2020 Volume 46 Pages 21-37
This paper asks the following questions:
First: What impact has the policy package of“regional revitalization” had on local government educational administration? Second: What are the problems of regional revitalization for local educational administration? This paper examines this issue theoretically through an analysis of the ideological and institutional frameworks of regional revitalization.
The conclusions of this paper are as follows: First, educational policies in regional revitalization are conducted as extensions of the existing policy. In general, regional revitalization was mandated by the local government to include the enactment of a comprehensive strategy for local governments. Local governments are reluctant to implement changes:“We do not want to do it, but we are forced to do it by the national government.”Compared to the formulation of a comprehensive strategy, there is some room for local governments to make choices about their educational policies. On the other hand, school closures, which are necessary for a declining population, are often“forced.”This is a unique (but crucial) policy in education.
Second, the problem of regional revitalization for the local educational administration concerns the issue of what to aim for in local education. “Value”is assigned extrinsically by the national government (in this case, “the national government”means the Prime Minister's Office rather than the Ministry of Education). The main goal of regional revitalization is to prevent population decline; however, economic growth is prioritized in specific policies. Due to the fact that the value and purpose of local educational policy are determined by the national government, education is necessarily positioned as a means to achieve the national government's values and policy goals. If such values and policy goals are endorsed by both the local government and the local residents, there is no conflict. However, education solely as a means of economic growth, population growth, or population maintenance is problematic. Therefore, regional revitalization presents a problem because it neglects the actual values and norms of the local educational administration.
From the view of public administration, the main issue for regional revitalization is the relationship between national and local governments. In addition, from the view of the local educational administration, there are difficult issues concerning how to share values and norms to reach consensus. One of those issues is whether the values and norms of the general administration should be considered separately from those of the educational administration.
