Abstract
In these few years, we could find out many plans on the reform of educational systems in Japan. The challenge toward more flexible system of school attendance area in primary and middle schools is one of them. For a century or so, we have had strict school attendance area system in Japan and we have based compulsory education on it. But the National Council on Educational Reform proposed the challenge toward more flexible system of school attendance area in compulsory education in the report in 1987 as a tool for the flexible and diversified educational system in Japan. Since then, some boards of education have been trying to make the system more flexible, but in effect such a movement could not be spread widely. Under these circumstances, the National Council on Administrative Reform proposed the challenge toward such a system again in 1996. This paper follows the details of twists and turns of the discussion on this problem first. But after the issuance of the circulars of the Ministry of Education in Japan encouraging the boards of education to adopt the policies for it, the number of the boards of education in this stance is increasing gradually. This paper depicts the patterns of flexible system of school attendance area and the people's attitude for the adoption of school choice. Based these considerations, the problems of educational administration under such a system is examined in the end.
