An ongoing task
Over the last thirty to forty years, one of the most important global tasks facing international curriculum providers has been winning recognition of their courses by universities around the world. Their success has been one of the most important reasons for the growth of international education.
It has not always been easy: looking back, it is hard to believe how hard the International Baccalaureate Organisation had to work in the 1980s and 90s for recognition of the IB Diploma on equal terms with national qualifications (even in the US and the UK!), given that it is now almost universally regarded as one of, if not the, gold standard for university entrance. But fight it did and international students around the word have been the beneficiaries. Cambridge International have also conducted a very successful campaign for global recognition.
And the task goes on, which is especially important for the large number of host national students following international pre-university courses in their own country if they wish to enter their own national universities. As recently as 2023 the IBO announced that from May 2025 the stipulation that certain subjects must be taken at Higher Level for the purposes of entry into German universities were to be eased. (See https://www.ibo.org/news/news-about-ib-schools/the-ib-announces-important-recognition-development-in-germany/).
Without these ongoing campaigns for recognition, international education would simply not be growing as it is and the COBIS – MEXT agreement is an important extension of this work. But it also feels different and of special significance. Why? After all, school accreditation by US-based organisations such as NEASC (the New England Association of Schools and Colleges) or by the internationally-based Council of International Schools (CIS) has long been seen as a guarantee of matriculation standards for universities, giving them the confidence to recognise an international school’s graduation diploma for matriculation purposes on the same basis as a diploma from an accredited school in the USA.
Firstly, although the tradition of international education in Japan is of long standing, provision has been for expatriates rather than Japanese students. Japanese students have been free to attend international schools after completing their Junior High School years, but few have chosen to do so: in effect it would rule out entering a Japanese university. That will now change, which is a revolution in a country that sets itself such high standards in its own educational system.