Over half of bar associations nationwide oppose revision of education law

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Over half of bar associations nationwide oppose revision of education law

A majority of the nation's bar associations say they are reluctant to support a bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education that the Abe Cabinet seeks to ram through in the current Diet session.

As of October 23, 27 out of all 52 bar associations throughout Japan have expressed their opposition to or concern about the bill. The number is expected to rise.

These bar associations point out that examination of the necessity to revise the law is not sufficient to consider an overhaul of the Fundamental Law of Education, which is often referred to as the Constitution on education.

The reason the Japan Federation of Bar Associations gave for its opposition to the government bill is that "discussing the bill only at the committee level is insufficient for a broad and comprehensive inquiry."

The Sapporo Bar Association said, "A premature discussion of the bill without providing any rationale for revising the law and without having a national debate will not lead to a well thought out national education policy."

The Fukui Bar Association expressed its concern about the bill to force patriotism on students, saying, "It will interfere with 'individual dignity' and 'freedom of thought and conscience,' which are the most fundamental values of the present Constitution and the present Fundamental Law of Education."

The Shimane Bar Association pointed out, "It will infringe on the freedom of thought and conscience of foreign children, who receive education in Japan, and will run counter to the world trend towards an education that allows for multiethnic, multicultural co-existence."

The Tokyo Bar Association stated that changing the provision that "education shall not be subject to improper control," which is based on remorse over the pre-war education system that pushed the public into the war of aggression, "will provide a legal basis for the state power to intervene in and control education."

The Kagoshima Bar Association stated, "The necessity and the importance of preventing the state from improperly intervening in education still has relevance today."
- Akahata, October 24, 2006