Japan's COVID-19 crisis sparks demands revamping the institution year
20 May, 2020
Advocates of changing Japan's century-old tradition of starting the institution year in April, when cherry blossoms bloom, are seizing on school closures caused by the coronavirus as a opportunity for reforms they state will internationalise education.
The proposed shift to a September start, consistent with many Western countries, has huge implications for corporate recruitment, since most organizations hire en masse after students graduate in April, when the financial year also begins.
"It's a golden opportunity," said Kunihiko Miyake, research director at the Canon Institute for Global Studies, who said the change would reverberate through society.
"It would considerably change people's mindset, education and recruitment and get this to society ... more flexible so we can survive."
Worries in regards to a truncated academic year after schools shut in March as a result of the coronavirus outbreak ignited debate over the change, which won backing from some high-profile politicians including Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike.
The idea 's been around for many years. A 2011 proposal by the president of the University of Tokyo didn't gain traction, despite backing from big business lobby Keidanren.
But now surveys show many voters & most regional governors are in favour, though most governors oppose a change this year. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has create a working group to make recommendations next month.
"I'm wanting to change the problem in a worldwide manner. It's a major chance, but we have to advance step-by-step," Masahiko Shibayama, a former education minister heading the working group, told Reuters.
But introducing the change this season, however, will be a stretch, he said.
Supporters of the reform say a September start would make it easier for foreign students to come to Japan, and Japanese to review abroad.
The quantity of such Japanese college or university students studying abroad peaked in 2004 prior to going into decline. Government efforts have boosted the numbers studying overseas but for the majority of them it's simply for a short-term stay, often of per month or less.
That's largely because most Japanese companies hire new university graduates in April, so students who go abroad fear losing their chance to apply for jobs.
"CORPORATE SOLDIERS"
Some bigger firms have already are more flexible about if they hire in response to a labour shortage and competition for staff with high-tech skills.
But smaller companies, which employ about 70 per cent of Japan's workforce, would think it is hard to cope.
"Leading companies could have no issue," Waseda University President Aiji Tanaka told Reuters.
"But smaller companies ... cannot adjust to recruitment over summer and winter immediately, so we will need to transform the professional structure, the entire Japanese social system, to adjust to a global standard."
Other changes are also needed to promote study abroad and lure foreign students, such as for example more courses in English, Tanaka said, calling give attention to a September start "naive".
Companies, too, would need to become more welcoming to new hires with overseas experience, educators said.
"There is a lot of lip service to globalisation by Japanese industry, but more often than not the expectation for Japanese universities is to supply corporate soldiers," said Andrew Horvat, a visiting professor at Josai International University.
The change is definately not a done deal.
Critics say efforts should focus now on helping children catch up through online learning and other steps, not really a new calendar.
Some also worry about breaking with tradition.
"I'm pro-reform," the LDP's Shibayama said.
"But it's not only a business or social change, it could possibly be a big change in Japanese tradition or culture and my hesitation is there - cherry blossoms will be the symbol of a fresh start."
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