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CHAPTER 2 SPREAD OF EDUCATION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
2. Historical Review of Spread of Education in Japan
(1) Outline of Development
a. Development of the School System


In the previous chapter, it has been shown that the quantitative development of education in Japan, as in the United States and the U.S.S.R., may be classified as of the type characterized by rapid rate of spread. The development of education in Japan since the Meiji Era (1868-1912) will be analyzed here in closer relation to her economic development.

In the foregoing, the relative rate of development of Japanese education has been considered in comparison with other countries at each level of elementary, secondary and higher education. However, the types of schools and their duration in school years in Japan have varied considerably during the past. Some consideration should be given to the changes that have taken place in the educational system in Japan.

The school system during each of the representative periods from the beginning of the Meiji Era to the present is shown in the following charts in terms of the principal kinds of school at each level of education.

Figure3-a shows the school system at the early years of the Meiji Era when the modern school system was inaugurated in Japan. Under the Government Order of Education promulgated in 1872 the school systems for each of the elementary, secondary and higher level were established atone time according to the modern idea of achieving an equal opportunity for education. This became the basis of the spread of education that followed. Then, by the Education Order of 1879, the school system shown in chart a was adopted. But there were still many defects in the system. The elementary school system was systematized gradually and four-years of compulsory education were prescribed in 1886. Teacher training, which made possible the rapid spread of elementary education, had been initiated in 1872. As institutions of higher education there were one university, one higher normal school and several colleges.

Figure 3. Historical Review of the Japanese School System

In 1886 the Elementary School Order, Middle School Order, Normal School Order and Imperial University Order were issued, and the fundamental school system which was started by the Government Order of Education in 1872 was now almost completed.

Figure 3-b shows the school system in 1900. By this time the whole school system had been fairly well systematized.

In 1893, laws concerning complementary vocational schools as an institution of semi-secondary education, and in 1899, laws concerning vocational schools and girls' high schools as institutions of general secondary education were promulgated. By these steps, vocational education and women's education were established, and the separation of secondary schools both for the sexes and for general and vocational purposes was made clear.

At the elementary level, the full enforcement 6f four years of compulsory education was completed in 1900. Further, in 1908 it was extended to cover six years.

At the higher education level the Higher School Order and the College Order were issued respectively in 1894 and 1903.

In 1907, prior to the extention of the compulsory school years, teacher training was expanded by creating, in addition to the existing course which accepted graduates of upper elementary schools, a course for graduates of middle schools and girls' high schools. These teacher training courses are treated here as institutions of secondary education.

Figure 3-c shows the system in 1919 as the one representative of the school systems in existence from the Taisho Era (1912-1926) to the beginning of the Showa Era (1926--), the period which witnessed the expansion of the educational system in Japan. By the University Order of 1918, the establishment of single-faculty universities and public and private universities was authorized, thus expanding the system of higher education which previously had been restricted to the Imperial universities, each with more than one faculty. By the Higher School Order of 1918, public and private higher schools were recognized and seven years of higher education became the standard in the higher schools.

Though not shown in the preceding figure, mention should also be made of developments in the educational system during the years preceding World War 2. In 1935 the Youth School Order was issued and institutions of semisecondary education for vocational and military training were established by unifying the complementary vocational schools and youth training institutes. In 1939 the attendance at youth schools of male youths between 12 and 19 years of age was made compulsory. In 1941 the National School Order was issued and elementary schools were renamed nationa1 schools. The Normal School Order was amended in 1943 and all the normal schools were made public schools and designated as of college level.

Figure 3-d shows the present school system of 1962.

Major differences from the pre-war system are: the multi-track school system was changed to a single track system; co-education was introduced also into secondary and higher education; compulsory education was ex-tended to cover the lower secondary level, (through grade 9), and, as a result the time for the differentiation of courses was shifted from the lower stage to the higher stage of secondary education; various courses including general and vocational courses, full-time and part-time or correspondence courses, were created at upper secondary schools; and teacher training was introduced in the universities. As a result of the reorganization of secondary education, the only remaining semi-secondary institutions are the 'miscellaneous' schools.

It may be added that in 1962 technical colleges were created, covering 3 years of upper secondary education and 2 years of higher education, in response to demands for larger number of trained personnel in technological fields.The percentage of school enrollment by level of education since 1895 is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Percentage Distribution of Enrollment, by Level of Education

The percentage of elementary school enrollment has gradually decreased while that of secondary and higher education has increased.


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