ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns the period from the 1930s to the 1950s, decades which may be regarded as the period that saw the concept of a 'schooling society; fully realised for the first time in Japan. It explores how the schooling society was formed, focusing on the social changes that Japan experienced over that time. The chapter explains the situation in schools in Korea under colonial rule. In 1941, the National Schools Regulation was enacted, converting elementary schools into national schools. As part of this measure, Korean language was abolished. The critical juncture for the new education system, founded as it was in the Basic Act, was the moment when education was conceptually interpreted within a human rights framework. This new direction suggests that there had been a time of reflection upon the ills of state control over education prior to 1945, and an attempt to restrain the state from excessive intervention in schooling.
