わが国で初めて用いられた「野外教育」の意味と歴史的背景

抄録

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons and backgrounds behind the use of the term“outdoor education”, first used in Japan by Ukai, author of“Nihon-arupusu to Rinkan-gakkou” (“The Japanese Alps and Forest School”) published in 1923. The book was written about forest schools in Western countries and Japan, and included a practical account of the forest school at Seijou Junior High School.
The following conclusions were obtained.
1. The term“outdoor education”was used to refer to the various educational programs of schools conducted outdoors or in natural environments. It was used since there existed no suitable term at the time that was able to express both the traditional outdoor activities in Japan, such as Gakkou Tozan (school mountaineering) and Rinkai-Gakkou (seaside school), and similar activities in foreign countries.
2. The forest school at Seijou Junior High School was started in 1917 by Masataro Sawayanagi who was the principal of that school and a leading figure of Taishou Shin-kyouiku (The New Education of Taisho Era), and it was the place of his educational philosophy was put to practical use.
3. The programs of the Seijou Forest School were conducted under the same principal thesis of outdoor education that was described by L.B.Sharp, who used the term“outdoor education”for the first time in the world.