The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry will begin planning in fiscal 2019 a new school system that will integrate senior high schools and universities to enhance studies in math and science.
The new system will allow high school students to seek academic advice from professors and participate in laboratories as interns.
The aim of the effort is to cultivate talent to support the country becoming a "science and technology oriented nation," as the government put it.
Such initiatives have been conducted in certain high schools and universities on a trial basis.
The new system will institutionalize such schemes, with the curriculum planned from establishments on both sides.
The ministry will seek senior high schools -- either public or private -- nationwide to participate in test cases during the first year. An average of five high schools will work with each participating university, and the system will be introduced later on a larger scale.
As the study course begins from high school and continues through university, some high school students will take an independent course, separated from their classmates, to attend university classes that require extra knowledge and skills. Professors and graduate students will help such students make presentations at academic meetings.
A different entrance examination system, focusing on individuals' academic accomplishment or recommendations, will be applied to the students who engage in the new course and also choose to join the related university.
Reciprocally, the universities will create the environment for such students -- they will be allowed to study in laboratories as interns while still attending high school and have the privilege of joining the laboratories right from their freshman year.
The principle is to focus on each student's individual academic ability.
The ministry is also considering counting their high school credits toward those required at universities. Universities that admits such students will have the advantage of securing talent at an early stage.
The system will be utilized based on the advanced educational initiative for science and mathematics, the so-called "Super Science High Schools," launched in fiscal 2002. Under the initiative, 204 schools are designated as Super Science High Schools.
The ministry's report, compiled by a panel of experts on the Super Science High School initiative, released on Sept. 18, pointed out that there is neither a consensus or the environment, yet, for a continuous educational system from high school to university that many believe would nurture capable human resources.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
