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CHAPTER 4. MEASURES OF NATIONAL EFFORTAND DISTRIBUTION OF TIRE EDUCATIONALINVESTMENT
3. Sources of Governmental Support of Public Education
(2) Historical Review


In the early period of the development of education in Japan, no governmental support was provided. All costs of education were borne by students and parents on the theory that those benefiting from school attendance should pay the costs. However, realization that the socio-politicoeconomic objectives of the national government could be realized only by the training of leaders and by the establishment of at least a minimum level of education for the masses, led in 1880 to revision of the Government Order of Education to require the local public bodies to provide for the support of the elementary schools established by them. This principle has been followed since that time.

The change in the national and local share in educational expenses in and after 1881 is shown in Table 37. The figures in the following Table 38 show the percentages of total public expenditures spent for education at the national, prefectural and local levels.

Table. 37. Share of Public Expenditures for Education Borne by National and Local Governments, 1881-1960

Table 38. Percentage of Total Public Expenditures Spent for Education at National, Prefectural and Local Levels, 1881-1960

As shown in Table 37, the percentage of the total governmental support of public education in Japan that has been borne by the local municipalities decreased slowly from 1881 to 1925, and more rapidly thereafter. The burden of public school support gradually was transferred from the municipalities to the prefectures and the national government. Municipal contributions exceeded the combined prefectural and national contributions until 1930. Beginning in 1940, tlae costs borne by late national government have exceeded those borne by the municipalities or by the prefectures.

Prefectural costs for public education exceeded those of the national government during the years from 1881 through 1920.

National support of public education has been provided primarily for the support of compulsory education and for the support of universities. Only minor aid in the form of promotional grants has been accorded by the national government for secondary education.

Some national elementary school support was provided as early as 1872 in the form of special grants. Promotional grants for vocational education were provided in a law enacted in 1894, and special subsidies in the form of allowances to elementary school teachers of long service were provided in 1900. However, the first major support of elementary education from national sources was provided under the Law Concerning the National Treasury's Share of Compulsory Education Expenses of Municipal schools, in 1918. This law was intended to lessen the municipal burden for the support of compulsory education and to elevate the national standard of education. Under this law the national government was made responsible for a fixed percentage of the salaries of elementary school teachers.

The increases in the percentage of tlae national support provided for public education after 1918 was also affected by expansion of the system of national (imperial) universities supported wholly by the State.

The major increase in the national governments' support of public education that began in 1940 resulted from enactment in that year of the Law concerning the National Treasury's Share of Compulsory Expense which increased the percentage of elementary school teachers' salaries to be paid by tlae national government. Further increases were required under subsequent laws.

Following World War 2, national subsidies for reconstruction of war-damaged schools and construction of new lower secondary schools increased the percentage of support provided from the national treasury.

As noted above, prefectural support of public education exceeded national support until 1925. While prefectural support continued to increase during the following 30 years, national support increased at a higher. Major increases in prefectural support resulted from legislation enacted in 1900 and 1940. The former provided for the establishment of prefectural middle (secondary) schools and increasing the prefectural share of compulsory(elementary) school expense. The latter required the prefectures to takeover the former responsibility of the municipalities for elementary schoolteachers' salaries and allowances.

The net effect of these progressive changes in the relative percentages of total governmental support proved by the several governmental levels has been to provide a large measure of equalization of the tax burden to support elementary and lower secondary schools, and to raise materially the average national level of education.


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