 Teachers in court defend right to conscience Nine former Tokyo teachers on September 2 made their first court statement in defense of their right to conscience in opposition to the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education's "order" to stand up and sing the "national anthem" at public school ceremonies. They are part of about 250 teachers who were reprimaded for their refusal to stand up and sing "Kimigayo" (May His Majesty's Reign Last Forever) at graduation exercises and other school ceremonies. Their contracts as part-time teachers at metropolitan schools were cancelled. Kondo Mitsuo said, "I never refused to stand up and sing 'Kimigayo' in my 30 years as school teacher. But I was compelled to express my discontent to defend the ideals of education in opposition to the board of education's coercive measures." "History shows how wrong it is to use the national flag or the national anthem to force teachers and students to express their love of the country. If this outrage goes unchallenged, Japanese education will lose its ideals and lead the country to international isolation," he added. Maekawa Shizuo stated, "If we remain silent about the imposition of the Hnomaru flag and Kimigayo, there will be no freedom in schools. I was compelled to remain seated because that was the only thing I could do to defend an education system that cares for every student." (end) |