A STUDY ON THE ELIMINATION AND REVISION OF THE WARTIME JAPANESE SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS USED AT NATIONAL SCHOOLS AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the process of elimination and revision in the science textbooks used at elementary schools (National Schools) after the Second World War. Until recently, due to the lack of materials, studies on the elimination and revision of textbooks used at National Schools have been limited to Japanese Language Textbooks (Shotoka Kokugo) and Mathematics Textbooks (Shotoka Sansu) at elementary schools. But it has been shown from Nakamura's papers and Oshima's documents that science textbooks or others used at National Schools were also eliminated and revised. In this study, through the consideration of the Nakamura papers and Oshima documents, it will be made clear who eliminated and revised the science textbooks (Shotoka Rika and Kotoka Rika) and when the work was done. In consequence, these matters will be made clear: (1) That the elimination and revision of science textbooks used at National Schools was carried out by Genjiro Oka and Takamitsu Taniguchi. (2) That this work was done from about the middle of October till early in November of 1946. (3) A similarity between revised writings in the stop-gap textbooks of science (revised by the Ministry of Education) and in the measure issued by the educational authorities in Tokyo Metropolis, as there should have been contacts and reciprocal actions between the two. (4) That there was a difference between the measures of the prefectures and Metropolis, due to a difference of understanding of the measures issued by the Ministry of Education.