Two thirds of school principals disagree with government education bill

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Two thirds of school principals disagree with government education bill

A recent nationwide survey has revealed that two thirds of public elementary and junior high school principals disagree with the government's bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education, which the government and the ruling parties intend to forcibly enact in the extraordinary Diet session beginning on September 26.

3,812 public elementary and junior high school principals out of about 10,000 across the country responded to the questionnaire sent out in July and August by the Center for Research of Core Academic Competences of the University of Tokyo.

66.1 percent of respondents either "somewhat disagree" or "definitely disagree" with the statement that "I support the government bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education," while only 33.9 percent answered in the affirmative. About 60 percent of principals foresee that the bill, if enacted, will affect the classroom.

With regard to the national achievement test that the government intends to impose, 85 percent agreed with the statement that "there is no way to make use of the result of the test for the improvement of education."

Concerning the "educational reform" the government is pushing, 85 percent opted for the statement that the classroom simply cannot catch up with the tempo of the "reform", and 80 percent think that the "reform" fails to deal with the issues actually faced by schools.

The overwhelming majority expressed anxiety over the increase in the social gap: 88.1 percent foresaw that the gap in academic ability will increase, and 84.6 percent think that gaps among regions will widen.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe Shinzo, the front-running candidate in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, gives top priority to revising the Fundamental Law of Education in his election platform.

Commenting on the findings, National Network on Fundamental Law of Education secretary general Yamada Isao said, "The government must take it seriously that the number of principals who expressed opposition to the government bill is twice as many as the number of supporters. Any educational reform requires the consensus of the public. Let's scrap the bill by promoting the cooperation of the public."
- Akahata, September 15, 2006