社会人教育の現状と課題

修士課程を中心に

抄録

　 Since the middle of 1980s, various measures promoting Master’s level education for adult students have been implemented in Japan, including the special admission for adults, the establishment of night courses, and the creation of professional graduate shools. Consequently, the number of adult students in Master’s level courses has increased dramatically during the last decade of twentieth century. These students can be classified into three main types : ‘job mission’ type , ‘women / scholar’ type , and ‘ businesspeople’s self-development’ type. These types differ from each other both in the strengh of the relation to their employer and in the tightness of their daily time schedule.

　 Adult students are generally satisfied with the education they receive. Most of them believe that they can apply the knowledge and competencies they acquired in courses to their careers. Their employers , however, neither expect much from these courses nor appreciate their employees’ educational endeavor. To bridge this gap, professional or industrial organizations should determine the skills necessary for their employees, communicate these needs to educational institutions, and then accredit those institutions that provide sufficient qualifications.

　 In order to develop Master’s level programs for adults, various areas of campus life including faculty, equipment , and other services should be expanded considerably for the convenience of adult students. The most important challenge is to redefine the objectives of adult education in Master’s programs and ensure adequate funding for these objectives.