Japan Press Weekly

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2016 December 21 - 2017 January 3 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Education council’s report seeks to cultivate children who will support government’s pro-business policy

The Central Council for Education on December 21 submitted to the Education Minister a proposal associated with a complete revision of the official guidelines for education which will be implemented for the first time in nine years.

The Abe administration strengthened its control over education on the grounds that the role of education is to foster human resources contributing to changing Japan into a “nation capable of fighting wars” and “the most-business friendly country in the world”. The council’s proposal reflects this government stance.

Aichi University of Education professor Koyasu Jun pointed out that the education council’s proposal seeks to cultivate children in line with the purpose of the Basic Act on Education which is to foster the “value of respect for tradition and culture” and the “love of the country and regions”.

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Hatano Kimie, who is in charge of education issues in the JCP Dietmembers’ group, released a comment.

Hatano noted that the education council’s report places importance on developing children’s “talents” and “abilities” which the government considers to be necessary. She pointed out that the imposition of such education specialized only in global human resources development based on demands of the state authorities and business circles will bring about negative effects on children’s sound intellectual growth.

Regarding the so-called “active learning” process which the report proposes as a new teaching method, Hatano said that in order to make this teaching technique effective in class, teachers must be released from excessive hard work and be allowed more academic independence.

Referring to the controversial introduction of English education in elementary schools, Hatano stressed that this policy will lay heavier burdens on teachers. She also said that to give senior high school students a new social studies class which lacks the fundamental constitutional principle of respect for the individual is unacceptable.

Hatano pointed out that although the Constitution requires the government authority to refrain from interfering in schools as much as possible, the proposal calls for more state control over school education. She criticized the report as departing from education’s fundamental goal of “perfection of the human character” of each child.