uptick
Minister Makiko Invades the Ivory Tower
When Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda put the irrepressible Makiko Tanaka in his cabinet, it seemed only a matter of time before she would stir up controversy.
Famously ousted for her battles with the bureaucracy during her last brief cabinet stint a decade ago as foreign minister, Ms. Tanaka returned to the inner circle Oct. 1 as education minister. Barely a month in office, she shocked the higher education establishment by overturning the accreditation of three universities that were set to open next April, the beginning of the Japanese school year.
“There have been many new universities, but the quality of education has decreased,” Ms. Tanaka said Friday at a regular press conference. “That’s made it impossible (for some graduates) to find jobs, as well as excess competition between schools, creating management problems.” With that, she blocked an art institute, a health-science university, and a woman’s educational university.
Ms. Tanaka was referring to the recent uptick in the number of new universities, facilitated by a loosening of government regulations. In a country with one of the world’s fastest-aging populations, it may seem paradoxical that the number of universities has increased by 50% in the past 20 years, to around 780. There are now more college freshmen slots available in Japan than there are 18 year olds.
In justifying her decision, Ms. Tanaka was echoing arguments made by many educators and policymakers. However, her abrupt nullification of previously approved accreditation for schools just months away from opening was unprecedented.
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/11/03/minister-makiko-invades-the-ivory-tower/
uptickは「（景気）の上向き、上昇」という意味で、もっぱら経済のことだけの表現だと思っていましたが、「新設大学数の上昇」という形でも使えるのですね。tickマークをつけるイメージからでしょうか、勉強になりました。（UG）
