education

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Foil adverse revision of Fundamental Law of Education: JCP Ichida

About 1,800 teachers and supporters held a rally and walked in demonstration to the Diet Building in Tokyo on May 10 calling for the bill to adversely revise the Fundamental Law of Education to be scrapped. The rally was called for by the All Japan Teachers and Staff Union (ZENKYO) and several other national networks related to education.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi was a main speaker in the rally.

Concerning "why the Fundamental Law of Education must be changed," Ichida stated, "Leaders of the Liberal Democratic and the Komei parties attribute the Livedoor scandal, the falsification of earthquake-proof structure data, and even students' despair about their future to the Fundamental Law of Education, but these phenomena occurred due to Koizumi government policies that are destroying social morals and rules and justifying the law of the jungle and a division of society into 'winners and losers'," Ichida said.

He went on to state: "In education, it is essential to force the state to take care of every child and provide them equal opportunity of education. This is what the Fundamental Law of Education is about."

The Fundamental Law of Education states, "Education shall aim at the full development of personality, striving for the rearing of the people, sound in mind and body, who shall love truth and justice, esteem individual value, respect labor and have a deep sense of responsibility, and be imbued with an independent spirit, as builders of the peaceful state and society." This is the very foundation of a peaceful state and society.

Before and during World War II, the state used education as a tool to indoctrinate in children with the belief that "Japan is a sacred nation" and that "every citizen must be willing to give their life for the state," and mobilized them for the war of aggression. After the war, the Fundamental Law of Education was enacted based on strict reflections on these Japan's bitter experiences.

Bearing this in mind, the postwar educational law emphasizes, "Teachers of the schools prescribed by law shall be servants of the whole community. They shall be conscious of their mission and endeavor to discharge their duties, and education shall not be subject to improper control, but it shall be directly responsible to the whole people."

However, the government's adverse bill to revise the Law reneges on these essential ideals. Contrary to these essential purposes of the present Law, the government bill aims to remake Japan's education system into one that will bring up children to be obedient to government.

What is worse, the bill calls for providing a series of virtues, including "patriotism," as a new goal of education. Schools and teachers will be forced to achieve these goals faster than others if the bill is enacted.

How was "patriotism" included in the series of 'virtues' for education?

LDP politicians are publicly arguing that "patriotism has not been established in Japan because teachers continue to teach students 'reflections on the war'." However, "patriotism" is used here to claim that the past war of aggression was "a just war of liberation of Asia," and that "it was a war in self-defense for Japan's survival."

The government and ruling parties are also attempting to revise the Constitution in order to enable Japan to go to wars abroad again. Revision of the Fundamental Law of Education is being proposed at the same time as constitutional revision. Providing for 'patriotism' in the Fundamental Law of Education will again produce people who are loyal to a "war-fighting state."

"The JCP is resolved to make every effort in and out of the Diet by joining hands with the public in order to stop the adverse revision of the Fundamental Law of Education," Ichida concluded.
- Akahata, May 11, 2006