noun
Western school; school for Western studies
Historical term for schools in the late Edo and Meiji periods that taught Western languages, sciences, and culture.
幕末には各地に洋学校が設立された。
In the late Edo period, Western schools were established in various places.
彼は洋学校で英語と数学を学んだ。
He studied English and mathematics at a Western school.
寺子屋 were commoner schools for basic literacy and numeracy, whereas 洋学校 were specialized institutions for Western studies.
Compound of 洋 (Western) and 学校 (school). The term reflects the historical context of Japan's modernization and adoption of Western knowledge.