All reasons that government gave for revising Fundamental Law of Education are baseless: JCP Shii

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All reasons that government gave for revising Fundamental Law of Education are baseless: JCP Shii

With the ruling parties intent on putting the government bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education to a vote before the current session of the Diet ends on December 15, about 4,800 people assembled at the Hibiya Amphitheater in central Tokyo calling for the bill to be scrapped.

The rally was called for by three major groups of educators and workers opposing the adverse revision of the Fundamental Law of Education as well as the Big People's Movement Organizing Committee that includes the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren).

The main speakers included Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo, All Japan Teachers and Staff Union (Zenkyo) President Ishimoto Iwao, and Deguchi Haruo, a lawyer who chairs the task force on the Fundamental Law of Education in the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. They called on the participants to increase the struggle to scrap the bill.

Shii in his speech said that the government bill has proven to be baseless on three points.

The first point is the government's inability to explain why the revision is needed, as clear from the fact that the government planted pre-scripted questions at "town meetings" in an attempt to create the illusion of public support .

The second point is that the government has been unable to answer questions regarding the problematic provisions that will force children to show patriotism in violation of children's freedom of conscience and pave the way for unlimited state interference in education that undermines the independence of education.

The third point is that the government bill calling for emphasis on education competitiveness through introducing a national achievement test and a public school choice system will only lead to education devastation

In public hearings held at six locations throughout the country, 13 out of 24 witnesses either expressed opposition to the bill or called for careful deliberations. There was only one person who called for the bill to be enacted in the current session of the Diet.
- Akahata, December 8, 2006