School Education Act

A university may establish facilities for extension courses.

The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is to prescribe the necessary matters concerning extension courses.

Universities may teach and research specialized arts and sciences deeply, and have the nurturing of abilities necessary for occupational or actual life as a principal purpose, in place of the purposes provided in Article 83, paragraph (1).

For universities with the purpose prescribed in the preceding paragraph as its purpose, their course term is to be 2 years or 3 years, notwithstanding the provisions prescribed in Article 87, paragraph (1).

Universities referred to in the preceding paragraph are to be called junior colleges.

Of the universities referred to in paragraph (2), those which are to have the purpose of teaching and researching specialized arts and sciences in depth, and nurturing applied and practical abilities in order to take up occupations requiring expertise, are to be professional and vocational junior colleges.

The regulations provided in Article 83-2, paragraph (2) applies mutatis mutandis to the universities referred to in the preceding paragraph.

The universities in paragraph (2) will not have faculties, notwithstanding the provision of Article 85 and Article 86.

The universities in paragraph (2) will have departments.

The universities in paragraph (2) may have departments providing night classes, or departments providing education through correspondence courses.

A person who has graduated from the universities in paragraph (2) may, pursuant to the provisions of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, transfer to the universities referred to in Article 83.

The provisions referred to in Article 97 does not apply to universities in paragraph (2).

Universities are to conduct self-inspection and self-evaluation of the state of education and research, organizations and management, and facilities and equipment (referred to as "educational research, etc." in the following paragraph and paragraph (5)), and publicize the results in order to contribute to the improvement of standards of their education and research, as provided for by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Universities are to receive evaluations (referred to below as "certified evaluation") by persons that have received certification from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (referred to below as "certified evaluation agency"), regarding the comprehensive state of educational research, etc. in the relevant universities, in addition to the measures referred to in the preceding paragraph, in each period prescribed by Cabinet Order; provided, however, that this does not apply if a certified evaluation agency does not exist, or there are other special reasons, and measures prescribed by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology are being taken.

For professional and vocational universities and universities with professional graduate schools, in light of the purposes of establishment of the relevant professional and vocational universities and professional graduate schools, the state of curricula, teacher organizations, and other education and research activities in the relevant professional and vocational universities and professional graduate schools are to receive certified evaluation in each period prescribed by Cabinet Order, beyond what is provided for in the preceding paragraph; provided, however, that this does not apply if a certified evaluation agency conducting certified evaluations in fields relating to courses in the relevant professional and vocational universities and professional graduate schools does not exist, or there are other special reasons, and measures prescribed by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology are being taken.

The certified evaluation in the preceding two paragraphs is to be conducted in accordance with the university evaluation standard, (meaning the standards specified by the certified evaluation agency in order to conduct the certified evaluation in the preceding two paragraphs; the same applies below in this article and the following article) upon request from universities.

For the certified evaluations in paragraph (2) and paragraph (3), certifications are to be conducted for whether or not the state of education and research (this refers to the comprehensive state of education and research, etc. in the universities under the provisions in paragraph (2) and the state of curricula, teacher organizations, and other education and research activities in professional and vocational universities and professional graduate schools pursuant to the provisions in paragraph (3). The same applies in the following paragraph and paragraph (7)) subject to the respective certified evaluations are compliant with the university evaluation standard.

Universities must work towards improving the education and research standards, in order to receive the certification of the certified evaluation agency (referred to in the next paragraph as "compliance certification") expressing that the state of education and research, etc. is compliant with the university evaluation standards.

When universities cannot receive compliance certification for the state of education and research etc., the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is to request that the relevant universities submit a report or documents regarding the state of education and research, etc. in the relevant universities.

A person that seeks to become a certified evaluation agency may receive certification from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology upon application, as provided for by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

When the applications for certification under the provisions of the preceding paragraph are deemed compliant with each of the following items, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is to give that certification:

that the university evaluation standard and the evaluation method are sufficient for conducting the certified evaluation properly;

that a system necessary in order to secure fair and proper implementation of the certified evaluation is maintained;

that an opportunity to present opinions from universities related to the results of the certified evaluation is granted, before the measures pursuant to the provisions in paragraph (4) are taken (except for notices provided in the same paragraph);

that a corporation (this includes an association or foundation without legal personality, with a defined representative or administrator. The same applies in the following item) possesses the accounting fundamentals necessary for conducting the certified evaluation in a proper and smooth manner;

that it is not a corporation whose certification has been revoked as prescribed in paragraph (2) of the following article, and that 2 years have not elapsed since the day of revocation;

that there are no other risks of hindering the fair and proper implementation of certified evaluations.

The details necessary when applying the standards prescribed in the preceding paragraph are to be specified by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

When conducting certified evaluation, the certified evaluation agency must notify the university of the result without delay, publicize this, and it must also report to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, as provided for by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

When intending to change matters prescribed by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, including the university evaluation standard and method of evaluation, or intending to suspend or abolish all or part of certified evaluation duties, the certified evaluation agency must notify the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in advance.

When certifying the certified evaluation agency, or when there is a notification under the provisions of the preceding paragraph, it must be publicly notified in an official gazette.

When the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology finds there is a risk that fair and proper implementation of the certified evaluation may not be secured, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology may request the certified evaluation agency to submit the required report or documents.

When the certified evaluation agency does not respond to the request referred to in the preceding paragraph, or it submits a false report or documents, or if the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology finds it is no longer compliant with the provisions of paragraph (2) and paragraph (3) of the preceding article, or otherwise finds grounds for extreme hindering to the fair and proper implementation of the certified evaluation, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology may request the relevant certified evaluation agency to remedy this, and when it is not remedied by that request, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology may revoke that certification.

When the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology revokes the certification of a certified evaluation agency pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, it must be publicly notified in an official gazette.

For the following cases, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology must hold consultations with councils or other organizations prescribed by Cabinet Order in Article 94 of this Act:

when certifying a certified evaluation agency;

when specifying details in Article 110, paragraph (3);

when revoking the certification of a certified evaluation agency.

Universities are to publicize the state of education and research activities, in order to contribute to the dissemination of education and research results, and promotion of their utilization.

Provisions of Article 37, paragraph (15), and Article 60, paragraph (6) apply mutatis mutandis to universities.