Japan Corrects Inappropriate Calculation of Univ. Entry Rate

Tokyo, Dec. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s education ministry said Friday that it has revised the calculation method for the basic school survey, after it was pointed out that the survey’s university entry rate had been calculated without reflecting the rate of graduates from special schools for children with disabilities. The ministry had calculated the university entry rates by dividing the number of university enrollments by the number of junior high school graduates three years before. Since the denominator did not include the number of special school graduates, education minister Yohei Matsumoto apologized on Dec. 2 and ordered the ministry to reexamine the calculation method. The reexamination found that 11 sections of the survey, including entry rates to university, senior high school and junior college, and employment rates for junior and senior high school graduates, were not calculated with the correct numbers for special school students and graduates. The ministry checked past surveys and corrected results. The university entry rate for fiscal 2024 was initially announced as 59.1 pct, but after correction by adding 9,836 special school graduates to the denominator, it was revised to 58.6 pct. The rate for fiscal 2025 also stood at 58.6 pct. Regarding the ministry’s other 15 surveys including the school health survey, cases were found where special school students were excluded from the sample. The ministry will continue to examine these cases. According to the ministry, interviews with past staff members revealed that there was a tendency to treat entry rates only as statistical figures, placing excessive emphasis on maintaining survey continuity and adhering to precedents. To prevent a recurrence, the ministry will conduct training to improve understanding of disabled people and enhance the checks carried out by an expert panel on the surveys. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]