In 1958, the Education Ministry of Japan issued a revised cource of study for the elementary and the junior high schools. Strictly speaking, this “course of study” does not deserve to be called a course of study. It is nothing but a list of subject matters, designed to prescribe for all teachers what to seach and how to teach. Our course of study has thus experienced a fundamental change in its character. The fact is a greatest challenge to our democratic education.
It is for us to lay bare the educational viewpoint on which this new “course of study” is based.
1. The new “course of study” denies teachers leadership in their professional function and hinders the people from participating in school education, There is a subtle difference between the government domination in the postwar years and that at present. The former demand complete subordination to government officials while the latter, loyalty to the educational policies dictated by them.
2. The new “course of study ” denies Japan and her people the active fulfilment of their responsi bility for the maintenance of world peace. They are no longer required to establish peace in a positive way. Only to strive to cooperate with other countries is enough for them.
3. The new “course of study” assumes that public interest should always be considered with priority to the human rights of the individual; and besides, what is public interest is left to the discretion of bureaucracy and big enterprises. It is natural that such a ridiculous assumption should prevent patriotic
sentiments from growing in the heart of the people, in spite of all the patriotic propaganda the government urges vigorously.
4. The new “course of study” asserts that the needs and interests of children can be satisfied so long as they help raise the teaching efficiency of teachers; and, moreover, they must be solved only by teachers' teaching technique in their class rooms. For instance, it restricts the free activities of children by alloting the least possible time to extra-curricular activities. It rejects such curricula as puts emphasis on experiences, lives, and communities. 5. The rejection, however, is entirely absurd. The new “course of study” evacuates the merits of experience curriculum and augment its demerits. A real, dynamic and scientific teaching will vanish and in its wake learning will remain as confused as ever. An indoctrinated teaching treated in a uniform manner is about to begin.
6. This indoctrinated and standardized course of study may probably be advantageous to the children who are wealthy and live in large cities. Because it regards all children alike as well-born and urban.
7. In short, the new “course of study” is an education neither of the people, nor by the people, nor for the people. Its basic thoughts are as follows: the best teaching is indoctrination; efficient school system is one exclusive for gifted and well-born children; and it is not for the elevation of humanity, but for the exploitation of man-power resources.
As you know, since the launching of Russian sputniks, the United States have begun to advocate“the fundamental education”and “the foundation program.” “The life adjustment education” and “the education of gifted children” are also thought there to be an urgent task. The trends of the American education are quite similar to those of ours. We should like to analyze this international coincidence at next oppoatunity.
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