抄録
This study reviews the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s （MEXT） policy trends regarding school facilities. Previous studies have investigated intergovernmental relations mainly by focusing on the vertical relationship between the central and local governments. However, recent years saw the MEXT change its financial support measures and, through this action, expect municipalities to autonomously promote school facility lifespan extension. To ensure an effective facility renovation process, municipalities need answer the following open-ended question: “What facilities are needed for today’s and future’s students, teachers, and local residents?”. Both the boards of education and schools are considered key players in finding answers, and since schools are expected to partake in discussions about new building design, further research on the roles of schools in this context is warranted. Horizontal relationships at both the national and local governmental levels also play an increasingly important role in current times. First, the MEXT currently continuously keeps watch on the issues of other ministries, such as national resilience and carbon neutrality. Second, the disaster prevention sections of local governments currently show great interest in school facilities, as they can serve as shelters during disaster situations. Therefore, further research on horizontal relationships should be conducted.
Keywords: School Facilities, National Subsidy, Intergovernmental Relation, Local Governments’ Autonomy
