Professors are opposed to independent agency administering national universities

A former president of Kagoshima University has warned that the bill to change the status of government-run universities to be administered by independent agencies would lead to Japan's academic decline.

Professor Tanaka Hiromitsu made this point in answer to Japanese Communist Party representative Ishii Ikuko during the hearing held on May 7 by the House of Representatives committee on education.

Tanaka said, "The proposed introduction of the independent administrative agency to run the national universities will destroy the principle of independence and self-discipline of education and academic activities. Under such a system, the government and bureaucrats will wield enormous power over national universities and even control them."

The bill would authorize the education minister to decide mid-term objectives of education and academic activities and require each university's plans and their changes to be approved by the education minister. Their achievement would be assessed not only by an independent panel but by a government panel.

Tanaka further said, "If an outside authority imposes goals on the universities and rates their performance, education and academic activities will certainly be distorted. In the long run, such a course will decrease Japan's international competitiveness.

In Hibiya Park on the same day, about 200 teachers and staff from universities, colleges, high schools, and vocational schools held a rally in opposition to the "independent administrative agency" bill. After the rally, they marched in demonstration to the Diet Building to monitor the parliamentary hearing. (end)