisdiction.
The survey comprises six survey components, i.e. survey on school particulars, correspondence courses, school-age children not attending school, school facilities, school expenditures, and on the first destination of new graduates. The date of the survey is 1 May (or previous fiscal year for the survey on school expenditure). However, the survey on school facilities does not cover public schools of upper secondary or lower level, and the survey on school expenditure covers only national and public universities, junior colleges (including affiliated organisations, etc.) and national technical colleges. The survey is conducted either directly by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, or through prefectures or through shi (cities), machi (towns) and mura (villages), depending on the institutional type and the kind of school.
Designated schools in isolated areas, etc.
These schools refer to those designated by the Act Regarding Promotion of Education in Remote Areas and by prefectural regulations. According to the degree of remoteness, the isolated areas are classified into special area, quasi-isolated area, and isolated areas of the first to fifth class, among which the fifth class is the remotest.
Multigrade classes
These refer to classes composed of pupils or students of several grades. They are organised in small-scale schools where there are a small number of pupils or students.
Special classes
These refer to classes prescribed by Article 81 of the School Education Act. They are set up for disabled children, physically weak children, weak-sighted children and children having difficulty in hearing.
Children of long absence
They refer to pupils or students who were absent from school for 30 days or more during the academic year either continuously or intermittently.
Persons who advanced to schools of higher grade
They refer to persons who graduated and advanced to the schools of higher grade in this year.
Advancement rate
This refers to the ratio of the graduates who advanced to the schools of a higher grade to the total of graduates in this year. Graduates who took employment and advanced to higher school at the same time are also included.
Employment rate
This refers to the ratio of the graduates who took employment to the total of graduates in this year. Graduates who advanced to higher school and took employment at the same time are also included.
Survey on Actual Conditions on Facilities of Public Schools
This survey is carried out every year by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology with the aim of obtaining information needed for the preparation and execution of the budget for improving school facilities in the future, by investigating actual conditions of the facilities in public schools.
The survey is conducted as of 1 May, covering all the public kindergartens, elementary schools, lower secondary schools, secondary schools, upper secondary schools, and schools for special needs education.
Survey of Local Educational Expenditure
This survey has been conducted annually since 1949 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for the purpose of clarifying the educational expenditures of local governments. The survey consists of components on school education expenditure, social education expenditure, and educational administration expenditure, etc.
The school education expenditure refers to the expenditure of public schools from the level of kindergartens to technical colleges, special training schools and miscellaneous schools, and the social education expenditure and educational administration expenditure are those of the boards of education. The survey is conducted through the boards of education, inquiring the expenditure in the preceding fiscal year.
Basic Survey of School Corporations, etc.
This survey has been conducted annually since fiscal 1999 by the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan, covering the school corporations, other corporations and individuals who establish kindergartens, schools for special needs education, specialised training colleges and miscellaneous schools, to clarify their financial conditions, management situations, investments for facility and equipment, borrowings and repayments. Until fiscal 1998, however, the survey was conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology under the name of Survey of Financial Conditions of Private Schools.
Basic Survey of School Corporations
This survey is conducted annually by the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan, covering the school corporations who establish universities, junior colleges, technical colleges and upper secondary schools, secondary schools, lower secondary schools, elementary schools, to clarify their financial conditions, management situations, investment in facility and equipment, borrowings and repayments.
Survey of Household Expenditure for Children's Education
This survey has been conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology every other year from fiscal 1994 with the purpose to clarify the educational cost to the parents who send their children to public or private kindergartens, elementary schools, lower secondary or upper secondary schools(full-day course). The educational cost includes both costs for school education and for out-of-school activities.
The Survey, which covers all pupils and students, consists of the Parent Survey and the School Survey. The reference period of each survey is one year from 1 April to 31 March in the following year. The Parent Survey collects information on annual educational expenses by summing up expenses in three separate periods: April to June, July to November, and December to March. The School Survey collects information on the annual expenses for the fiscal year.
Expenditure for school education
All the expenses born by the parents for their children's education at school, including transportation cost and all the payments and contributions to schools and the specific organisations related to school education.
Expenditure for out-of-school activities
All the expenses born by the parents for their children's participation in the out-of-school activities directly linked to school education and for various private lessons and training, supplementary classes, sports and other cultural activities.
Social Education Survey (Fundamental Statistical Survey)
This survey has been conducted every three to five years since fiscal 1955, and every three years since fiscal 1975 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, for the purpose of clarifying the actual conditions of facilities and activities regarding social education.
The fiscal 2011 survey was composed of the several component surveys: on administration of social education, on citizen's public halls, on libraries, on museums, on educational facilities for children and youths, on women's educational centres, etc. The results of the survey are compiled in "Report of the Social Education Survey". Each component survey is conducted as of 1 October by the method of complete enumeration at prefectures, shi (cities), ku (wards), machi (towns) and mura (villages), their boards of education and the social education-related facilities concerned. As to the activities of social education, etc., reference period is the preceding fiscal year.
