Universal Participation in School Education as a Historical Process in Modern Japan

Abstract

Why and how has universal participation in education emerged in Japan, despite it being a non-Western country? How has this universal participation in education transformed Japanese society? This chapter elaborates on the Japanese universal participation process according to individual educational stages, ranging from primary education to upper secondary education, and introduces characteristics of equality within the Japanese school system, as a universalized educated society in a non-Western context. Through historical research, it is shown that there were two important turning points for the development of Japanese education and society. The first turning point was the introduction of the Japanese school model in the Meiji era (1868–1912). The second turning point responded to and sought to reform a restricted, unequal prewar society with partial support from the General Headquarters (GHQ). These two turning points made it possible for Japanese society to find and cultivate new, bright human resources from every social class. Another interesting finding from this historical account is that Japan became a completely “schooled” society. This “schooled” society means that the importance of formal education is deeply rooted in contemporary Japanese society.