October 6, 2015
The Education Ministry on October 5 announced its plan to issue a notice putting restrictions on high school students’ political activities as a measure to respond to the implementation of the 18-year-old suffrage.
The planned notice will impose a ban or restrictions on political activities which senior high school students are engaged in outside of school. Students will be prohibited or constrained from demonstrating in political movements within school-bounds even on holidays and after school. In addition, any such action will not also be allowed in student councils and school club activities.
This notice will not only cause students to hesitate to take part in political activities, but also restrain students from even thinking about and discussing political matters.
Stating that teachers should refrain from expressing their own political viewpoints and opinions in school, the ministry’s notice also seeks to impose controls on teachers. This will bring about a chilling effect on teachers.
Recently, it was reported that opposing the war legislation, high school students across Japan raised their voices and actively participated in protest actions. They did the right thing as citizens exercising their sovereign power and as members of the young generation who would be the ones sent to battlefields under the war legislation.
Only in a free atmosphere where students and teachers can frankly exchange their views on political issues can students learn what the concept of sovereign means and increase their political awareness.
To guarantee students’ political rights is vital for them to become adult citizens contributing to creating a peaceful nation and society which are guaranteed in the Japanese Constitution.
Past related articles:
> High school students request Dietmembers to kill war bills [August 29, 2015]
> 5,000 high school students parade in Shibuya to oppose PM’s war bills [August 3, 2015]
The planned notice will impose a ban or restrictions on political activities which senior high school students are engaged in outside of school. Students will be prohibited or constrained from demonstrating in political movements within school-bounds even on holidays and after school. In addition, any such action will not also be allowed in student councils and school club activities.
This notice will not only cause students to hesitate to take part in political activities, but also restrain students from even thinking about and discussing political matters.
Stating that teachers should refrain from expressing their own political viewpoints and opinions in school, the ministry’s notice also seeks to impose controls on teachers. This will bring about a chilling effect on teachers.
Recently, it was reported that opposing the war legislation, high school students across Japan raised their voices and actively participated in protest actions. They did the right thing as citizens exercising their sovereign power and as members of the young generation who would be the ones sent to battlefields under the war legislation.
Only in a free atmosphere where students and teachers can frankly exchange their views on political issues can students learn what the concept of sovereign means and increase their political awareness.
To guarantee students’ political rights is vital for them to become adult citizens contributing to creating a peaceful nation and society which are guaranteed in the Japanese Constitution.
Past related articles:
> High school students request Dietmembers to kill war bills [August 29, 2015]
> 5,000 high school students parade in Shibuya to oppose PM’s war bills [August 3, 2015]
