Public Upper Secondary Schools in Osaka Prefecture

Tsuguo Kataoka

 

A. Upper secondary schools in Japan

(1) Percentage of students enrolling in upper secondary school

1950　42.5%

1960　57.7％

1970　82.1%

1980　94.2%

1990　94.4%

2000　95.9%

2010　96.3%

2013　96.6％

*Percentage of student enrolling in upper secondary school etc.: 98.4% in 2013

 

(2) Upper secondary schools include: ç general upper secondary schools, upper secondary department of schools for special needs education, and upper secondary special training schools

 

(3) Upper secondary schools

Most upper secondary schools offer full-time courses.

Only a part of upper secondary schools offer part-time courses, and there are a very few correspondence courses.

Population of Osaka Prefecture: Approximately 8.86 million

There are about 160 public upper secondary schools in Osaka prefecture. Of those, about 20 are part-time schools and 1 is correspondence education school.

Note: In Osaka, the number of public upper secondary schools is being reduced and the figures shown here are approximated.

There are about 95 private full-time upper secondary schools in Osaka, and in addition to these, there are 7 private correspondence education schools.

Note: There is no private part-time upper secondary school in Osaka Prefecture.

 

(4) Policy to accept eligible students (1966 Notification of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture)

In upper secondary school entrance examination, applicants shall be evaluated whether they have sufficient quality and ability to receive upper secondary education.

It shall not be appropriate to enroll applicants who are not expected to complete upper secondary school curriculum.

Note: The above-mentioned notification indicates that students who cannot write should not enroll in upper secondary school as in a case like Ms. Arata described in the report “4 Years of Ms. Arata.”

B. Movement in Osaka

  1978    “Quasi-upper secondary school students” (means accepted students with intellectual disabilities, though not officially registered) attended Osaka Prefectural Matsubara Upper Secondary School.

In an effort of the “Group of MN” at Matsubara Upper Secondary School, 2 applicants with disabilities who were rejected as the result of entrance exam, were allowed for the first time to go to school for “exchange.” Later, these students started studying at the school. During the 1st-year, they went to school in the afternoon, in the 2nd-year they went in both morning and afternoon and in the 3rd-year they studied in the classroom. They were not officially enrolled in Matsubara Upper Secondary School but they were registered as “quasi-high upper secondary students.”

Later, the same arrangement for “upper secondary school students without official registration” was introduced at Nishinari Upper Secondary School and Kunijima Upper Secondary School and other schools.

 

2006    At Osaka prefectural upper secondary schools, “Social Independence Course” for students with intellectual disabilities and “class for promotion of inclusive society” were introduced.

²  “Social Independence Course” and “class for promotion of inclusive society” in Osaka prefectural upper secondary school entrance exam in February 2014

“Social Independence Course”: 9 Osaka prefectural upper secondary schools and 2 Osaka municipal upper secondary schools

Ø “Social Independence Course”=educational course offering support for students with intellectual disabilities

“Class for promotion of inclusive society”: 6 Osaka prefectural upper secondary schools

*  For both “Social Independence Course” and “class for promotion of inclusive society”, applicants must have an Intellectual Disabilities Certificates.

²  Exam was given in the form of interview to applicants escorted by the guardian.　

*  Enrollment limit of 3 students per year grade for both “Social Independence Course” and “class for promotion of inclusive society”.

*  Average pass rate for “Social Independence Course”: 2.88

Average pass rate for “class for promotion of inclusive society”: 2.00

Average pass rate for upper secondary regular course (the rate for entrance exam in March, where the number of the applicants is the largest for this course): 1.23

*  “Social Independence Course”: registered at the upper secondary school in which the students are enrolled

“Class for promotion of inclusive society”: registered at designated upper secondary school for special needs education (schools for special needs education with only upper secondary department)

²  Schools for special needs education in Japan usually have elementary, lower and upper secondary departments.

*  “Students with disabilities” registered at Osaka prefectural upper secondary schools in 2013 academic year: 2,146

 

 

C. Activity of the Osaka Liaison Committee on Upper secondary School Issue

(1) Ms. Machiko Arata

  2001   Application to Osaka Prefectural N Upper secondary School (full-time regular course) rejected.

              Application to Osaka Prefectural S Upper secondary School (part-time course) rejected.

  2002   Application to Osaka Prefectural N Upper secondary School (full-time course) rejected.

              Application to Osaka Prefectural S Upper secondary School (part-time course) rejected.

              The number of applicants is equaled to the enrollment limit of N Upper secondary School (the pass rate was 1.00).

Only Ms. Arata was rejected.

*Later, there have been no “rejected applicants within the enrollment limit” for any Osaka prefectural upper secondary schools.

*Starting the next year, the entrance examination system was changed and the exam date became the same for both full-time regular course and part-time course

*Up until 2010, Ms. Arata’s application was continuously rejected by N Upper secondary School a total of 10 times.

  2010   After being rejected by N Upper secondary School, her application to O Upper secondary School’s part-time course was accepted in the second student selection process.

　

*Rejection within enrollment limit

For entrance examination of public upper secondary schools, there is always an enrollment limit. For most public upper secondary schools, the number of applicants exceeds the limit and there are always rejected students.

At some upper secondary schools, though, the number of applicants is less than the enrollment limit, which is a state of “under-enrollment limit.” If there are any rejected applicants at school having such under-enrollment limit, it is called rejection within enrollment limit.

If this happens, students attending the school will be fewer than the enrollment limit.

In parallel with the movement to introduce the system of “quasi-high school students,” there was an another movement to demand “no rejection at time of under-enrollment” and “no rejection within the enrollment limit”

When the situation of under-enrollment limit occurs, the school gives another entrance exam to fill up the gap, which is called the second student selection process.

Since the “Notification for acceptance of eligible applicants” has been in place, the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education does not officially confirm they are accepting all applicants when under-enrollment occurs. After Ms. Arata’s rejection “under enrollment limit”, no rejection within the enrollment limit has occurred.

 

 

(2) Ms. A. H.

Born in December 1985.

She stayed at home until she was 3-year-old. At the age of 4, she was enrolled in a local nursery school and later studied at local elementary and lower secondary schools. She also graduated from upper secondary school.

Working as an instructor at the nursery school she graduated, she lives on her own.

 

 

 

An artificial respirator cannot be used in the swimming pool.

She is in the swimming pool using the ambu bag.

Please pay attention to children helping her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Participated in a social field trip when she was in the 3rd grade at elementary school.

There was no low-floor bus, so a simple slope made by the school was used when she got on and off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School excursion to Hokkaido in the 2nd year at upper secondary school.

The trip’s main focus is to experience snow and skiing.

Ms. A enjoyed skiing on her special sled.

 

 

 

 

(3) Applicants for the year (photographs)