Morley and the Realism of School Reform: The Idea of Gradual Reform in Educational Administration in the Early Meiji Era (Late 19th Century)
David Murray was deeply involved in educational administration in Japan during the early Meiji period as an advisor to the Ministry of Education (Gakugan), and was characterized by his advocacy of realist reforms that were in line with the social and economic realities of Japan amid the spread of radical Western imitation. His stance brought a perspective of verification and adjustment to education policy in the early Meiji period, which tended to be idealistic in the name of civilization and enlightenment.
When the centralization of power was established with the abolition of feudal domains in 1871, the government hurried to unify the education system nationwide as a pillar of modern nation-building. As a result, the school system was promulgated in 1872. The school system was a grand scheme to divide the whole of Japan into university, junior high, and elementary school districts, and to allocate schools throughout the country, but it caused a great discrepancy between the financial strength of Japan and the practices of local communities.
In 1873, Murray came to Japan and, based on his experience in educational administration in the U.S., expressed concern about the school system, which was based on ideology and lacked consideration for the actual situation. The report also stressed the need for a gradual revision of the system.
He argued that priority should be given to improving teacher training and that the school system should be spread progressively according to local conditions. This pragmatic stance influenced later revisions of the school system and positivist methods of educational administration. Morley represents a turning point in Japan's transition from Western imitation to the formation of a system that is more suited to its own conditions.
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