Reform and Resistance: Educational Change in Meiji Japan
Sean McCubbin, Elizabethtown College, HI 225, Fall 2015
The Meiji Restoration of 1868 brought about numerous changes in Japanese society that threatened the traditional ways of life of the past. One of the most profound of these changes was the shift to a new educational system inspired by those of the West, a shift that took place through two interconnected waves of reform. The first wave of educational change met numerous initial challenges, including political squabbling and funding. However, the main form of resistance came at the rural level, which prompted a second wave of reforms. The first phase was dominated by an egalitarian philosophy inspired by the French, which resulted in numerous instances of peasant unrest. As a response, the Meiji government transitioned to a new education system motivated by a nationalist philosophy inspired by the Prussians. From this perspective, education reform in Meiji Japan can be seen as a continuous, interconnected search for the right educational system, one that was met with initial disaster.
Sean McCubbin, Elizabethtown College, HI 225, Fall 2015
The Meiji Restoration of 1868 brought about numerous changes in Japanese society that threatened the traditional ways of life of the past. One of the most profound of these changes was the shift to a new educational system inspired by those of the West, a shift that took place through two interconnected waves of reform. The first wave of educational change met numerous initial challenges, including political squabbling and funding. However, the main form of resistance came at the rural level, which prompted a second wave of reforms. The first phase was dominated by an egalitarian philosophy inspired by the French, which resulted in numerous instances of peasant unrest. As a response, the Meiji government transitioned to a new education system motivated by a nationalist philosophy inspired by the Prussians. From this perspective, education reform in Meiji Japan can be seen as a continuous, interconnected search for the right educational system, one that was met with initial disaster.