일제강점기 학적부는 ʻ皇國民 鍊成ʼ을 위한 조선총독부의 교육목적에 맞추어 기록되고 관리․검열된 일종의 학교 戶籍簿로, 일제의 식민지 교육정책과 그에 대한 조선인의 대응방식이 잘 드러나는 기록물이다. 동덕고녀는 여성교육을 救國의 요체로 인식한 春江 趙東植 선생의 교육이념과 그에 공감한 애국적 민간 독지가들의 재정적 후원으로 운영된 민족주의 여성교육의 요람으로, 일어가 아닌 한문과 한글로 학적부를 기록한데서 단적으로 드러나듯이, 학생들을 관찰하여 기록하는 시선에서도 민족주의적 성격이 잘 드러나 있다. 특히 1945년 졸업생의 학적부에는 일제의 황민화정책과 전시비상조치령으로 학교가 전쟁 인력의 수급 및 지원처로 변모한 1941∼1945년에 여고시절을 보내야 했던 동덕고녀생들의 꿈과 이상 그리고 현실이 잘 드러나 있다는 점에서 사례연구로서 의의를 찾을 수 있다. 1930년대 이래 동덕고녀의 경쟁률은 해마다 높아져 전국에서 우수한 여학생들이 높은 경쟁률을 뚫고 진학을 하였는데, 1940년대에는 경성지역 학생들의 진학률이 높아지면서 ʻ경성 조기 유학ʼ이라는 새로운 문화현상을 낳기도 하였다. 1945년 졸업생의 학부모 2/3 정도가 여성교육에 적극적이고 개방적인 공무․자유업에 종사하는 중류 이상의 계층이었고, 또 1945년 졸업생 학부모의 4/5가 ʻ1만 5천원ʼ 이상의 자산을 소유한 유산층이었다. 일제강점기 고녀생은 근대적 신지식을 교육받은 소수의 여성엘리트 집단으로, 세칭 ʻ신여성ʼ으로 일컬어지던 근대의 상징이었으나, 졸업 후의 미래가 그리 희망적이지만은 않았다. 1945년 졸업생은 70% 정도가 졸업 후에 취업이나 진학을 희망하였다. 그러나 심각한 취업난 속에 졸업 후의 상황은 취직 32.7%, 진학 7.3%로 약 40% 정도만이 전문직 여성으로서 ʻ신여성의 꿈ʼ을 이룰 수 있었고, 나머지 60%는 결혼과 함께 가정에 안주해야 했던 것이 현실이었다. 그러나 1945년 졸업생의 경우 20세가 넘어 ʻ노처녀ʼ로 인식되던 나이에도 당당히 취직을 하고, 결혼 후에도 직장생활을 병행하며 자신의 미래를 개척해나가는 신여성의 활기찬 모습에서, 당시 고녀 졸업생에게 ʻ일과 직업ʼ은 결혼 못지않게 중요한 일이었음을 알 수 있었다. 고녀가 여전히 종결교육기관으로서의 성격이 강했지만, 1945년 동덕고녀 학적부에서 취업 및 진학용 내신으로 필요했던 4학년 성적이 상향 평가되고 성행평가 역시 대체적으로 긍정적으로 평가된 데서 알 수 있듯이, 동덕고녀는 ʻ신부양성소ʼ라는 종결교육기관으로서의 성격을 넘어 신여성 그룹의 ʻ근대적 욕망ʼ에 부합하기 위하여 부단히 노력하였고, 이는 결과적으로 일제 식민지배정책에의 저항이었던 것이다.

