An Era of Preschool Christian Education Conducted by Non-Christians : The Possibilities of Preschool Christian Education in Japan in the New Christian Preschool Education Guidelines (2010)

Abstract

The realities of modern Japanese society dictate that non−Christians make up the majority of Christian preschool educators. It is now time to explore new modes of Christian preschool education which take into account those realities. An examination of this issue first requires a review of the relevant history. The directions that protestant Christian preschool education in Japan has taken since the middle of the20th century fall into the following three categories : In the1950s and1960s, in the decades following the Second World War, these decades also overlap Japan’s era of rapid economic growth. The main purpose of Christian preschool education was the mission of young children. After experiencing a phenomenal period of economic growth, from the 1970s to the 2000s, a certain focus came to be placed on individual affluence and individual personalities. The purpose of Christian preschool education was not just mission. Rather, the focus was placed on such education as a means for broadly developing well−rounded individuals. From 2010 to the present, low birth rates and secularizing trends have contributed to a sharp decrease in numbers of Christian preschool educators. As a result, Christian preschool education conducted by non−Christian educators is increasingly becoming the norm. The purpose of this paper is to explore new possibilities for Christian preschool education in Japan through an examination of the Shin−Kiristokyo¯ Hoiku Shishin （“New Christian Preschool Education Guidelines” ）, which were published in2010, in light of the characteristics of these three eras.