Establishment of Early Childhood Education System in Modern Japan

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K04486
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Education
• Research Institution: Sophia University
• Principal Investigator: Yukawa Katsumi 上智大学, 総合人間科学部, 教授 (30156814)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 幼児教育制度 / 幼稚園令 / 幼保一元化 / 保育者の資格

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to reveal the establishment and characteristics of the early childhood education system in modern Japan through conducting the empirical study from three viewpoints: the policy intention of the Ministry of Education, the demand for the establishment of the Ordinance Relating to Kindergartens in the kindergartner’s community, and the trends after the establishment.
First, regarding the policy intentions of the Ministry of Education, I examined the process of drafting kindergarten orders and elucidated the intentions of enacting kindergarten orders. Second, we clarified the kindergarten officials' requirements for the establishment of kindergarten ordinances and the nature of the kindergarten development plan through analyzing the minutes of national kindergarten-related tournaments. Third, I clarified the reform trends in kindergartens after the enactment of the Ordinance Relating to Kindergartens by studying the cases of kindergartens.

Free Research Field

教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、近代日本における幼児教育制度の確立に大きな役割を果たした幼稚園令に着目し、従来未解明であった幼稚園令の立案過程と幼稚園令制定前後の保育界の動向を新史料を用いて明らかにした。幼稚園令は、幼稚園に託児所的機能を付与し、長時間保育や3歳未満児の入園を認めるなど、社会政策的見地からの幼稚園機能の拡大によって幼保の一元化を目指したものであり、本研究の成果は、今日なお課題とされている幼保一元化や保育者の養成、資格・待遇をめぐる問題に歴史的な有益な示唆を与え得る。また、本研究において収集した資料を広く研究に供するため、『近代日本幼児教育基本文献集』（全Ⅲ期）にまとめ、解説を付して公刊した。