「教育の世紀社」の教育思想 : 「児童の村小学校」成立の背景として

type:P(論文)

"Kyoiku-no-seiki-sha" (Educational Century Incorporated) was an organization which established in 1923 for the purpose of promoting a reform movement in educational methods. It planned several educational projects, among which the plan for the establishment of "Jido-no-mura" (Children's Village) and its implementation was the most famous and important. "Jido-no-mura" was a representative name given to those unique educational communities at the primary level with the emphasis on freedom as the founding principle. In fact, they allowd children the freedom to choose teachers, classes, subjects and even the freedom from compulsory schooling itself. Accordingly it has been generally thought to be a genuine product of the so-called "Taisho Liberal Education Movement". But this author hypothesizes that it was a turning-point for liberal education into the Japanese life-centered education. Each of "Dojin" (colleague) of this organization had formerly been committed to a reform movement in education called the "Kyoiku-Yogo-Domei" (The League for Protection of Education), "Keimei-kai" which was the first teachers union in Japan, etc. But there was no systematic relationship between the principle of "Kyoikuno-seiki-sha" and their activities at the political and institutional level. The reason why such political active people established an organization centered upon educational methods may be judged as follows: 1) They had experienced, in a sense, a 'defeat' in their struggle against the contemporary educational policy, especially that of "Keimei-kai" lead by Yasaburo Shimonaka. 2) Even the reform movement or mere experimentation centered upon educational methods was already being suppressed by educational administrative authorities. Threfore, the need for organizing progressive teachers was strongry felt lest the movement should colapse. 3) They were under strong influence of the new educational thoughts and practices from abroad, especially through "The New Education Fellowship" (Ligue internationale pour 1'education nouvelle), which had the first meeting in Calais, France in 1912, and endeavoured to develop a Japanese branch. At any rate, the intention and significance of their activities shoud be examined in connection with the contemporary social conditions. The author then analyzed the educational spirit of "Kyoiku-no-Seiki-sha" in comparison with that of the New Education Fellowship, and its original plan of "Jido-no-mura" in comparison with its modification when implemented, which appeared one year later. The author tentatively concludes that its main character was changing from a typically liberalistic education into a more life-centerd education.