Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2022 November 30 - December 6 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP Miyamoto Takeshi opposes bill targeting university departments of humanities and arts

A revision bill aimed at facilitating colleges for humanities and arts to become colleges for science or engineering was passed through the House of Representatives plenary session on November 29 by majority vote. The Japanese Communist Party voted against the bill.

The bill is to revise the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education Act, and to increase the number of science, engineering, technology, and agronomy departments.

Prior to the plenary session, at a House Education, Science, and Technology Committee meeting, JCP representative Miyamoto Takeshi noted that the bill recommends that "a mechanism that curbs overall student quotas be introduced." He said, "An increase in the number of students in science and engineering despite restrictions on overall student quotas will negatively impact the areas of humanities and arts at universities. He criticized the bill for reducing or eliminating humanities faculties and small-sized private colleges.

He also criticized the bill for penalizing colleges that keep humanities departments while easing regulations on colleges that are willing to shift themselves to science-and-engineering colleges as promoted by the government. Miyamoto in opposition to the bill said, "The bill will drive struggling local colleges and small private colleges into a corner."

Past related articles:
> Abe Cabinet shutting ears to criticism [October 28, 2015]
> National university deans issue protest against gov’t call for closure of humanities and social sciences courses [October 27, 2015]
> Science Council criticizes gov’t policy to abolish humanities departments [July 24, 2015]
> Education Ministry instructs national universities to reduce humanities and social science courses
[June 10, 20]