Kindergarten Education vs. Child's Aid and Protective Campaigns (1920-1922) : Interlacing Two Viewpoints

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of Child's Aid and Protective Campaigns from 1920 to 1922 in Japan. From 1910's to 1920's, the high rate of Infant Mortality had become a serious national problem, and the Ministry of Interior Affairs started the enlightenment activities vigorously to improve the conditions of children's health. The most successful campaign was the Children Hygiene Exhibition in 1920. Through the exhibitions, the Ministry of Interior Affairs introduced the scientific, rational thinking of childbirth, childrearing and cares for children, so that the ordinary people could have the healthy life-style and could prevent the diseases for babies. It also stressed that Kindergarten education and day-nursery were the effective institutions to realize those ideals. On the other hand, The Japan Kindergarten Association which was for the preschool education for upper middle class also joined the Child's Aid and Protective Campaigns. It tried to appeal to lower class the importance of Early Childhood Education, the necessity of the establishment of day-nursery and system of nurse-teacher training. However, without clear strategy, the Campaigns ended with only an advocacy and came to a deadlock in two years. Though the enlightenment activities by the Japan Kindergarten Association could not continue, it would be said that those campaigns have the historical meaning in the sense that Kindergarten education approached the social problems and tried to solve them. For future studies, I will examine how those Child's Aid and Protective Campaigns in 1920s had been developed later, especially whether they have influenced the establishment of the Ordinance Relating Kindergarten in 1926 or the establishment of Children's Day in 1947.