In Thailand, where guaranteeing the right to educational opportunities is an important policy issue, participating in equivalency programs, which legally guarantee compatibility between formal education and non-formal education, is one of the ways to accommodate those who have not completed basic education. Equivalency programs play a role in complementing formal education and function as a place to guarantee basic education for those who are marginalized from formal education. On the other hand, equivalency programs that aim to connect people to Thai society through education may also lead to the propagation of oppressive structures in mainstream society. What is the unique significance of equivalency programs for people who are marginalized from formal education? In this study, through interviews and participant observation in the field, the alternative value of equivalency programs in Thailand was clarified from the perspective of the field. This study clarified the following three points: 1) Equivalency programs have become a means for non-Thais who could not attend school to gain better living conditions in Thai society. 2) For learners who were unable to adapt to school life and dropped out, equivalency programs allowed them to gain a critical perspective on the so-called “mainstream” society by exposing them to learning methods and teacher models that were different from those used in school education. 3) It was also revealed that the flexibility of equivalency programs, which is not seen in school education, is perceived by learners as a place where they can “start over.” These features of equivalency programs in Thailand might also be beneficial for Japan, where there are still many foreign children not attending school.(273 words)

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Abstract The purpose of this paper is to clarify how the movement and practice of voluntary nighttime junior high schools identified and attempted to approach the structural problems of the community, which define the difficulties of life for individuals. In Japan, voluntary nighttime junior high schools have been inclusive of a very diverse population excluded from the social system. In this context, today, the liberation of individuals from the difficulties they face in their lives is not something that can be predicted solely on the basis of how learning is guaranteed to individuals, but is more likely to be influenced by structural stipulations. While the structural problems themselves may be multi-layered, one of the most important perspectives for a better life is that of local community. In order to approach this issue, this paper focuses on the case of a children's association organized by the staff of a voluntary nighttime junior high school in Edagawa, Koto, Tokyo from the mid to late 1980s. The clarifications are as follows. Firstly, in this case, behind the organization of children's associations was the reality of vulnerable living conditions commonly experienced by children in different contexts. Secondly, from this point of view, the staff became aware of the need to reconstruct the community structure that defines living difficulties. As a result, thirdly, the staff continued to search for a place to stay and reconstruct their daily lives through the children's association. From a series of processes, some staff members became aware of the reconfiguration of the childrenʼs lives as an issue for the voluntary nighttime junior high school. This paper shows that the Voluntary Nighttime School Movement was also a movement that confronted and reorganized the realities of the situation that defined the lives of the individuals who gathered there.

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Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to clarify what kind of place ensures learner-centered learning, focusing on the staff members of voluntary night schools. The research methodology used a qualitative research approach by observation and interviews. Based on the results of the analysis, I summarize the conclusions of this study. First, perspective (1) “a common understanding among staff,” refers to learner-centered philosophy, collaborative learning, and de-schooling elements, which is an awareness acquired through experience that staff members acquire empirically through their practice. Next, perspective (2), “relationships among participants in the place,” was found to be horizontal relationships and a sense of solidarity that is both weak and certain. The reciprocal relationship based on the demand for and response to the right to learn, in which participants not only provide one-way support as volunteers but also gain a sense of fulfilment and social self-usefulness, was found. Respect for autonomy through intersectional relationships indicates that ad hoc relationships such as intersectional relationships lead to respect for the autonomy of individual staff members. It was also found that an implicit sense of trust mediated by the school was created within individual staff members through the practice. Finally, in perspective (3) “recognition of the role of the place”, the two concepts of a place that embodies those who come are welcome and an inclusive place to be were found as the category of openness and inclusiveness. This place has the role of an inclusive place because of its openness to accept diverse people. Based on the conclusions, I attempt to present a hypothetical model. Perspective (2) , horizontal relationships and a sense of tenuous and certain solidarity, and perspective (3), openness and inclusiveness, are the perceptions of human relationships and the role of place that are sensed through participation in the practices. By gaining these two perceptions, perspective (1), awareness through experience, is internalized by each staff member. I believe that this awareness will lead to the construction of a place that ensures learner-centered learning.

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With the increase in the number of foreign residents in Japan, the diversification of the population living in the country, including ethnicity and social, economic and personal characteristics, has accelerated. For some, even if they wish to learn Japanese, it is difficult to find learning opportunities due to situational factors such as work or child-rearing, and personal factors such as physical and mental health. What is needed for diverse people to live together and build a society together? The author believes that it is necessary to create a secure basis for people to 'live together', such as education and employment, or in other words to create a 'welfare for coexistence'. To this end, it can be said that what regional Japanese language education should do now is to guarantee learning for all those who want to learn. This paper considers learning security in a broad sense, including language learning and information security for all those who wish to learn Japanese, and discusses attempts at a universal design of education (hereinafter referred to as UD), which is also environmental adaptation to learning security. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the effect of UD in education through the narratives of three teachers who have implemented UD in education in a local Japanese language classroom. The results of the research suggest that UD in education is useful not only for learners of Japanese, but also for teachers, as it activates the learning activities themselves by making use of each individual.

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