Abstract
This study examines the exploration of class organization at the Tokyo Metropolitan Kita School for the Physically Handicapped in the 1960s and 1970s, specifically focusing on teachersʼ practices regarding special classes for children with severe disabilities. This paper uses terms from the period in question which may be considered inappropriate today.
In Japanʼs postwar era, children with severe disabilities were often excluded from formal education, deemed ineligible due to systemic barriers including a lack of accessible schooling options. The development of special classes at Kita Special School played a crucial role in providing educational opportunities for these children. While these classes provided educational access, they also generated internal divisions and tensions within the school.
Teachers initially introduced these classes as pragmatic solutions to address the diverse needs of the schoolʼs students with severe disabilities. Over time, these classes became formalized, received official recognition, and were expanded to accommodate an increasing number of students. The pioneering efforts of Kita Special School included accommodating all applicants in 1967, an unprecedented initiative in Tokyo that stemmed from the collective actions of teachers and parents from Kita Special School as well as staff from the adjacent Kita Ryoikuen Hospital for Cerebral Palsied Children. However, the establishment of special classes perpetuated segregation within the school, raising concerns about the isolation of students and the limitations of their integration with peers in regular classes.
As the number of enrolled children with severe disabilities increased, so did the complexity of classroom management and teaching methodologies. Teachers grappled with questions about the adequacy of separate educational settings and integrated approaches. Through autonomous practice, many educators at Kita Special School sought to bridge the divide between regular and special classes by experimenting with innovative teaching methods and flexible class structures.
In March 1973, Kita Special School dissolved its special classes and reintegrated students into grade-level classrooms. This decision was facilitated by multiple factors, including increased teacher collaboration, the introduction of flexible class configurations, and the adoption of a multiple-teacher system starting in April the same year. This transition reflects a shift in educational philosophy, recognizing caregiving tasks as integral to teaching children with severe disabilities.
The process of establishing and later dissolving special classes at Kita Special School was part of a continuous and open-ended effort by teachers to seek the best possible education for children with severe disabilities. The study emphasizes that it was through ongoing discussion and reflective practice grounded in everyday encounters with children that teachers sought to build an educational environment responsive to those who had long been excluded from formal schooling.
