Coeducational - danjokyougaku

Japanese: 男女共学 - だんじょきょうがく

Boys and girls study in the same school and in the same class, in principle, based on the same curriculum. It is also simply called coeducation. Based on the spirit of the Constitution's respect for the individual and essential equality of the sexes (Articles 13, 14, 24, and 26), the Fundamental Law of Education enacted in 1947 (Showa 22) (the so-called old law, Law No. 25 of 1947) prohibited discrimination in educational opportunities based on sex (Article 3) and further encouraged coeducation. In other words, "Boys and girls shall respect each other and cooperate with each other, and coeducation by boys and girls shall be permitted in education" (Article 5). This clearly shows the idea of coeducation. This provision was amended by the Fundamental Law of Education (Law No. 120 of 1996), which was completely revised in 2006 (Heisei 18), but the revised Fundamental Law of Education inherited universal ideas such as respect for the individual, and the basic idea of gender equality has not changed.

[Tsubura Kiyoji]

history

Coeducational systems are generally adopted in major countries, particularly in the United States, where gender equality and mutual cooperation are essential, and have been in place since early times, and in Russia as well, where coeducational systems are in place at all levels of education. However, in countries where Catholicism and Islam are prevalent, with religious ideology as a backdrop, the policy of separate schools has traditionally been followed, including France. However, at the primary education level, many countries have adopted a coeducational system.

In Japan, under the strong Confucian morality, a policy of separate schools has been followed since the Meiji era. In 1891 (Meiji 24), the Ministry of Education Ordinance No. 12 "Rules for Class Organization, etc." stipulated that when the number of girls in the same grade was enough to organize a class, separate classes would be used for boys and girls. However, as an exception, coeducational classes have been used for the first and second years of elementary school.

In secondary schools, the separation of boys and girls was even more thorough, so to speak, segregation was adopted, and there were almost no opportunities for interaction between the two groups. Furthermore, high schools under the old system were exclusively for men, and therefore women were rarely allowed to enter Imperial universities, and there was clear discrimination in educational opportunities based on gender. After World War II, the "Outline for the Reform of Women's Education" (approved by the Cabinet on December 4, 1945) stipulated that "equal educational opportunities and standardization of educational content between men and women, as well as the promotion of a culture of mutual respect between men and women," and the "Report of the United States Educational Mission" (1946) presented a policy of coeducation. With this as a background, the provisions of the Fundamental Law of Education (old law) mentioned above were seen, and coeducation was promoted at all levels of education.

[Tsubura Kiyoji]

assignment

However, in reality, many problems remained and efforts were made to resolve them. For example, home economics classes in junior high and senior high schools were different for boys and girls, but the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979 prompted further consideration of this issue, and coeducation was realized in the 1989 curriculum guidelines. At the senior high school level, separate schools were used in some prefectures, but in recent years, coeducation has been promoted as part of reforms such as the reorganization of senior high schools and the establishment of combined junior and senior high schools. As stated in the aforementioned Fundamental Law of Education (Article 5 of the old law), coeducation is based on the idea of essential equality and equal rights for men and women, and aims to promote the development of men and women as human beings in accordance with their individuality. The revised Fundamental Law of Education, based on the idea that the idea of coeducation has taken root and fulfilled its historical significance, deleted Article 5 (coeducation) of the old law and added a new provision in Article 2 (educational goals) stating that "equality between men and women" and "respect and cooperation for oneself and others" should be valued, and that an attitude of "actively participating in the formation of society" should be cultivated. Today, activities are being promoted with the aim of realizing a society in which men and women participate equally, such as increasing the number of female managers, achieving equal employment opportunities for men and women, and emphasizing the perspective of gender (social differences in sex as opposed to biological differences).

