Secondary Education Reforms Since the 1990s and Their Geographical Impacts on Non-metropolian Areas: A Case Study of Oita City, Japan

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to examine changes in the choice of senior high school (S.H.S.) among junior high school (J.H.S.) students and the consequent impacts on residential location choice as a result of secondary education reforms since the 1990s in non-metropolian areas. In 1995, Oita Prefecture changed the public S.H.S. entrance examination system from unified selection by several S.H.S.s to independent selection. This reform clearly strengthened the superiority of the top-rated A S.H.S. over second-rated B S.H.S. in the difficulty of their entrance examinations and admission results to prestigious universities. This also led to stratification between the public J.H.S.s, and f and b J.H.S.s developed greater proportions of graduates moving to A S.H.S. compared with the other surrounding J.H.S.s. In 2006 and 2007, three prefectural and private six-year secondary schools (C, L, and M) were newly established. As a result, many more children and parents paid attention to the J.H.S. entrance examinations than before, and these six-year secondary schools “cherry-picked” children with high academic skills. In 2009, Oita City introduced an adjoining school choice system in its compulsory education. Parents living outside the designated catchment areas of f and b J.H.S.s who hoped their children would enter them were required to win the spots through a highly competitive lottery. Consequently, they often chose to relocate to the designated catchment areas. These behaviors led to social polarization between and homogenization within the designated catchment areas of public J.H.S.s.