Masayuki Watanabe, Yasuhiro Suzuki and Saki Takahashi
July, 2017
Abstract
The aim of this working paper is to revisit the meaning of learning in traditional schools by reviewing the Kanai struggle, which was one part of the movement towards inclusive education in the late 1970s and the early 1980s in Japan. From the Kanai struggle, it is found that “Learning through Conflict” is essential in traditional schools in an age of diversity. Section 1 will explain the social movement against special education and segregation by persons with disabilities in the 1970s. Advocators of this movement tried to change traditional schools, as well as the entire Japanese society. Section 2 will examine the Kanai struggle and explore how learning in traditional schools, and the schools themselves, were re-defined throughout the struggle. Throughout the struggle, supporters had achieved the idea of “Learning through Conflict” and they re-defined traditional schools as the place where all students can be present without fear of segregation or exclusion. In conclusion, we will discuss the current trends regarding the education of children with disabilities in Japan. To re-make traditional schools as an inclusive space, it is notable that learning in traditional schools must be changed.
