Educational Reform in the Former Half the 19th Century in Japan : A Case Study of Saga Clan-conducted school

In the first half of the 19th century in Japan, the most powerful clans put into practice their political reforms with the view to the military and economic repletion, in order to cope with the aggression from Western countries and with internal crisis of political and economic situation. In these circumstances, educational reform was one of the most important policies of political reforms on the part of the clans. The reform forced idle clansmen to attend their clan-conducted schools, to foster the spirit of loyality to the feudal lords, and to strengthen their military training. Thus completion of both military and economic power was intended in clan, by concentrating energy of all clansmen. Educational reform in Saga clan was typical of these reforms. In the first chapter, the author of the thesis studied the thoughts of educational reform of Kokudo Koga, who was one of the famous Confucianists and the leader of political reform of the clan. His "Gakusei Kanken" (A Written Opinion on Education) was presented to his feudal lord, and in it he proposed to strengthen moral education and military training intending to improve the wealth and military strength of the clan. Later his opinion formed the basis of the blue print for the educational reform. In the second chapter, the author studied the process of the educational reform. The main contents of the reform were following: (1) The scale of the clan-conducted school was enlarged and repleted. Newly, two courses were provided in the school. One was for pupils (from 6 years to 11), and the other was for adolescence and adults (above 12 years). Dormitories, a medical school, and a school for Western learning were attached to the clanconducted school. (2) The most important way of education clansmen was to lead them to cultivate the loyalty, and to master military arts. (3) The school authorities recommended talents to the clan government to be appointed to important posts, although it would be contary to the feudal hereditary system. (4) School attendance was compelled from every clansman. Under this system, clansman's livelihood was not stabilized unless he would obtain satisfactory result in the school. (5) The clan authorities encouraged positively learning of Western science intending to strengthen military power and to cultivate industry. Though the contents of the Educational Reform in the Saga clan were common to the other clans in many points, only those clans which succeeded in their reforms became the leading powers at the time of Restoration. And this totalitarianistic education which made the people obedient to the demand of the nation succeeded in the education for loyal subjects, after the Meiji era