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Kobe University Repository : Kernel The Last Message of Kazuo Itoga: "Let These Children be the Light of タイトル the World": A Historic Perspective of "Guaranteeing the Right of Title Development to All" 著者 Watanabe, Akio Author(s) 掲載誌・巻号・ページ Journal of Special Education Research,4(1):17-20 Citation 刊行日 2015-08 Issue date 資源タイプ Journal Article / 学術雑誌論文 Resource Type 版区分 publisher Resource Version 権利 ©2015 The Japanese Association of Special Education Rights DOI 10.6033/specialeducation.4.17 JaLCDOI URL http://www.lib.kobe-u.ac.jp/handle_kernel/90003267 PDF issue: 2021-09-26 J. Spec. Educ. Res. 4(1): 17-20 (2015) Special Education in Japan The Last Message of Kazuo Itoga: "Let These Children he the Light of the World": A Historic Perspective of "Guaranteeing the Right of Development to All" Akio WATANABEl • 2. * 1 Emeritus Professor of Tottori University. Japan 2 Professor of Kobe University. Japan Key Words: Kazuo Itoga. centenary year of birth. Ohmi Gakuen. Let These Children be the Light of the World. Guaranteeing the Right of Development to All Introduction soul!" He finally undertook studies in Philosophy, at Kyoto Imperial University in 1935. After his uni In 1946, Kazuo Itoga (1914-68) co-established versity graduation, he worked as a substitute teacher Ohmi Gakuen, an institution for children with spe at an elementary school in Kyoto for a few years. In cial needs. 2014 marked the centenary year of Itoga's the lead-up to World War II, he was exempted from birth, and is the same year in which the Convention military service due to illness, and he instead started on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified work for the Shiga Prefectural Government in-l940. in Japan. It is said that war is the biggest contributor At the end of World War II, Itoga was Director of and cause of disabilities. 2014 also marked the Cente the Food Provision Division in the Shiga Prefectural nary of World War I, and 2015 marks the 70th anni Government. Food shortages in the Japanese post-war versary since the end of World War II. environment caused Itoga to work long hours and fre This paper examines the historic meaning and im quent overtimes. In 1946, he contracted tuberculosis pacts of the thinking, works, and practices of Itoga due to physical exhaustion. When Itoga was worried known as "the father of welfare for children with about the future of his career, his close friends, Taro disabilities"-by sketching the post-war history on "the Ikeda and Ichiji Tamura, visited him and requested right to education" of children with disabilities in Japan. earnestly the establishment of a shelter to give provi sions to the orphans and mentally disabled children Profile and Works of Kazuo Itoga that the war had left in its wake. He was motivated by faith and thus, between the three friends, Ohmi Gakuen Itoga was born in 1914 in Tottori, a small coastal was established, with Itoga serving as its Principal. In city facing the Sea of Japan. He used the pen-name, addition to Ohmi Gakuen, Itoga, Ikeda and Tamura "Inaba-Ippeki (1Z9~-~)': a reference to "the blue founded several other welfare initiatives. Among these sky and sea" of his hometown of Tottori. During his was Biwako Gakuen in 1963 for people suffering from high school studies, Itoga fell ill and took a two-year serious mental and physical disabilities. leave, eventually being baptised in 1932 at the age of In 1968, while talking about "Let These Children be 18. Although his initial goal was to become a doc the Light of the World" in an induction lecture to new tor, he thought ''A doctor can save a life, but not the staff of the Shiga Prefecture Children's Welfare Organ isation, Itoga collapsed. He passed away the next day at the age of 54. His thinking, works, and practices * Corresponding Author are summarised in "The Work by Kazuo Itoga in Three Mailing Address: 3-11 Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501. Volumes" (1982-83). Commemorating the centenary Japan E-mail Address:[email protected] of his birth, books such as Itoga (2013), The Execu Received June 3, 2015, Accepted October 17,2015 tive Committee of Centenary Projects of the Birth of DOl: 1O.6033/specialeducationA.17 Kazuo Itoga (2014), Hachiya (2015), and Tominaga © 2015 The Japanese Association of Special Education A. Watanabe However, compared to their peers, many children with disabilities and special needs were not given equal opportunity and access to the school educa tion system. This was due to the interpretation of The Constitution of Japan and The Fundamental Law of Education, which conditions the education available to an individual based on their "ability': With the enactment of the School Education Act (1947), a nine-year compulsory education system comprising of elementary school and junior high school was introduced in Japan. In 1948, compulsory education for deaf and blind children was gradually introduced. Since the mid-1950s onwards, Japan's post-war economic boom