Discourse analysis on early wartime ‘National School Broadcasting’

― Focus on Nippon Hoso Kyokai, Ministry of Education, and teachers as listeners ―

Abstract

　The purpose of this investigation was to reveal the origin of ‘National School Broadcasting,’ which was renamed from ‘School Broadcasting’ in April 1941, the year of transition from Japanese school education to wartime regime. The historical materials in this paper are the volumes of School Broadcasting Research edited for teachers. The analysis focused on the discourses of three parties: (1) Nippon Hoso Kyokai (The Japan Broadcasting Corporation), which was a radio station that produced the programs; (2) the Ministry of Education and the intelligence, which guided and controlled the programs; and (3) the teachers who listened to the programs in their classrooms. Subsequently, we recognize that each of them had their own thoughts and attitudes. The radio station attempted to contribute actively to the national objectives of wartime education. The Ministry of Education displayed the same textbook-centered authoritarian attitude as in the past. Teachers tried to implement lessons using radios along national objectives, even though establishing their listening environment was a challenge. Early ‘National School Broadcasting’ faced those complicated aspects.