At least nine out of 81 medical schools in Japan have manipulated their entrance exams to favor male applicants and relatives of alumni, Japan's education ministry said Friday in a final report on its investigation into university admission process.
"It is deeply disappointing. I want the universities to make immediate and courteous responses regarding the situation of the applicants," said Japan's education minister Masahiko Shibayama, cited by Kyodo News.
Authorities began their inquiry after Tokyo Medical University admitted it had systematically lowered the scores of female applicants to keep the number of women in the student body at around 30 percent, reportedly in the belief that women would leave the profession soon after graduation when they married and started families.
The four schools that were found to have discriminatory practices against female applications include Tokyo Medical University, Juntendo University, Showa University and Nihon University. All four have admitted the practice and apologized.
Juntendo University said this week that its admissions process had raised the bar for women in entrance exams in order to "narrow the gap with male students", arguing women are more mature and have higher communications skills and were therefore at an advantage in the interview portion of their applications.
Tetsuo Yukioka (L), managing director of Tokyo Medical University, and Vice President Keisuke Miyazawa bow as they apologize for the discrimination in admission, August 7, 2018. /VCG Photo
St. Marianna University School of Medicine is also suspected of having favored male applicants based on past records, an accusation that the school denied.
The investigation found a range of other improper practices, including discrimination against students who had previously failed to gain admission, and bias in favor of the children of alumni.
The ministry apologized to students taking entrance exams this fiscal year for the four months the investigation took to complete, saying it was deeply sorry that they caused students anxiety for a long time.
The ministry said it will start preparing rules to ensure fairness in enrollment for the 2020 school year and beyond.
A group of 24 women rejected by Tokyo Medical University is now seeking compensation, demanding 100,000 yen, about 880 U.S. dollars each in compensation from the school, citing mental anguish as well as requesting a refund of exam and travel fees.
(Top image: The main building of Tokyo Medical University in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. /VCG Photo)