Government confirms it planted pre-scripted questions at town meeting on education

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Government confirms it planted pre-scripted questions at town meeting on education

The Cabinet Office on November 7 admitted that at a town meeting on educational reform held in Hachinohe City in Aomori Prefecture on September 2, the education ministry had people asking pre-scripted questions by the ministry in favor of revising the Fundamental Law of Education. A Cabinet Office deputy vice-minister apologized for this conduct at a directors' meeting of the House of Representatives special committee on the education law.

Japanese Communist Party representatives Takahashi Chizuko and Ishii Ikuko exposed this misconduct at committee meetings.

According to the government report, the Cabinet Office in August requested the boards of education of Hachinohe City and Aomori Prefecture to find people who can speak at the town meetings. Later, in connection with this request, the education ministry drew up proposed questions calling for the revision of the education law, insisting that at the town meeting a debate on the revision of the law would be welcomed.

The Cabinet Office sent the proposed questions and a note of instruction to the boards of education of Hachinohe and Aomori, which were then conveyed to three questioners. Two of them, in fact, asked the questions at the meetings.

These questioners were even advised to "avoid reading the questions in a monotone" and to "speak as if you are speaking in your own words."

Besides the Hachinohe case, town meetings on education have taken place seven times between December 2003 and September 2006. As similar doubt is cast on these town meetings, the Cabinet Office promised to conduct an investigation and report back to the committee.

Commenting on the issue, Ishii Ikuko said, "This is a very serious case of government manipulation of public opinion. Obviously, the education ministry which is the ringleader behind the misconduct, is not qualified to honestly talk about education. The government bill that will ruin the Fundamental Law of Education must be withdrawn."
- Akahata, November 8, 2006