著者

藤井 美加

出版者

奈良女子大学

雑誌

奈良女子大学社会学論集 (ISSN:13404032)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.16, pp.181-194, 2009-03-01

---

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of the school on a depopulated area. In this paper, Hatoma Island in Okinawa Prefecture is took up. People in Hatoma have coped with the maintaining of the elementary and junior school. They have experienced in a severe decrease in population since 1960's, and almost all the children left there. They worried if school was closed. Because they thought that school closing meant island end. Then they have adopted the foster-parent system since 1980's, and have accepted children from the nursing home in Naha city.But recently no children come from the nursing home. Now children come as Kaihin-Ryugaku system by which children come to stay village near the sea, and to go to school in the village. In Hatoma, children come from all over the Japan and they stay at agent's home. Such children's change leads people to new recognition of the children. The change is that people can't expect children to play a part in Hatoma when they grow up.The analysis of this paper suggests school has an important effective on a depopulated area. School makes people expect not only children staying there but also lasting of their community in the future.