（4）The Content and Characteristics of the 1880 Education Order

The 1880 Education Order retained certain amended portions of the 1879 Education Order while deleting others and adding new provisions. The resulting document included 44 effective articles (and six other articles referred to as "deleted").

The 1880 Education Order called for a centralization of authority by increasing the powers of the Secretary of Education and the prefectural governor. This change was of special importance in view of the provisions relating to the educational committeemen in a town or village. The manner in which these committeemen were elected was changed. According to the 1879 Education Order, the members of the town or village were to elect these officials. This method was replaced by a new system which called for the members of the town or village to recommend two or three times the number of educational committeemen required and out of these candidates the prefectural governor would appoint his choice according to the regulations which had been beforehand compiled by the governor with the approval of the Secretary of Education.

Other articles of the 1880 Education Order held that any action involving the appointment or dismissal of teachers of town or village schools would have to be made by the prefectural governor upon application by the educational committeemen and that their pay scales would be established by the prefectural governor with the approval of the Secretary of Education.

Under Article 9 of the 1879 Education Order, the establishment of local public elementary schools could be done by towns or villages either individually or jointly, and in case these communities had already had adequate private institutions, they were excused from the responsibility for setting up their public schools. In contrast, Article 9 of the 1880 Edtucation Order stated, "The establishment of elementary schools within a given town or village on an individual basis or in cooperation with other towns or villages must be done in accordance with those instructions set down by the prefectural governor in order to assure adequate education for children of school age."

Also the establishment of private elementary schools became subject to the approval of the prefectural governor under the 1880 Education Order, while the 1879 Order required the approval only for local public ones. The 1879 Education Order had provided that the minimum term of attendance for general education was set sixteen months in the eight-year school age from six to fourteen years; at local public schools this education was to be completed through not less than four years. In Article 15 of the 1880 Education Order the minimum term of attendance was set sixteen weeks per year through not less than three years in the eight-year school age from six to fourteen years; this minimum term was set for private institutions as well as for local public ones. Even after the completion of this minimum term of attendance, parents and guardians of school-age children were expected to make their children attend elementary schools when there was no sufficient reasons for their exemption from attendance; and according to Article 16 of the 1880 Order elementary schools were to be open for not less than 32 weeks per year. Within the elementary school curriculum, the study of morals (shushin) was given precedence over other subjects.

One of the deletions in the 1880 Education Order was the articles covering government subsidies for local public elementary schools and local public normal schools. Although it may appear to have been inconsistent to rescind provisions assuring government financial sponsorship, the situation of the National Treasury left no choice. The cutoff date for government funds was June, 1881.