BORDER CROSSINGS: US CONTRIBUTIONS TO SASKATCHEWAN EDUCATION, 1905-1937
OF DISSERTATION
Control of Education
This chapter discusses the control of education in Japan. The basic characteristics of the present system of control in Japanese education have been determined by the Constitution of Japan of 1946 and the Fundamental Law of Education of 1947. The Constitution established the principles of democratic government by which the popularly elected National Diet was vested with the power to set up policies relating to various spheres of national life, including education. Once the policies are set, the execution of them is handed to the Executive, the Prime Minister and his Ministers. Of these, the Minister of Education is responsible for national education, but under the principles of democratic government, his area of jurisdiction is defined and limited by laws. His executive power is also limited by the principle of local self-government set up by the Constitution in which the local population is given certain powers of self-determination in such matters with which they are directly concerned such as education.
Expansion without equity: An analysis of current policy on access to higher education in Brazil
Access to higher education in Brazil is to a large extent restricted to the higher socio-economic groups. Public universities have limited places and entry is determined by highly competitive exams, thereby excluding those who have not had a high quality secondary education or attended an expensive preparatory course. There has been considerable growth in the private sector to absorb the excess demand, but the majority of Brazilians cannot afford the fees. This paper develops a concept of equity in higher education in which, firstly, there should be sufficient places in the system as a whole and, secondly, all people should have a fair opportunity of attending the university of their choice regardless of socio-economic background. Recent efforts to expand access are analysed, including incentives for the growth of private universities, student loans and the new Prouni initiative, in which private institutions provide free places to low-income students in return for tax exemptions. While these initiatives have the potential to increase the total number of places, they will not lead to an equitable expansion, as disadvantaged students will still be confined to courses of lower quality or with lower subsequent value on the employment market. Initiatives aimed at the public sector such as the introduction of quotas and changes to entry examinations are also discussed. Finally, some implications for future policy development are outlined.