had led to an intensification of meri tocratic education standards. A revision to the School Education Act in 1961 and the Distinction Standard of School Attendance (1962) saw children with mild disability attend special classes at standard public Fig. 1 Cover of the Book (2002) schools; children with medium level of disability at tend special schools; and children with severe level (2015, 2nd Ed.) were published. Itoga (1965) was of disability were excused from attending school al translated into English as "Let These Children Be the together (despite the compulsory requirement of Light of the World" (2002) as shown in Fig. 1. Itoga education in the School Education Act). The track (2009) is also available in Chinese (online). ing approach to children with disabilities, and the exclusion of some from the education system, spread Educational Administration and Access throughout the post-war years. The Constitution of Japan transferred the sovereign The Change in Definition of "Ability" power of the nation to the people of Japan. Chapter and "Development" 3 of the Constitution decrees rights to the Japanese people such as "respect as individuals': "the right to Itoga dedicated himself to integrating welfare, edu life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (Article 13), cation and medical care. At Ohmi Gakuen, which was "equality under the law" (Article 14), and "the right initially a welfare institution, he opened a medical to education" (Article 26). office in 1948, and an official elementary and junior high school section in 1949. Ohmi Gakuen repre The Constitution ofJapan (1947) sented a unique environment where orphans from Article 26: All people shall have the right to receive the war, mentally disabled children and children of an equal education correspondent to the institution's staff were all fellow peers. Itoga was their ability, as provided by law. aware, however, that children with severe disabilities The Fundamental Law of Education (1947) required constant supervision and permanent pro Article 3: The people shall all be given equal op tection, and that there was a limit to what one could portunities of receiving educationac learn depending on the severity of their disability. cording to their ability, and they shall An oriental proverb "Mental training based on not be subject to educational discrimi facts ($J:**m)" was Itoga's personal motto to live nation on account of race, creed, sex, and work, continuously challenging what he deemed social status, economic position, or fam possible or true. At Ohmi Gakuen, Itoga witnessed ilyorigin. that children with severe disabilities could learn and adapt to change. Furthermore, inspired by what he -18- The Last Message of Kazuo Itoga saw on a field trip to Europe in 1960 to 1961, !toga mental Law of Education in the 1970s. In 1979, access took interest in the idea and activities of the normal to the compulsory education system including visit ization of disabled children. In 1961, "Guaranteeing ing education programs was granted to all children the Right of Development to All" was proposed after with disabilities. This represented a paradigm shift, a collective discussion at Ohmi Gakuen. where education access was provided on the basis of In his book published in 1965 (2002 in English), "developmental needs': not of "ability': !toga mentions: Japan's current education system is compulsory for all children (with or without a disability) aged The fact is that in Biwako Gakuen, children are between 6 and 15 years old, and a significant major growing up by reaching those levels of development ity of students continue their studies through to high very slowly, but steadily, in such extreme situations school. Since the year 2000, students with disabilities where they are faced with death. They give us enor who hope to continue education are able to enter an mous strength and a glimmer of hope. It is impor upper secondary division of special schools without tant to mobilize the powers of country and society screening. In 2004, a nationwide guideline targeting for them to realize the development of their minds. medical care in schools was established which saw an (!toga, 2002: p. 295) expansion of school nurse appointments. Today, al most all the children with disabilities, including those We must remove such an illusion of efficiency, too. suffering severe and/or multiple disabilities which We can't tell how much children are being undermined require special health care, receive school education by those blind beliefs in intelligence and the gospel of from elementary school through to high school level. efficiency. If we realize that mentally retarded children Itoga's messages and ideas are important to con and severely handicapped children are able to develop sider, not just in the context of providing education themselves fully as humans, then we have to reflect on and support to children with disabilities, but also the meaning of education.

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