IDEA OF EDUCATION IN THE MEIJI PERIOD (1868-1912)

Abstract

The Meiji Reform is one of the historical innovation in Japan. Japan has experienced a significant progress since this comprehensive top-down reform, and this successful result saved Japan from the risk of becoming Western colony. One of the important reform which has brought the success to the Meiji Reform was the educational reform. This article discusses the changes in the core ideology of education, which had been orienting the national goal of education during the Meiji period (1868-1912). The article uses the historical approach in other to research the transformation of Japanese education ideology following by the movement of society in the Meji period. In addition, this article also points out the dialectical relationship between the phylosophy of education and the policies – organizations – infrastructure of education. This dialectical relationship is believed to be a major reason leading to a variety of educational reforms whenever the ideology of education had been changed during over forth decades of Meji era.