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

JCP Chair Shii gives lecture on revision of education law

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on June 6 gave a lecture on problems of the bill to adversely revise the Fundamental Law of Education at a conference hall of the JCP head office in Tokyo.

About 800 people listened to the lecture in the hall. The lecture was broadcast live on the Internet and a CS satellite channel.

Shii began his lecture by expressing his determination to scrap the bill in the current Diet session.

At the same time, given the prospect that the bill may be carried over to an extraordinary Diet session to be convened in autumn, he stressed the need to strengthen the struggle against the bill, saying, "It is important to increase public awareness and movements in opposition to adversely revising the education law through informing as many people as possible of the bill's true purpose."

Shii pointed out that the bill will violate the Constitution in two respects: infringement of the freedom of thought and state interference in education.

Concerning infringement of the freedom of thought, he criticized the bill for setting the "attitude of loving the nation" as an "educational goal" and forcing the public to "achieve" that goal, citing the reality of education in Tokyo of the singing of "Kimigayo" and the hoisting of the "Hinomaru" that has been imposed on schools.

Concerning state interference in education, he pointed out that the government seeks to remove restrictions on state interference in education in order to forcibly implement an across-the-board achievement test and proficiency-based teaching to force children to compete against each other.

Shii pointed out that the true aim of the government's attempt to remake the Fundamental Law of Education is to shift the purpose of education from the present "perfection of the human character of each child" to "fostering human resources that are obedient to the state."

The government wants people who are loyal to the state fighting in wars abroad as well as people who are supportive of and obedient to a "society with disparities" abiding by the law of the jungle, he stated.

Shii said, "Let's make tenacious efforts to rapidly increase the movement nationwide in order to block the adverse revision of the law!"
- Akahata, June 7, 2006