A Comparative Study of School Consolidation Policies in Remote Area Education: Japan, the UK, and New Zealand

2024 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13857
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 09010:Education-related
• Research Institution: Matsumoto University
• Principal Investigator: MIYOTA Sakurako 松本大学, 教育学部, 講師 (60868199)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2025-03-31
• Keywords: 学校統廃合 / 教育条件整備 / へき地教育 / 適正規模

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study clarified the institutional development and practical implementation of school consolidation standards and remote area education policy in Japan. It revealed that the enactment of the Remote Area Education Promotion Act was strongly linked to securing teaching staff, and that there is an institutional relationship between the Act and school consolidation. In response to recent population decline, diverse approaches tailored to regional characteristics　such as the establishment of compulsory education schools and the use of ICT have been adopted. Furthermore, an analysis of local discussions on “appropriate school size” demonstrated that education policy is closely connected to the specific conditions and future visions of each region.

Free Research Field

教育行政学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、国際的にも重要課題として浮上しつつある「へき地教育振興」という社会科学的な課題に対し、国と地方の政策立案の今後のあり方、また地域における公教育制度の維持と地域そのものの活性化をうながす諸要因を解明していくことにつながるものとして、社会的意義を有していると考えている。また、学術的には、「地域の偏在化」が顕著となり、へき地地域における地域の貧困や少子高齢化、それに伴う教育条件整備の問題が生じてきているなかで、教育条件整備をいかに行うかという教育行政学的課題に迫るものとしての意義を有している。