[Tsubura Kiyoji]

"Education for the Good Wife and Wise Mother" by Masashi Fukaya (1998, Reimeishobo)" ▽ "A Gender-Equal Society and School Education" edited by Moriho Hirooka (2002, Educational Development Research Institute)" ▽ "Gender in School Education: From a Survey of Children and Teachers" edited by Michiko Naoi and Yasuko Muramatsu (2009, Nippon Hyoronsha)

[Reference items] | Fundamental Law on Education

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

男女が同一の学校・同一の学級で、原則として同一の教育課程に基づいて学習すること。単に共学ともいう。憲法の掲げる個人の尊厳と両性の本質的平等の精神（第13条、第14条、第24条、第26条）を受けて、1947年（昭和22）に制定された教育基本法（いわゆる旧法、昭和22年法律第25号）は性別による教育機会の差別を禁じ（第3条）、さらに男女の共学を奨励した。すなわち、「男女は、互に敬重し、協力し合わなければならないものであって、教育上男女の共学は、認められなければならない」（第5条）。ここに、男女共学の理念が明確に示されている。この規定は、2006年（平成18）に全面改正された教育基本法（平成18年法律第120号）により改められたが、改正された教育基本法は個人の尊重等の普遍的な理念を継承しており、男女平等についての基本的な考えは変わっていない。

［津布楽喜代治］

歴史

主要諸国においても全般的に共学制がとられ、とくに男女の平等と相互協力を必要としたアメリカでは早くから行われ、ロシアでもあらゆる教育段階で共学制をとっている。ただ、宗教思想を背景として、カトリックやイスラム教の盛んな国では、フランスをはじめとして別学の方針が伝統的にとられてきた。しかし、初等教育段階では多くの国が共学の方針をとっている。

　日本では、強い儒教主義道徳のもとに、明治以降別学の方針がとられてきた。すなわち、1891年（明治24）の文部省令第12号「学級編制等ニ関スル規則」で、同学年の女子の数が1学級を組織するに足るときは男女別学級をとることにした。ただし、小学校の1、2年は例外として共学級をとってきた。

　中等学校においては、男女別学がさらに徹底して、いわば男女の隔離主義がとられ、両者の交流の機会はほとんどみられなかった。なお、旧制の高等学校は男子の独占するところであり、したがって帝国大学への女子の入学はほとんど認められないなど、性別による教育機会の差別がはっきりと存在していた。第二次世界大戦後、「女子教育刷新要綱」（1945年12月4日閣議諒解）によって、「男女間ニ於(お)ケル教育ノ機会均等及教育内容ノ平準化竝(ならび)ニ男女ノ相互尊重ノ風ヲ促進スルコト」が定められ、「アメリカ教育使節団報告書」（1946）において共学の方針が提示された。こうしたことを背景に、前掲の教育基本法（旧法）の規定をみ、あらゆる教育段階で共学を推進するに至ったのである。

［津布楽喜代治］

課題

しかし、実際には多くの問題が残され、その解決への取り組みが進められた。たとえば、中学校、高等学校における家庭科の履修が男女で異なった形態がとられていたが、1979年（昭和54）の女子差別撤廃条約の採択を契機として検討が進められ、1989年（平成1）の学習指導要領において男女共修が実現した。また、高校段階では、県によっては別学制がとられてきたが、近年、高校再編や中高一貫校設立等の改革のなかで共学化が進められている。前述の教育基本法（旧法第5条）にも示されているように、男女共学は男女の本質的平等と同権の思想に基づき、男女各人の個性に即して人間としての発達を図ろうとするものである。改正された新しい教育基本法は、こうした共学の理念は定着し歴史的意義を果たし終えたという考えに立って旧法第5条（男女共学）を削除し、第2条（教育目標）のなかに新たに「男女の平等」と「自他の敬愛と協力」を重んじ、「主体的に社会の形成に参画」する態度を養うことを規定した。そして今日、女性管理職の増加、男女雇用の均等化、ジェンダー（生物学的性差に対する社会的性差）の視点の重視など、男女共同参画社会の実現を目ざす活動が進められている。

［津布楽喜代治］

『深谷昌志著『良妻賢母主義の教育』（1998・黎明書房）』▽『広岡守穂編集『男女共同参画社会と学校教育』（2002・教育開発研究所）』▽『直井道子・村松泰子編『学校教育の中のジェンダー――子どもと教師の調査から』（2009・日本評論社）』

[参照項目] | 教育基本法

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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