樺太庁拓殖学校の再編

抄録

This paper analyzes agricultural education in Karafuto through an examination of the reorganization of the Karafuto Prefecture Colonial School established in 1934.

This colonial school was the first prefectural school to offer vocational education. It was modeled on the private educational institution run by Yokoo Sosaburo, the first minister of Agriculture and Forestry in Karafuto. The purpose of this school was to provide an education to nurture middle-class farmers; hence it focused on the teaching of practical skills in agriculture in the subarctic zone as well as preparing students mentally for the region’s harsh labor conditions.

In the first year, it fulfilled the minimum quota of students but in the following years it did not succeed in doing so. The two main reasons are: 1) the overemphasis on the teaching of practical skills, a fact that made it difficult to educate farmer leaders; and 2) Karafuto agriculture did not receive sufficient government subsidies to withstand the harsh labor conditions. IN an attempt to change this situation, Karafuto Prefecture promoted this school to an ‘official’ vocational school in 1939. With this reorganization, the school’s purpose shifted from its initial role of promoting social mobility through the teaching of practical agricultural skills to training middle-class farmers to be farmer leaders.

The colonial school was established as an institution that, different from the modern schools that focused on the teaching of theoretical knowledge, prioritized the teaching of practical skills in agriculture; nevertheless it is possible to say that this type of ‘special’ vocational school was not perceived as providing a more attractive education than ‘official’ vocational schools.