Roles of Schools in Addressing Community Issues in Japan: A Study Focusing on Educational Approaches Implemented by Schools

The present paper discusses the roles of schools in addressing community issues, based on the results of education systems implemented by Japanese schools, which have been suggested by previous studies.In Japan, various approaches to school education have been implemented to develop measures to support children of relatively-poor parents living in areas inhabited by people subjected to discrimination or by foreigners and immigrants, and to develop communities, for children in particular, facing the issues of depopulation due to population aging and a declining birthrate.In the implementation of those approaches to education, schools play important roles in encouraging community residents, both individuals and families, to address problems in collaboration with one another, facilitating cooperation among children and other community residents to discuss problems, and supporting children’s participation in the process of addressing community issues that influence them, such as poverty relief support and community improvement