Secondary School Riots and Changes in School Culture during the Late Meiji Era

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Other Title
  • 明治後期中学校における学校紛擾と学校文化の変容
  • 明治後期中学校における学校紛擾と学校文化の変容 : 明治三四年盛岡中学校ストライキの事例
  • メイジ コウキ チュウガッコウ ニ オケル ガッコウ フンジョウ ト ガッコウ ブンカ ノ ヘンヨウ : メイジ サンヨネン モリオカ チュウガッコウ ストライキ ノ ジレイ
  • ――A Case Study of the Morioka Secondary School “Strike” of 1901――
  • ――明治三四年盛岡中学校ストライキの事例――

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Abstract

<p>Following the establishment of Morioka Secondary School in 1880, most teachers came from the local warrior class and had studied at the Han (domain) school in premodern Japan. Its school culture was steeped in the tradition of Confucianism, which was the ethic of the warrior class. During the modern middle Meiji era, teachers who had academic knowledge and a background of modern higher education gradually moved to Morioka from other areas. The contrast between the local teachers and non-local teachers, and the resulting conflict between them, formed the basis of a riot, known as the Morioka Secondary School “strike” of 1901. Most students supported the latter group and tried to exclude the local teachers by accusing them of inadequate teaching methods. The reason the students took the side of teachers from other areas while condemning local teachers was that they were concerned about passing entrance examinations for higher education, and they aspired to learn from more highly educated instructors in a modern manner. Moreover, the change in the social class of students from warrior class to commoner made it hard for students to adapt to a school culture that was influenced by the ethos of the local warriors. Based on this case study, I argue that secondary school riots in the Late Meiji Era were often caused by conflict between the old and new order in school culture that was associated with the modernization of education. Furthermore, the increased level of bureaucracy at the school after the riot may have changed the relationship between teachers and students, making it more impersonal and institutional.</p>

Journal

  • SOSHIOROJI

    SOSHIOROJI 63 (2), 43-61, 2018-10-01

    SHAKAIGAKU KENKYUKAI

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