In 1872 (5th year of the Meiji era), a primary school was to be founded at every school district by a local government in accordance with a national compulsory education system, Gakusei. However, because there was no financial support from the state, the inhabitants of school district had to bear a fund for establishment. And, because a system of school administration was not yet settled, the representatives of them and members of school board had to conduct a school directly. At the time of starting of a national compulsory education system, which was established for Japan to develop as a modern country, the inhabitants of school district were forced to make efforts both mentally and materially to found and manage a school and to promote the spread of education. This paper is the result of my investigation into the actual condition of administration of local primary school and the response of the inhabitants to the educational policy during the time from 1876 to 1883 (from 9th year to 16th year of the Meiji era) through the journal of Satomi Gakko (school) in the south of Nagano Prefecture.

第五十集記念号