Many people due to various physical, physical, psychological and environmental reasons face difficulties in keeping normal social or family relationships in present day Japan.
We, however think that everybody can make a better living place for himself or herself if he or she cooperates with others, making full use of his or her abilities and characteristics, even though it may be difficult to continue schooling or to find an occupation.
Regardless of academic background those who agree with this idea or those who wish to live such a life can be a member of Kyodogakusha.
In the case of those who are heavily handicapped or have some difficulties in engaging in normal life, the
eligible age range is 12 to 20 years old. The children not yet having finished compulsory education can go to school from Kyodogakusha. If a child is not able to go to school, we are entrusted with that child’s education with the permission of the school to which he or she belongs.
There is no rule as to the period of staying at a Kyodogakusha house.
Those who want to see immediate educational effects or results are not suitable for participating in this group because we believe that it takes time for humans to grow both physically and mentally and to make a cooperative living group. We do not consider it a primary goal of welfare work like ours to send out handicapped people into the society just for the reason of having them earn some money.
Our aim is to develop an equal society where everybody whose abilities ad personalities differ can share their life regardless of the degree of handicappe or incompleteness, and,in this way,to gradually permeate our ideas into the surrounding society.We wish that people who live at Kyodogakusha can also be good members of the society. We ,of course do not hesitate to recommend members to go to advanced schools or to obtain a job whenever we think it is appropriate.
Kyodogakusha does not intend to be a shelter separated from the ordinary society. As long as we are givien life, We have responsibilities to utilize our lives. We do not deny that there are those who tend to recede into their own weakness,and we encourage them to struggle first with them selves. The member of Kyodogakusha thus are expected to work together and to learn together and to try to make the place like a real home.
As to the number of members, we think that the maximum number is thirty in each place due to the fact that we build our own lodgings by ourselves.Thirty is also the limit to maintain intense and close relationship. It might be possible to organize a new group in a new place when the members become independent and mature.