| Popis: |
The “Progress Report” prepared in 1983 by the Sub-Committee on Educational Contents of the 13th Central Council on Education （Chu¯o¯ kyo¯iku shingikai or Chu¯kyo¯shin） was the starting point for the revision of the course of study for kindergarten education in Japan in 1989. I examined the issues that the Council recognized regarding kindergarten education and how its discussions led to the preparation of the Progress Report. Analysis of the relevant documents shows that the conference discussed the need for continuity between kindergarten and primary school education, pros and cons of adults teaching children in kindergartens, content of the courses of study, and position of kindergartens in the education policy. In particular, discussions on preserving the uniqueness of kindergarten education and bringing early primary schools’ education closer to kindergarten education as well as statements on changing the structure of the course of study（ six areas） directly led to the revision of the course of study. However, the contents of the course of study and the specific direction of kindergarten education policy were not completely decided at the 13th session of the council. Future research might examine how the concerns that were unresolved at this conference were discussed in the subsequent ones. |
