Die Expansion der Allgemeinbildung und ihre Folgen : Allgemeine und berufliche Bildung in japanischen Oberschulen

This paper analyses the basic characteristics of the development of upper secondary education in post-war Japan and raises questions such as why vocational high schools did not expand enrolment compared with general high schools and other institutions of higher education despite various political initiatives or why the increasing number of graduates of general high schools did not cause serious employment problems. Firstly, the process of the development of upper secondary education and the characteristics of a labour market, absorbing a growing number of high school graduates without vocational education, is described. Secondly, the smoothness of transition from vocational and general high schools to work is analysed and compared, using various statistical sources, including a longitudinal study. The analysis shows - despite the still favourable social climate for general education - that graduates of general courses have recently faced some more problems in transition from school to employment than graduates of vocational high schools. Recent political initiatives in regard to these problems are discussed in the final section of this paper.