Kyōikurei

The Kyōdōrei, or Education Order, was a Japanese law enacted in 1879 that decentralized control over education. This reform aimed to encourage local initiatives by reducing central government oversight of school administration and attendance regulations. However, this shift led to a decline in schooling quality and attendance in some areas. In response, a new order in 1880 re-centralized authority, increasing the powers of the Ministry of Education and prefectural governors to establish educational unity. This period saw a conservative reaction in education, emphasizing traditional Confucian and Shintō values, with shūshin (national moral education) becoming a core part of the curriculum. This emphasis on national morality and imperial authority was further solidified by the Imperial Rescript on Education in 1890.12