Changes

The government planned in [[1872]] that, going forward, it would seek to establish eight universities, 256 secondary schools, and 53,760 elementary schools. As of [[1902]], there were still only two universities, 222 secondary schools, and 27,076 elementary schools in the country.

The government planned in [[1872]] that, going forward, it would seek to establish eight universities, 256 secondary schools, and 53,760 elementary schools. As of [[1902]], there were still only two universities, 222 secondary schools, and 27,076 elementary schools in the country.

Elementary education was initially (as of 1872) deemed mandatory for four years. However, elementary schools were locally funded, through a 10% surcharge on property taxes,<ref name=gordon67>Andrew Gordon, ''A Modern History of Japan'', Oxford University Press (2013), 67-68.</ref> and many suffered not only from lack of funds, but also shortage of teachers, and much resistance from families who refused to send their children to school. Many families may have felt they needed the extra hands to help with work at home, on the farm, or in the shop, and in the 1870s some 50-75% of age-eligible children were kept at home rather than being sent to school. Some took their resistance to mandatory education - and the associated taxes - more actively, with rioters destroying roughly ten percent of the schools in the country, roughly 2,000 buildings, in that same decade.<ref name=gordon67/>

Elementary education was initially (as of 1872) deemed mandatory for only sixteen months, but this was extended to four years in [[1886]].<ref>Rebecca Corbett, ''Cultivating Femininity: Women and Tea Culture in Edo and Meiji Japan'', University of Hawaii Press (2018), 189.</ref> However, elementary schools were locally funded, through a 10% surcharge on property taxes,<ref name=gordon67>Andrew Gordon, ''A Modern History of Japan'', Oxford University Press (2013), 67-68.</ref> and many suffered not only from lack of funds, but also shortage of teachers, and much resistance from families who refused to send their children to school. Many families may have felt they needed the extra hands to help with work at home, on the farm, or in the shop, and in the 1870s some 50-75% of age-eligible children were kept at home rather than being sent to school. Some took their resistance to mandatory education - and the associated taxes - more actively, with rioters destroying roughly ten percent of the schools in the country, roughly 2,000 buildings, in that same decade.<ref name=gordon67/>

This eventually shifted and changed, however. As early as [[1868]], roughly 10% of school-age girls were already attending school. The first Japanese Normal School (teacher-training universities) was established in [[Tokyo]] in 1872, and by [[1900]], most children of school-age, both boys and girls, were attending school. In 1905, attendance rates stood at 98% for boys, and 93% for girls.<ref name=gordon67/> The four-year mandate was reintroduced, and was successfully expanded to six years in [[1907]].  

This eventually shifted and changed, however. As early as [[1868]], roughly 10% of school-age girls were already attending school. The first Japanese Normal School (teacher-training universities) was established in [[Tokyo]] in 1872, and by [[1900]], most children of school-age, both boys and girls, were attending school. In 1905, attendance rates stood at 98% for boys, and 93% for girls.<ref name=gordon67/> The four-year mandate was reintroduced, and was successfully expanded to six years in [[1907]].