By FUMIO MASUTANI/ Staff Writer   Two-thirds of universities and 90 percent of high schools view the planned introduction of private-sector English language tests for a new standardized college admission exam program as “problematic,” a survey showed.   Educators voiced fears that students from low-income families and regions where such English tests are not available will be put at a….Read more

It’s not an exaggeration to say many Japanese have a complex about speaking English. Most Japanese study English for three years in junior high school as a requirement, and those who graduate from university will have studied the language for 10 years. Yet many Japanese say they’re not good at speaking English.   The blame in part lies with Japan’s….Read more

Tokyo, Aug. 27 (Jiji Press) — Japan’s education ministry on Tuesday opened a website to provide information on private-sector English tests set to be used under a new standardized university examination system starting in fiscal 2020, which begins next April. The new system will replace the current National Center Test for University Admission, jointly held by the state-affiliated National Center….Read more

High school teachers and others involved in the guidance of university applicants are increasingly concerned about the introduction of private English proficiency and certification tests as part of the country’s standardized university entrance exam next academic year.   As of Aug. 22, examinations administered by six organizations will be introduced as part of the entrance test organized by the National….Read more

A valuable trove of data detailing the English ability of about 980,000 third-year junior high school students has been obtained. The big question now is how this information will be used to educate children in the future.   The results of the national academic achievement tests conducted in April on sixth-grade elementary school students and third-year junior high school students….Read more

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has released the results of Japan’s national achievement examination conducted on sixth-year elementary school and third-year junior high school students this past April.   In addition to the Japanese language, mathematics for junior high school students and arithmetic for elementary school students, an English test was conducted as part of the….Read more

 Tokyo, July 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese junior high school third-graders find speaking and writing English difficult, the results of an annual test conducted by the education ministry showed Wednesday.    The latest national achievement test for elementary school sixth-graders and junior high school third-graders was conducted in April, covering 2.02 million students in a total of 29,405 public and private schools….Read more

The education ministry should swiftly respond to urgent concerns among high school students and teachers about its plan to introduce private-sector English language tests as part of a new standardized university admission exam program starting in fiscal 2020.   The National Association of Upper Secondary School Principals has urged the ministry to take steps to “dispel anxiety” about the plan….Read more

TOKYO — The Japanese operator of TOEIC said Tuesday it will not provide its English proficiency test as part of the country’s standardized university entrance exam system due to start next April, because the process is too complicated.   Seven other tests offered by private-sector operators are still scheduled to be part of the new system.   But the withdrawal….Read more