School register in Japanese colonial period is a kind of family register of school which was recorded in line with the educational objectives of Japanese Government-General of Korea for ʻthe cultivation and drilling of the Emperorʼs Citizensʼ and was administered and inspected by Government-General of Korea. It is a record from which the colonial education policy of Japan and Koreansʼ response method to the policy are clearly exposed. Dongduk Girlsʼ High School was a cradle of nationalistic womenʼs education which was established under the educational philosophy of Choongang(春江) Jo Dong-Shik(趙東植) who perceived women education as the key factor for saving the country. The school was operated with the financial sponsorships of patriotic civil benefactors who sympathized Jo Dong-Shikʼs educational philosophy, and the fact that the school kept the school register in Chinese characters and Korean characters instead of Japanese characters clearly demonstrates the nationalistic intentions of the school, which is well proved by the viewpoints in the notes on student observation. Especially we can find the significance as a case study from the point that the school register of 1945 clearly demonstrates the dreams, ideals and reality of the students of Dongduk Girlsʼ High School who had to go through their high school days during the period of 1941∼1945, where the Japanese policy was to make Koreans as their emperorʼs citizens and the wartime emergency measure made the school as the place for war manpower supply and supports. Since the 1930ʼs, the competition rate of entrance examination for Dongduk Girlsʼ High School was going up every year and good quality girls from all over the nation entered the Dongduk. In the 1940ʼs, as the rate of school entrance of students from Seoul was going up, new cultural phenomena called ʻEarly study in Seoulʼ was emerged at that time. In 1945, almost two thirds of the parents of the graduates of Dongduk were from the upper middle level tier who were active and open to womenʼs education and were engaged in civil service and liberal professions. Particularly, four fifths of the parents of Dongduk graduates were from the upper level class who owned assets for more than ʻ15 thousand wonʼ. The students of girlsʼ high school in Japanese colonial era were a minor women elite group who were educated for modern new knowledge, and were the symbols of modernism who were usually called as ʻNew Womenʼ but their path after graduation was not so promising. Approximately 70% of the graduates for 1945 hoped to get a job or to study in the universities. Under difficult situation for employment at that time, however, only approximately 40% of the graduates could achieve ʻthe dream of new womenʼ with 32.7% for getting job and 7.3% of entering into universities whereas remaining 60% had to become housekeepers at home after marriages. However, in the case of graduates for 1945, they demonstrated very lively images getting jobs even at the ages over 20 which was recognized as ʻold single ladyʼ and working in the office even after marriages. From such image, we can realize that to the graduates of girls high schools, ʻwork and jobʼ are as important as marriage. Even though girlʼs high schools have still viewed as final educational institution for woman at that time, Dongduk Girlʼs High School had endlessly tried to respond to the ʻmodern desireʼ for new women group going beyond their nature of final educational institution called ʻBride training centerʼ, and eventually the endless efforts resulted in having the meaning of the resistance against Japanese colonial policy.

School register in Japanese colonial period is a kind of family register of school which was recorded in line with the educational objectives of Japanese Government-General of Korea for ʻthe cultivation and drilling of the Emperorʼs Citizensʼ and was administered and inspected by Government-General of Korea. It is a record from which the colonial education policy of Japan and Koreansʼ response method to the policy are clearly exposed. Dongduk Girlsʼ High School was a cradle of nationalistic womenʼs education which was established under the educational philosophy of Choongang(春江) Jo Dong-Shik(趙東植) who perceived women education as the key factor for saving the country. The school was operated with the financial sponsorships of patriotic civil benefactors who sympathized Jo Dong-Shikʼs educational philosophy, and the fact that the school kept the school register in Chinese characters and Korean characters instead of Japanese characters clearly demonstrates the nationalistic intentions of the school, which is well proved by the viewpoints in the notes on student observation. Especially we can find the significance as a case study from the point that the school register of 1945 clearly demonstrates the dreams, ideals and reality of the students of Dongduk Girlsʼ High School who had to go through their high school days during the period of 1941∼1945, where the Japanese policy was to make Koreans as their emperorʼs citizens and the wartime emergency measure made the school as the place for war manpower supply and supports. Since the 1930ʼs, the competition rate of entrance examination for Dongduk Girlsʼ High School was going up every year and good quality girls from all over the nation entered the Dongduk. In the 1940ʼs, as the rate of school entrance of students from Seoul was going up, new cultural phenomena called ʻEarly study in Seoulʼ was emerged at that time. In 1945, almost two thirds of the parents of the graduates of Dongduk were from the upper middle level tier who were active and open to womenʼs education and were engaged in civil service and liberal professions. Particularly, four fifths of the parents of Dongduk graduates were from the upper level class who owned assets for more than ʻ15 thousand wonʼ. The students of girlsʼ high school in Japanese colonial era were a minor women elite group who were educated for modern new knowledge, and were the symbols of modernism who were usually called as ʻNew Womenʼ but their path after graduation was not so promising. Approximately 70% of the graduates for 1945 hoped to get a job or to study in the universities. Under difficult situation for employment at that time, however, only approximately 40% of the graduates could achieve ʻthe dream of new womenʼ with 32.7% for getting job and 7.3% of entering into universities whereas remaining 60% had to become housekeepers at home after marriages. However, in the case of graduates for 1945, they demonstrated very lively images getting jobs even at the ages over 20 which was recognized as ʻold single ladyʼ and working in the office even after marriages. From such image, we can realize that to the graduates of girls high schools, ʻwork and jobʼ are as important as marriage. Even though girlʼs high schools have still viewed as final educational institution for woman at that time, Dongduk Girlʼs High School had endlessly tried to respond to the ʻmodern desireʼ for new women group going beyond their nature of final educational institution called ʻBride training centerʼ, and eventually the endless efforts resulted in having the meaning of the resistance against Japanese colonial policy.

Dongduk Girlsʼ High School, nationalistic women education, school register for 1945, cultivation and drilling to make Koreans as emperorʼs citizens, new women, modern desire