「二分の一成人式」の実施をめぐる現状と課題 : 「特別活動」と「総合的な学習の時間」の目標を踏まえて

This paper aims to consolidate the current goals and points of debate surrounding the “half coming-of-age ceremony,” and illuminate the reasons for the lack of resolution of the issues related to its implementation. In recent years, news reports and previous studies have raised questions about how information regarding one’s “family” is handled by the “half coming-of-age ceremony,” an event which has become increasingly popular. Despite previous studies indicating that the way in which the ceremony handles “family” information is problematic, the reasons why teachers in schools continue to handle “family” information in this way even as they are being scrutinized in news reports have not been elucidated. In addition, as previous studies have failed to examine the reasons why due consideration has not been given to the way “family” information is handled, a concrete means of resolving the problem going forward cannot be proposed. In order to overcome the limitations of previous studies, this paper examines the educational goals that anchor the “half coming-of-age ceremony” based on studying the goals of “special activities” and “integrated learning time.” By analyzing newspaper articles featuring guardians, children, and teachers recounting their personal experiences, this paper examines the factors why “family” information continues to be handled and suggests ways in which the problem can be tackled in the future. The results of our study showed that “family” information continues to be handled primarily as a result of the pressure to keep up with precedents as well as the discrepancy between schools and the mindsets of children and guardians. In addition, the study suggests that the “half coming-of-age ceremony” can be improved by raising awareness of the risks of disclosing information regarding one’s “family” and promoting a ceremony that does not involve the handling of “family” information.