研究開発学校制度の成立過程に関する研究

――46答申「先導的試行」以降の展開を中心に――

抄録

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the characteristics of the Experimental Schools System (ESS) by analyzing the process of establishing it. In particular, this paper focuses on the period from 1971 to 1976. In 1971, the Central Council for Education (Chuo Kyoiku Shingikai) proposed the ‘pilot projects’ (Sendoteki Shiko) in the 1971 report (46 Toshin) . According to previous studies, the ‘pilot projects’ were not implemented. On the other hand, the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (MESSC/Mombusho) showed that the ESS was based on the ‘pilot projects’. In this paper, I aimed to explain why and how the ESS was realized.

The main findings of this paper are as follows :

1) The ESS was implemented by the idea of ‘pilot projects’. Immediately after 46 Toshin was released, the ‘pilot projects’ received positive feedback. In this process, a new organization (Office for the Educational Experimental Schools/Kyoiku kenkyu kaihatsu shitsu) for the ‘pilot projects’ was established, which discussed how to begin the project. However, the project was in danger of not being implemented because of conflicts inside and outside of MESSC.

In 1972, the organization added the ‘new curriculum’ to the themes for development. Then they implemented the ESS as the project that developed a new curriculum including the school system. For example, the theme of the project was cooperating with junior high schools, elementary schools or high schools. The ESS was implemented as a trial experiment with the curriculum, not for the reform of the educational system. The reason is that it permits educational experiments across schools while maintaining the established school system. It also permits the use of the existing provision (Enforcement Regulations for the School Education Law Article 26-2) as a curriculum experiment. As mentioned above, the ESS was introduced while avoiding conflict with ‘pilot projects’.

2) The ESS has characteristics inherited from the ‘pilot projects’. The idea of ‘pilot projects’, that is ‘consistent education’ and/or ‘segment’ was changed to ‘cooperation’ with each school in the ESS. Thereby, the option of school system reform remained. The purpose of the ESS is experiments with the curriculum as well as experiments with the school system.