The Newly-Established Subject "Rika" (Science) and the Idea of Vocational Education

Abstract

The establishment of "Rika" (Science) as a new subject was brought about by two phenomena: "synthesis" and "change of content." In order to make clear one of the causes of the appearance of "Rika" in the early Meiji Era, the relation between vocational education and science education is examined. In those days, the accumulation of capital was progressing. Then the number of vocational education subjects increased in the elementary school curriculum. The vocational education subjects developed whenever the laws of elementary school were amended. Furthermore the bureaucrats of the committee that examined the system of elementary school maintained that the content of science education should be changed to one based on the idea of vocational education. So the idea of vocational education was a strong influence on the elementary school curriculum in "Shogakko-rei" (Guidelines for Elementary School Education). We can conclude that the development of vocational education has changed the content of science education.