（4）The Nationalization of Middle Level School Textbooks

The state editing of model textbooks for middle schools was first proposed in 1918 by the Special Council for Education (Rinji Kyoiku Kaigi). The Educational and Cultural Policy Council (Bunsei Shingikai) in 1924 was asked to consider the question of state editing of standardized middle level school textbooks, but it was much later, in 1938 that the Ministry of Education began issuing standardized textbooks for this level. These textbooks were for the normal school subjects of morals, civics and Japanese national history. Then in April, 1939, when youth schools were made compulsory, the Ministry decided to prepare youth school textbooks for morals & civics. In September of that same year the 1937 Education Council in its recommendations on middle level education stated that the Ministry of Education should edit middle level school textbooks for morals, civics and history. But due to the military situation, the supply of materials for textbooks decreased, so in July, 1940, the Ministry of Education urged publishers to stop issuing of textbooks under their own initiative. Then in September the Ministry decided to limit the number of textbooks for any given subject to five, and began a strict rationing of paper to textbook publishers. It was under these circumstances that the Middle Level School Order authorized the Ministry of Education to make middle level school textbooks.