A Study on Changes in the Lifelong Learning Supports Provided by Kominkan for People with Learning Difficulties: A Case Study of the "Youth Class for the Disabled" in Kokubunji City, Tokyo
2023 Volume 20 Pages 73-82
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2023 Volume 20 Pages 73-82
The institutional environment and laws impacting people with learning difficulties are undergoing major changes in Japan. This article focuses on lifelong learning supports for people with learning difficulties after they have graduated from and left school.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has operated "classes for young people with learning difficulties" since the 1960s. In Kokubunji City, there is a Kominkan-sponsored program called the “Kunugi class.” The author was involved in its implementation as the director of the Kominkan.
By investigating the institutional and operational changes of the Kunugi class from its establishment to the present, this study aims to discuss how a youth class could and should be run. The author reviewed public documents related to the Kunugi class and conducted interviews with those involved.
Based on the interview results, the article summarizes the conditions considered necessary for a smooth and sustainable implementation of such a program. First, a place where persons with learning difficulties can participate in a lifelong learning program must exist in the neighborhood where they live. Second, there must be human resources available to support lifelong learning for people with learning difficulties. Third, efforts to support lifelong learning for people with learning difficulties should include the functions and other features of welfare education. The factors discussed above should help clarify the current status of classes for young people with learning difficulties, including the status of the participants, the content of activities, and future challenges.
