open access

https://doi.org/10.14943/b.edu.147.195

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/98618

The Potential for Diverse Practices of Public Juku : A Case Study of Kuon Juku in Shiranuka

日本語

depopulated areas

2025-12-24

Faculty of Education, Hokkaido University

Bulletin of Faculty of Education, Hokkaido University

147

195-210

16

This article examines the role and significance of public juku (learning centers established by local governments in Japan) as an emerging form of supplementary education within the framework of local public education. Although private juku have long been a central feature of Japan’s “dual structure of education,” the number of public juku has increased since the 2010s, especially in rural regions where municipalities employ them to mitigate educational inequalities and sustain high schools facing demographic decline. However, scholarly attention has so far concentrated on their financial, policy, and organizational aspects, while the content and development of their everyday practices remain insufficiently explored. Based on a case study of Kuon Juku in Shiranuka Town, Hokkaido, the research draws on documentary materials, stakeholder interviews, and field observations conducted between 2019 and 2021. The analysis shows that Kuon Juku, originally designed to provide academic support and career guidance for high school students, broadened its scope in three directions: (1) introducing seminar-style programs beyond core subjects and open to community participation; (2) collaborating with Shiranuka High School in career guidance, subject teaching, and exploratory learning; and (3) participating in community events and public outreach to enhance the school’s appeal. These findings indicate that public juku serve not merely as substitutes for private tutoring but as hybrid institutions that pursue both individual benefits for students and collective benefits for schools and local communities. At the same time, their practices are constrained by limited human and material resources, as well as by differing expectations among stakeholders regarding their proper role. The study suggests that sustained collaboration among municipalities, schools, educators, students, and community members will be crucial for determining the future directions of public juku. By positioning public juku at the intersection of school education, social education, and supplementary tutoring, this article underscores their significance as a new object of inquiry within Japanese education research. It also points to their relevance for policy debates on how local governments can address educational disparities and sustain public education in the context of demographic decline.

紀要論文

Version of Record

1882-1669

AA12219452