[Note: All names and other personal data in this sample essay have been changed.]
Harvard University
John F. Kennedy School of Government
Master in Public Administration/ International Development
Statement of Purpose
Masashi Fukuyama
April 10, 2020
Japan currently has one of the best education systems in the world. However, major demographic shifts mean that schools will soon face a lack of qualified teachers and a shrinking student population. My goal is to confront these challenges and develop policies that will create a sustainable, more globally-minded model for education in Japan.
Since 2011, I have worked on education policy in Japan’s Ministry of Education. My policy goals are in part shaped by research on Japanese teachers that I undertook in 2011. My research was aimed at convincing the Ministry of Finance (MOF) that we needed funding for more teachers. Comparing Japan to the US, UK and other countries, I demonstrated that Japanese teachers work longer hours than in most other places. Additionally, they often have extra-curricular responsibilities that, in the US and UK, would be handled by non-teaching staff. I argued that these extra responsibilities distracted from their classroom work.
After conducting this research, I participated in negotiations with the Ministry of Finance and the representatives of various education organizations. I created all of the presentation documents with our argument and supporting data. Despite our evidence, our requests were denied. This experience convinced me of the need for more sophisticated evidence-based approaches so that we can more effectively demonstrate our vision for the future.
At Ministry of Education I have also researched the effects of reduced high school fees for all students. I gathered a significant amount of evidence showing how this policy decreased the number of students who left high school for financial purposes. I felt that the research was persuasive, but a political shift led to a preference for a less expensive policy that prioritizes only the most impoverished students. Because the new policy was stripped down to focus support on needy students, some of the more ambitious, broader policy goals were eliminated. Since this shift, I have received many complaints from families who can no longer benefit from government education subsidies. These experiences have shown me the limits of my current policy analysis skills and of Ministry of Education’s overall approach. They have provided me with strong motivation to pursue advanced study of public policy abroad.
After earning my master’s degree, I plan to return to Ministry of Education’s Education Division to apply my new skills for evaluating policy effectiveness. Policies concerning teacher assignments, curriculum, testing standards and many other aspects of the education system must be evaluated so that we can achieve the best outcomes with limited budget resources. With a more evidence-based policy approach, we will be able to more effectively demonstrate benefits to the Japanese public and exchange research with other OECD countries. Additionally, I want to create a renewed five-year plan for education policy based on research and the skills gained during my studies abroad.
In the long-term, my goal is to become Director General of the Education Division. I plan to take a leading role in managing long-term education policy, particularly in response to demographic shifts in Japan and the need to prepare students for a more globalized future. Due to Japan’s aging population, schools will see both declines in enrollment and accelerating retirement rates among experienced faculty. At the same time, teachers are rarely prepared to provide students with the skills needed to compete globally, including practical English and cross-cultural communication skills and technology-related skills. One way I hope to solve this problem is by providing incentives for new and future faculty to study abroad to gain a broader perspective and an international skill set.
Later in my career, I hope to open and manage an innovative new school that provides an advanced, globalized curriculum. I believe that this school will be more effective than many of the private schools in Japan because it will focus on recruiting an “internationalized” faculty. It will also be able to take in many of the top students from the public school system, so learning can take place at the highest level.
I believe that studying public policy abroad will equip me with the tools I need to accomplish these goals. First of all, to implement evidence-based education, I will need to study economics, statistics and public policy management. Furthermore, studying in the US will give me the opportunity to take a comparative approach to education policies. By comparing systems in many different countries, I will be able to determine the most effective practices for Japan.
I believe that the HKS MPA/ID program is the best choice for me because the program emphasizes both foundational technical skills and specialized knowledge in important fields. For instance, I am eager to enroll in the Policy Analysis Exercise because it will allow me to analyze policy through a hands-on approach. I also plan to take Professor Thomas Kane’s Program Evaluation course because it will allow me to explore topics such as school accountability and teacher recruitment and retention. Furthermore, I am excited to take Dr. Richard Weissbourd’s Developing Effective School and Community course, which focuses on effective schools and services for children. I hope to have the chance to study his new pilot school in Boston, the Lee Academy.
I can contribute to the MPA/ID program by sharing my experiences working within the Japanese government and researching education policy. Moreover, I have extensive experience with team-based learning and facilitation. I am eager to take a leading role in class discussions and group work. Outside my classes, I have no doubt that I can learn a lot from HKS’s diverse, international student body. I look forward to contributing my voice to the community’s ongoing discussions concerning policymaking and education.