Abstract
The present study was performed to clarify how elementary school teachers in 1880 recognized and understood gymnastics in the context of the first national education system, through analysis of members' opinions expressed in the Fugeshi and Suzu county educational conference proceedings.
The findings were as follows:
1. Teachers at that time understood the aims of gymnastics as maintaining the physical strength and good physical posture of children, and considered that every child had already achieved those aims in their daily life. Consequently, one third of the thirty members agreed to completely eliminate gymnastics from the curriculum. Another one third considered that gymnastics merely involved letting children enjoy amusing play, and therefore that “gymnastics” was inappropriate as a course name. Thus, only one third of the members actually agreed to the original proposal for gymnastics.
2. Teachers seemed to consider that gymnastics or exercises must be taught by teachers, unlike the natural play that was spontaneous for most children. Moreover, gymnastics was considered boring because children would just imitate their teachers. As a result, gymnastics was considered appropriate only for higher graders. This meant that most teachers at the time did not have detailed information or knowledge about gymnastics, so that for most of them gymnastics was probably synonymous with “amusement time” for children.
3. According to the model teaching plan for Ishikawa prefecture in 1880, gymnastics was prescribed as an extra period of ordinary classes for first graders, regardless of sex. However, from the 3rd grade, girls learned manners of behavior instead of gymnastics. In other words, gymnastics was only for boys.
4. The content of gymnastics was criticized for a lack of gradual progress, in contrast to lessons in manners for girls. This implies that gymnastics was also considered a means of teaching boys manners that were appropriate for men.
Thus, some new important historical facts about gymnastics during the kyoikurei (1879 Education Order) period in Japan were clarified.
