School Integration Problem and Regional planning in Japan - The Future of the Elementary and Junior High School and the Future of the Region -

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In this study, I examined characteristics of the issue of school integration and abolition in
today's Japan. At first, I confirmed the history of the school integration and abolition policy about
elementary school and junior high school after 1947. I could sort this history at three time. Stage
I is time from the 1950s through the early 1970s. During this period, the school integration and
abolition policy was promoted positively. Stage II is time from 1970s through 1990s. The policy
to accept the continuation of the small school at this time was taken. Stage III is almost from
the end of 1990s to the present. The promotion policy of school integration and abolition was
taken positively again. The common point of stage III and stage I is the reason of school
integration and abolition, that is the improvement of the education level and the reduction of the
school expense. Then, I arranged the correspondence to today's school integration and abolition. It
was fought in stage I whether we made schools closedown or we maintained schools as before.
There is new movements, although there is the fight like that in stage III. As for attracting
attention most, it is actions that children, parents, inhabitants and teachers become the person
concerned of the school improvement directly, and it is actions that children, parents, inhabitants
and teachers become the person concerned of the community improvement directly at the same
time. Finally, I confirmed the problem of the integration and abolition study of today's elementary
school and junior high school. The problem that I was able to confirm from this study is the
school improvement with the community improvement". I can point out three points. The first
point is the examination that what is “educational value”. The second point is the examination
that what is “system” about the education. The third point is the examination that who is “the
person concerned” of the school improvement and the commu