（4）Reforms within the Local System of Educational Administration

Up to 1941 the expansion of the national organization for handling administrative matters in education was paralleled by increases at the local level. For example, the increase in August, 1939, in the number of the Social Education Officers (Shakai Kyoikukan) of the Ministry of Education was paralleled by the appointment of youth education officers (seinen kyoikukan) in October of that year at the education departments (gakumubu) of the prefectures where the prefectural nationalism instructors (chiho kyogakukan) were established in November, 1940, and the number of school inspectors, social education supervisors (shakai kyoiku shuji), assistant social education supervisors, physical education supervisors (taiiku undo shuji), school hygiene engineers, etc. was generally increased toward 1942. But in November 1942, the national government introduced a simplified prefectural organizational structure to meet the general mobilization. Consequently the prefectural education departments (gakumubu) were absorbed by the newly organized prefectural home affairs administration departments (naiseibu), and the positions for officers specializing in education as mentioned above were either abolished or radically decreased in the prefectural governments.