Abstract
This study aimed to present the significance and issues of “optimal individual learning” in compulsory education, based on discussions at the Council and a theoretical examination of educational policy. The significance of “optimal individual learning” lies in the school’s welfare function of meeting individual child needs and expanding child discretionary authority. Regarding issues of “optimal individual learning,” first, there is a lack of awareness that children are not only the objects but also the subjects of needs fulfillment. Second, although critical remarks have been made regarding school uniformity, the evidence on the functions of Japanese schools remains under-explored to date. Future research issues include the elaboration of the concept of equity and the presentation of evidence on the significance of schools from a democratic perspective. It is important for schools to become places where diverse children can learn about equity and democratic societies through interactions with sundry peers and others, and to provide a system where the children’s varied needs are well met.
Keywords: Optimal Individual Learning, Equity, School, Needs, Democratic Society
