An analysis of the policy formation process of university entrance exam reform by Takeo NISHIOKA, the Minister of Education

Abstract

This paper discusses the policy formation process of university entrance exam reform by Takeo NISHIOKA, Minister of Education, from 1988 to 1989. For this purpose, the author analyzed newspaper articles. 　This study finds that Takeo Nishioka’s plan for the university entrance exam reform was not implemented because of the following three factors: disagreement about the plan and resistance within the Ministry of Education, the lack of support for the plan by public opinion and universities, and the discussion and report by advisory councils in the education policy formation system. Based on this result, consensus-building between the minister and bureaucrats or between departments in the Ministry of Education is important when the government reforms the standardized university entrance exam on a large scale. In addition, it is necessary to realize a reform in which the Ministry of Education surveys public opinions and opinions of people related to the university entrance exam in an objective way. 　Keywords: Takeo NISHIOKA, Ministry of Education, University Entrance Exam, Policy Formation Process