Gunma University and Utsunomiya University, which are promoting cooperation between the Faculty of Education, have decided to establish a joint education faculty that shares some classes and operates the faculties at both universities.In anticipation of a decline in teacher demand due to the declining birthrate, the aim is to improve the efficiency of the faculty's survival and management, so we will apply to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology this spring and aim to open it in 2020.
According to Gunma University, the Faculty of Joint Education will use the Internet to allow students to take classes in the fields of their specialty, and the content of the classes will be jointly designed by both universities.We are also considering mutual dispatch of faculty members and exchanges between students, but we will not standardize entrance exam questions and pass judgments.
In collaboration with national universities, Shimane University and Tottori University integrated the faculty of teacher training in 2014, and four groups including Yamaguchi University and Kagoshima University have set up a joint course for veterinary training.However, the establishment of the Faculty of Joint Education is unprecedented in Japan.
Gunma University and Utsunomiya University have comprehensively dealt with teacher licenses for elementary, junior high and high schools, but it is expected that the demand for teachers will decrease in the future due to the declining birthrate.Furthermore, since the number of faculty members at national universities is decreasing, we decided to establish a joint education faculty to improve operational efficiency, maintain the quality of education, and keep the faculty alive.
Regarding the decline in teacher demand, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Council of Experts compiled a report in 2017 that requires the integration of teacher training functions, sharing with neighboring schools, and cooperation with national universities and faculties of education.The Ministry of Education received this report and asked universities to reach a conclusion by the end of 2021.
