Fluctuations of the Modern Schooling System and the Future of the Publicity of Education

Abstract

 The aim of this research is to present a viewpoint relativizing discussions of conflict between the public and private spheres over children’s education in the current context of the modern schooling system premised on public education, and to explore the strategy of restructuring the public nature of education. The analysis focuses on educational discussions on ideal common schooling in the pluralistic societies of the United States and the United Kingdom. This study clarifies the idea of realization of a comprehensive ideal, and how the idea for its realization was created.

 In the introduction, after clarifying the aims of this paper, I consider educational law trends in Japan. I point out that the “Act to Guarantee Access to Supplementary Learning to Insufficient Compulsory Education Due to Absenteeism” compels us to consideration beyond the traditional educational thinking.

 In the second section, I confirm the concept of common schooling and review previous educational research on the publicity of education. In some research, I see trends of reconsideration of the publicity of education. One indicates the need to relativize the public/private viewpoints. Another considers systems or logic to accommodate both public and private interests.

 In the third section, I consider the controversy about home schooling of the 2000s in the United States. Supporters of home schooling emphasize the proof of home-schoolers' high achievements, and expect the home school movement to have the potential to revise the educational system. However, critics emphasize negative effects, and point out the need to protect public interests from private ones. I add a third concept to these, the idea of reconciliation between public schools and home-schooling families.

 In the fourth section, I consider the difficulty of realizing the ideal of comprehensiveness. In the philosophy of education of the United Kingdom, some researchers are skeptical about the realization of this comprehensive ideal. They show another way to realize the liberal ideal, which aims to integrate through segregated schools.

 In the final section, I confirm that some philosophers have been emphasizing family values in recent years, and so reconsider methods of accommodating public and private interests. I conclude that it is important for family members to develop a participatory mentality, to which end civic education is an effective method.