July 4, 2015

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s education policy division on July 2 proposed that teachers’ political activities be restricted with penalties imposed, following the lowering of the minimum voting age to 18.

The LDP panel also suggested setting a limit on senior high school students’ political activities.

The proposal pointed out that it is a government responsibility to block the bringing in of political ideology into schools and prevent schools from becoming arenas for disputes over political issues. It called for a revision of the Law for Special Regulations Concerning Educational Public Service Personnel in order to introduce penal regulations on teachers’ political activities. It also hinted at interference in teaching staff unions’ activities through various measures, such as an imposition on those unions a mandatory submission of financial reports to the government.

Lowering the minimum voting age to 18 from the current 20 was approved by the Diet last month and will be applied to the Upper House election scheduled for the summer of 2016.

Past related article:
> Minimum voting age changed to 18 [June 18, 2015]