Nearly a quarter of all private universities in Japan lost money in 2001, according to a report released last month by a quasi-governmental agency. As a result, many institutions have been forced...
The article discusses the lack of enrollment at several private colleges in Japan. According to the article, Japan's ministry of education has announced that almost half of the country's 550 private four-year universities are below their government-set recruitment targets. Japan's low fertility rate and its demographic conditions are contributing to the schools' enrollment problem.
Japanese education experts say they are unable to support the controversial rejection of applications for three new universities by new Minister of Education Makiko Tanaka, who said too many universities would erode higher education standards.
Many Japanese private institutions, including half the junior colleges (which cater heavily to women), have lost money in the last two years. Causes include decreasing overall enrollments stemming from a falling birth rate, economic recession, and an increase in the number of new institutions. Some of the troubled private institutions have had to shut down. Others pursue policy to avoid this fate. Cost cutting falls heavily on staff. Measures to make institutions more attractive often center on attracting nontraditional students--businesspeople, homemakers, and retirees.