CHANGES OF THE NUMBER OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND PUPILS IN OKAYAMA PREFECTURE (1959 - 2010)

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the transitions in pupil numbers and resulting school closures. From 1959 to 1973 the sharp decline in the number of children resulted in the amalgamation and reorganization of schools apace. Between 1974 and 1982 pupil numbers increased and a number of new schools were established. But after that pupil numbers started to decrease again. As the major merging of municipalities took place from 2000 to 2010, many schools shut down. We classified municipalities into 7 types determined by the fluctuation of the number of pupils and schools in them and analyzed characteristics of the types.