A Critical Review of Prewar and Early Postwar Early Childhood Education Laws and Regulations

Abstract

In this study, we reviewed the laws and regulations related to early childhood education developed from the Meiji era to the early postwar period, and organized and examined the issues involved. First, laws and ordinances related to early childhood education up to the present were reviewed. Next, we reviewed them. The study pointed out that the legal and physical environment of kindergartens was not fully developed compared to other types of schools, and that data on the number of kindergartens and their enrollment rates indicated that early childhood education was not widespread at the time, and that there were issues related to childcare items. He also pointed out that the values of Japanese society at the time and the difficulty in understanding Froebel's educational theory were behind this situation.