Citizens' group criticizes revised textbook screening system

Japan Press Weekly

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Citizens' group criticizes revised textbook screening system

About 40 people, including teachers and people from publishing companies, on January 21 held a rally to discuss the Education Ministry's new curriculum guidelines and the adversely revised textbook screening system.

The rally was urgently called by the organizing committee formed by civic organizations that include the Children and Textbooks Japan Network 21 (Kyokashonet).

Osano Masaki, a member of a group for organizing symposiums on the textbook issue, pointed out that the curriculum guidelines are forcing teachers to teach patriotism in all subjects.

Osano said, "The curriculum guidelines are intended to install a dogmatic way of thinking in children's minds and to allow a widening disparity in the academic ability of children. What the government should do is to increase the education budget, which is the lowest among all Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development nations."

Tawara Yoshifumi, secretary general of the Kyokashonet, pointed out that the government extended the power of the textbook screening system, apparently ignoring the fact that the critical review of the system began following Okinawans' anger at the Education Ministry's order to rewrite the texts on the so-called "mass suicides" in Okinawa during the Okinawa Battle around the end of the Pacific War.

Pointing out that the textbook screening process has become more closed than ever because the ministry does not make the minutes of the textbook screening meetings public, Tawara said, "In order to make better textbooks, opening the screening process and setting proper textbook prices are necessary."

- Akahata, January 22, 2009