Kominkan as a Model for Non-Formal Education and Community-Based Sustainable Development in Japan
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper examines the historical evolution and contemporary significance of Japan 's Kominkan (community learning centers) as vital institutions for community-based sustainable development (CBSD).Emerging from the ashes of World War II, Kominkan were conceived as engines for democratic reconstruction and social cohesion.Utilizing a historical analysis framework and drawing upon Japanese educational policy documents, scholarly literature, and UNESCO reports, this paper traces the transformation of Kominkan functions from post-war recovery through rapid economic growth to the era of lifelong learning and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).This paper argues that Kominkan's inherent flexibility, community-rootedness, and focus on mutual learning position them uniquely as platforms for CBSD.The analysis highlights key shifts: from initial poverty alleviation and cultural revival to addressing urbanization's social fragmentation, adapting to lifelong learning paradigms, and increasingly incorporating ESD and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) post-2011.Despite challenges in human resource capacity, particularly the reliance on parttime staff, Kominkan demonstrate remarkable resilience in fostering social capital, empowering local agency, and mobilizing communities towards sustainable futures.The paper concludes that Kominkan offer a globally relevant model for leveraging non-formal education infrastructure for sustainable community resilience and development.
Source: Journal of Educational Sciences
Author: Khalaf Mohamed ABDELLATIF
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7121002391
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