Is Japan's Early Graduation System for Gifted and Talented Undergraduates Socially Equitable?

Abstract

This study aims to clarify whether the early graduation system in Japan is socially equitable. Specifically, it ascertains whether socioeconomic, geographical, and gender disparities exist in the distribution of early graduation systems, specifically the system that allows gifted and talented students to graduate university in three or three and a half years.

Using an original, independently collected dataset, this study examines the association between the presence or absence of an early graduation system and social bias. The results show no association between the presence or absence of an early graduation system and geographical biases. Gender bias was also not associated with the presence or absence of an early graduation system after controlling for variables such as student demands and faculty system variables. However, there was an association between early graduation systems and socioeconomic bias after controlling for student demand and faculty system variables. Therefore, there is a socioeconomic bias in accessing gifted education at the university level in Japan.