3432 Signatures for High School Reorganization, New Students Experiencing Kagura at a Branch School, First A-Level in Chugoku Region—Who Benefits from the Changing ‘Shape of Schools’ in Hiroshima?

In Hiroshima Prefecture, three events are unfolding almost simultaneously. In urban areas, 3432 signatures have been collected against a proposal to merge 18 high schools, while at a branch school in the mountains, new students are engaging with local Kagura traditions, and a private school has introduced the first British-style A-Level education in the Chugoku region—merging, inheritance, and internationalization. Though these vectors seem to be heading in different directions, they all stand on the same question: “What is the purpose of a school?”

One might feel inclined to say that the situation is “torn apart.” However, it is worth pausing to consider: Is this truly a case of being “torn apart,” or is it a region reaching out in three directions to find its own shape?

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What 3432 Signatures Ask—Hiroshima City High School Reorganization Signature Campaign

In response to the reorganization plan targeting 18 public high schools in Hiroshima City, the “Protect Committee,” composed of teachers and parents, has gathered 3432 signatures. While integration plans driven by declining birth rates and financial efficiency are progressing across the country, Hiroshima’s case draws attention not just for the number of signatures but for the quality of the questions embedded within them.

The logic behind the integration is clear. As student numbers decline, the number of classes decreases, teacher placements become sparse, and elective subjects can no longer be maintained. If a certain scale is not secured, “the quality of education” cannot be upheld—this is how the administration summarizes its explanation. However, what those who signed the petition are trying to protect is something that differs slightly from the quantifiable “quality.”

As the commuting area expands, some students will find their one-way travel time increased by 30 minutes. While the number of extracurricular options may increase, the time spent in the community after school will be reduced. If schools are merged, local events and emergency shelter functions that relied on those school buildings will also be left in limbo. The phrase “schools are treasures of the community” may sound emotional, but in reality, it speaks to the structure where schools serve as junction points of community infrastructure.

What the signature campaign indicates is not mere opposition. It is a call to examine whose daily lives are made easier and whose are disrupted by the changes brought about by the mechanism of “efficiency.” Here, the transparency of educational policy—specifically, whether the process of disclosing the basis for decisions and engaging in dialogue with affected parties is functioning adequately—is being questioned.

The significance of the number 3432 changes depending on how it is handled once delivered. Will the recipients merely say they have “heard” it, or will a circuit be designed to incorporate the voices of residents into the system? The submission of the signatures is not the goal; rather, the response that follows is the essence.

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New Students Experience Kagura—Experiential Learning at Sakagami Branch School in Iwakuni City

Located in the mountainous area of Iwakuni City, the Sakagami Branch School of Iwakuni High School is not large in terms of student population, yet new students had the opportunity to observe and experience the local Yamashiro Kagura.

Putting on the Kagura costumes and surrendering their bodies to the rhythm of the music—this experience likely conveys far more than what could be taught in a classroom where “what is local culture” is written on the board. The movements of the dance embody the bodily memories that the people of this land have honed over hundreds of years. For the new students to engage with this means they are physically learning about the “depth of time” in the place they are about to study.

What is noteworthy is that this experiential learning has a mechanism that cannot be fully explained by the grand banner of “cultural inheritance.” Because of the small-scale environment of the branch school, students can connect directly with local stakeholders. For the Kagura preservation society, the opportunity to showcase the dance to younger generations is precious, and by providing a “venue,” the school meets the needs of both parties. Education supports the community, and the community supports education—this nested structure exists here.

In the same prefecture where integration is being discussed in urban areas, a small branch school is deepening its ties with the community. This contrast is not coincidental. There are relationships that are only possible because of the small scale. The logic of pursuing efficiency through integration and the logic of finding value in smallness are different answers to the same challenge of “educational sustainability.”

It is not about which is correct; rather, it is essential to observe which mechanisms support whom to avoid making erroneous judgments.

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The First A-Level in Chugoku Region—Hiroshima International Academy’s Challenge

The introduction of British-style A-Level education at Hiroshima International Academy marks the first attempt of its kind in the Chugoku region. A-Levels are a qualification examination system for university entrance in the UK, where students deeply study 3 to 4 subjects of their choice over two years. In contrast to Japan’s high school education, which is designed to cover a wide range of subjects evenly, A-Levels are based on the premise of “selection and concentration.”

What this introduction signifies is not merely the superficial increase in “international programs.” A-Level results can be used for university applications worldwide, fundamentally changing the geographical scope of students’ career choices. It opens the door for students in Hiroshima to apply directly to universities in the UK, Australia, and Singapore.

On the other hand, operating A-Level education requires costs and systems such as securing specialized teachers, conducting classes in English, and collaborating with external examination bodies. Understanding how much investment the introducing school is making and what kind of student demographic it envisions is crucial for assessing future sustainability. Behind the glamour of the term “internationalization” lies the design of a mechanism to keep it running.

Additionally, when viewed in the context of Hiroshima, another layer becomes apparent. Hiroshima, as a site of atomic bombing, has a history rich in international peace education. The introduction of international educational programs can be seen as an extension of this legacy, or it can be viewed as standing on entirely different economic rationalities. Depending on which context is discussed, the “face” of this initiative changes. It is essential to separate facts from context in this case.

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The Intersection of Three Vectors

The integration signatures, the Kagura experience at the branch school, and the A-Level at the international academy—when these three events are lined up, a common question arises: “For whom is the school designed?”

Integration prioritizes the sustainability of the administration, the Kagura experience entrusts the sustainability of the community to the school, and the A-Level opens individual potential beyond borders. While these three may seem contradictory, they all share a starting point of the crisis that “this cannot continue as it is.” Declining birth rates, depopulation, global competition—the names of the pressures may differ, but the structure is the same.

Thus, what we must ask is: Which mechanism makes life easier for whom? Is it the finance that benefits from integration, or the students? Is it the preservation society that benefits from the Kagura experience, or the new students? Is it the academic achievements that benefit from A-Levels, or the learners themselves? There is no need for a single answer, but we must avoid proceeding without posing the questions.

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Future Points of Interest

How Hiroshima Prefecture handles these three vectors holds significant implications for other regions. As similar high school reorganizations progress nationwide, the “aftermath” of the signature campaign—how the administration responds—could serve as a precedent. The relationship between the branch school and the community provides a concrete model for discussions on the sustainability of small schools. The introduction of A-Levels could become an opportunity to visualize the division of roles between public and private education, as well as the cost structure of international education.

Regardless of the direction taken, the blueprint for the mechanisms should be made public, and the voices of those affected should be incorporated into the design. When the shape of schools changes, what remains is not the buildings or the systems, but the memories of the time spent there.

The hands that wrote the 3432 signatures, the hands that donned the Kagura costumes, and the hands that write A-Level answers—all of them are hands trying to confirm their place. Whether there is a mechanism that properly responds to where those hands reach is the only thing that is being questioned.