Sorimachi
What is the actual need of our society for such practical education?
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Tezuka
The traditional teaching hierarchy in universities consists only of
staff generated through the chair system so there are limits on the types of
education provided. In the national universities, which were founded as
Imperial Universities as a result of the Meiji Restoration, the chair
system was instituted and has been the only source of law professors over
the past hundred years. It is only natural that those who strictly trained
and have lived in an ivory tower lack practical experience and common sense.
So, universities have been criticized as having only theorized what the
real world has experienced. Although there is the concept of the
separation of powers in Japan, the majority of laws are made by the
executive branch, more specifically, by bureaucrats. Scholars are often
criticized for only authenticating whatever is executed by bureaucrats.
There is even considerable concern that we are seeing fewer and fewer
individuals in the executive and judicial branches can see the long term
perspective. And, this is no longer only a problem for scholars.
I hate these 'groupies' - Diet members, journalists and even scholars who
become advisory members to certain government agencies. They are patronized
the by executive branch. I am whole-heartedly for the reduction of so-called
government advisory boards. Due to the lack of a free flow of information,
law scholars who belong to these government boards and other similar bodies,
obtain vital information through such activities, resulting in their
theorizing and authenticating the activities of the executive branch, all
of which has resulted in a deterioration of the prestige of universities
immeasurably. Such relationships between the government and academics have
muzzled scholars in criticizing judicial and executive activities. It is
said that immediately after the defeat of Japan, Japanese scholars gained
great freedom of expression momentarily, but were soon overwhelmed by the
bureaucrats who regained control. For example, today in Japan, in my own
field - our aging society - specialists and scholars are not even able to
communicate with the bureaucrats in charge on an equal basis.
Sorimachi
The administration does not really look for meaningful input from
scholars. They only let them theorize and approve with hindsight.
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Tezuka
First rate European and American scholars are usually able to propose
alternatives from a vast academic stock whenever the administration takes a
position or initiates a new policy, as well as make sharp comments and
criticism. On January 19th of this year, the German Constitutional Court
rendered a judgment that the government must give a tax deduction of the
equivalent of seven thousand yen to a couple raising a child. The next day,
a scholar who chairs an advisory committee on pensions spoke up. He was
of the opinion that the German pension system is linked to the actual income
generated through an individual's working life and to increase tax
deductions and disposable income through that working life affects the
pension benefits of retired persons. Therefore, the recipients of these
pensions should be assured that any new arrangement will not affect their
privilege negatively. We in Japan seldom see such timely comments from
relevant individuals. The regular commentators found in the newspapers only
explain and summarize what decision makers have announced, making us
doubtful of their professionalism.
Sorimachi
It seems that graduate school education is Japan is wholly conditioned
by the
traditional chair system and lacks any kind of initiative to pioneer future
changes.
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