ABSTRACT
Equality of educational opportunity, not equity, is the concept formally recognized in the aims of education in Japan, and it is a relatively recent notion in Japanese history. Its original introduction after the Meiji Restoration (1868) applied only to the elementary level. The targeted population expanded to secondary levels and to all citizens regardless of sex, creed, or nationality after World War II. However, the notion of fairness applied to ideas of equality is raised in Japanese educational circles, so there is a notion of equity whether explicitly identified or not. Notions of equality and equity focus primarily on inputs and on processes within schools and classrooms. With the emphasis placed on equality and with a notion of self defined by one’s web of relations with others, equity in Japan contains a greater pressure toward uniformity and homogeneity than toward individuality of expression.
