Japan's Colleges Ease Entrance Exams

[AssKissinger]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4661500

Japan's birthrate is so low that the number of students is declining. Many of Japan's 700 universities are relaxing acceptance requirements, making preparation for college entrance exams less stressful. Even elite universities are adjusting their standards to compete for students.

[dimwit]

Sleeping in class is a natural reaction to spending the previous evening playing video games. If they sleep just throw chalk at them - I always do.

[FG Lurker]

Sleeping in class is a natural reaction to spending the previous evening playing video games. If they sleep just throw chalk at them - I always do.

Why not brushes?

I also remember a high school teacher of mine who used to get his kicks slamming a metre (yard) stick down on the desk of any sleeping student. I don't think anyone slept in his class twice...

[Socratesabroad]

I'm curious as to if the student shortage will have an effect on foreign students. The NPR piece didn't mention it, but might Japanese unis become more open to foreign students as a potential revenue source or will immigration authorities keep the clamp down on additional student visas?

[Lupin4]

Socratesabroad - "...but might Japanese unis become more open to foreign students as a potential revenue source..."

If they were smart, they would. My uni made a ton of cash from the foriegn students. It didn't take much additional support to make some 3X money per student.

Of course, if the Japanese let more foreigners into their country it would go against their grain of not wanting more gaijin around. I mean, a lot of the press after Koizumi said "more foreigners in Japan" sometime back showed that the Japanese want anything but that.

[kurohinge1]

... Many of Japan's 700 universities are relaxing acceptance requirements, making preparation for college entrance exams less stressful. Even elite universities are adjusting their standards to compete for students ...

I understand that this is the new university entrance test:

[FG Lurker]

... Many of Japan's 700 universities are relaxing acceptance requirements, making preparation for college entrance exams less stressful. Even elite universities are adjusting their standards to compete for students ...

I understand that this is the new university entrance test:

The really scary thing is.....a certain percentage of students would fail.