The issue about changing the start of the academic year in Japan

LDP to urge gov't to retain April start for next academic year

Previously, I wrote about some of my thoughts about changing the start of the academic year in Japan. This is a follow-up post.

As someone who studied a bit of economics in the past, there is always that cost-benefit analysis in me when making decisions. So the biggest issue in my mind is: what is the benefit of this move? And then, how does it compare to the cost?

The cost will likely be one-off as society as a whole adjusts that one single time to this shift. The effects, though, will be long-term since society will then have to live with this decision.

This means that any benefit must firstly outweigh the one-off cost, and bring long-term positive effects that can balance and exceed any negative ones. And so, the search begins.

To me, the benefit of aligning the school year with countries in Europe and the U.S. is... of little benefit. Not many Japanese students ever actually venture overseas for studies to make this a move that will benefit the masses. And while an academic year that starts in September may make it easier for students from other countries to study in Japan, again, students from Europe and the U.S. may not make up a significant portion since they already have top-notch colleges of their own. Most foreign students in Japan actually come from less developed countries, and if the aim is to attract foreign students, then the academic year should be adjusted to align with those countries instead.

But then, what is the purpose of pursuing studies in Japan for these foreign students? Unless Japan allows a more open immigration policy that allows such students to find employment in Japan after studying here, it is unlikely that there will be a massive influx of foreign students even if Japan changes its academic year to suit them.

So to me, the danger is: are we pursuing change for the sake of change? Has the means become the end? If so, it is a waste of resources; we are solving a problem that we defined without there being a substantial problem in the first place. I really hope the Japanese government can focus more on the real issues at hand, which is the fragile education system that may cause significant social disruption when there is widespread school closures. Let's tackle real problems instead of chasing after self-created ones.