AN INTRODUCTION
POSTWAR EDUCATIONAL REFORM IN RETROSPECT
Section 3:
Educational Reform and Stable Economic Growth
3
Kindergarten Education and Promotion of Special Education
The 46 Report proposed to actively facilitate measures to promote kindergarten education. In view of changes to the urban climate for the education of children factors such as urbanization and the spread of the nuclear family led to the "Program for the Promotion of Kindergarten Education" (the second program) being formulated in 1971 to accept all children aged four or five who wished to attend kindergarten. Also, the Law Concerning Support for Private School Promotion opened the way for public funds being used to subsidize private kindergartens.
In the wake of the proposal within the 46 Report for compulsory attendance at special schools, the Seven-Year Program for the Construction of Special Schools was mapped out with FY1972 as the initial year of the program. The following year, it was decided that compulsory attendance would be enforced from FY1979. With the outstanding issue of compulsory attendance at special schools, the number of children postponing or being exempt from compulsory education decreased steadily.
