Overview
- MEXT released a Grand Design that sets a goal for general high schools to have similar shares of humanities and science students by 2040.
- Ministry estimates for 2024 show 51.4% of seniors in humanities tracks, 30.8% in science, and 17.8% at schools without the division.
- The plan expands cross-disciplinary learning with a longer-term aim of phasing out the traditional humanities–science split.
- Enrollment growth is also sought at specialized vocational schools such as agriculture and industrial high schools.
- The ministry signals financial support for schools advancing science-focused reforms, with concerns growing over public-to-private shifts as private high school tuition becomes more widely free from fiscal 2026.