The Provision and Expansion of High School Education in Post-War Japan

This study aims to clarify the mechanisms of high school educational expansion and regional variations in postwar Japan regarding the kinds of opportunities that were provided. We focus on education providers and the programs offered by high schools. High school education expanded rapidly in the 1960s when the first baby boomers became high school students. To understand how this extraordinary expansion was made possible and how the opportunities for high school education were provided, we must consider the relationships between public and private institutions and the roles of the private ones. The proportion of students attending private high schools is now about 30%. This proportion became higher during the 1960s. This means it was impossible for high schools to expand if only public schools supplied education. Also, as Ichikawa (1991) points out, a distinctive feature of the Japanese educational system is a preference for general education under a single-track system. The same holds true for high schools. Although Japanese high schools offer both academic (general) and vocational/specialized programs, the ratio of students enrolled in academic programs continues to rise, accounting for more than 70% in 2010. These two features characterize high school education in Japan. At the same time, there have been regional variations in provision of high school education regarding above mentioned points. How and why was each prefecture different in providing high school education? To answer these questions, we first classify prefectures into groups using cluster analysis then clarify determinants of regional variations. In conclusion, we discuss how these variations may affect provision of high school education in the near future, in depopulating society.