The Transformation of the Japanese High School Before and After the High School System Reform : Focusing on the Change of the Curriculum

This paper focuses on how the curriculum and educational contents of high schools in Japan changed before and after the High School System Reform in 1918. The reform aimed at closing the high school preparatory program for the Imperial Universities and replacing it with another program for Higher General Education. Previous studies claimed that there were no changes in the high school system before and after the reform in 1918; they had not examined the high school curriculum carefully. However, this study examines the process of developing the high school curriculum and degree of recognition of the reform change by the teacher. Before the High School System Reform in 1918, most of the principals and teachers thought the high school educational contents should be changed. They recognized a part of the purpose of the High School System Reform to complete the Higher General Education and made new syllabi. However, they did not fully comprehend the Higher General Education so that they intended to prioritize basic education of universities as they had done in the preparatory course education