Tokyo public school teachers support JCP in defense of basic education law

Many members of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan and the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly are promoting the adverse revision of the Fundamental Law of Education and imposing the raising of the "Hinomaru" national flag and the singing of the "Kimigayo" anthem on public school teachers and students.

In the House of Councilors election, many active and former public school teachers are calling for support for the Japanese Communist Party "to let the education law guide education."

The Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education in March and April punished hundreds of teachers for their refusal to rise and sing "Kimigayo" at school ceremonies. Moreover, the board gave a "stern warning" to teachers on the grounds that students failed to stand up at the ceremonies. It even expressed its intention to issue a directive to teachers so that they could properly teach children about the Hinomaru flag and Kimigayo.

A high school teacher said, "It is aberrant for the board of education to force teachers to comply with instructions in teaching children. The board action reneges on the education law which bans improper control from the government."

A Democratic Party member of the assembly is taking the lead in forcing Hinomaru and Kimigayo on teachers and students. In the graduation ceremony of a high school, he shouted from the stage, "Stand up!" to remind students who kept seated at the start of the singing of Kimigayo.

The aim of the Fundamental Law of Education is to promote the development of personality and bringing up the people as builders of a peaceful state and society, and prohibits improper control from the government.

Last February, a group of 279 LDP members and 45 DPJ members of parliament established the Committee for the Promotion of Revision of the Fundamental Law on Education.

Addressing the founding assembly of the committee, DPJ representative Nishimura Shingo stated, "Our aim is to produce Japanese citizens who are willing to devote their lives to the country."

The committee has drawn up an outline for a "New Fundamental Law on Education" defining that the objective of education is to bring up Japanese citizens who can contribute to the nation and the world. It proposes removing the provisions barring control of education, and adding a provision that the state should determine what the pupils should be taught at primary and secondary schools.

In June, the ruling LDP and Komei parties reached agreement on an overall revision of the Fundamental Law on Education.

Pointing out that government transgressions of the ideals and principles of the basic educational law have destroyed education, the JCP is calling for a change of gear to give life to the basic law in opposition to its adverse revision.

Sekiguchi Akiko, 61, who retired in March as a metropolitan high school teacher said, "In the last graduation ceremony I attended, I was a homeroom teacher for graduating students and was compelled to make a difficult decision." With this bitter experience in mind, she is now calling for support for the JCP in her local community, and to her former colleagues and students.

Kato Junko, who retired at 57, is also reaching out to her former students to say, "The adverse revision of the Fundamental Law on Education is to restructure the nation and bring up citizens to fight wars. That's why the government tries to put education under its direct control regarding what to teach, using the "Hinomaru" flag and song "Kimigayo" as symbols of such control. I want to help achieve a JCP advance and thwart the adverse revision of the Fundamental Law on Education." (end)