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2011 September 14 - 20 [EDUCATION]

Education Ministry urges district in Okinawa to adopt use of rightist textbook

The Education Ministry on September 15 instructed the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education to have its Yaeyama district use a right-wing civics textbook in junior high schools as recommended by a local council.

The Yaeyama district council for selecting textbooks on August 23 recommended that three municipalities in the district (Ishigaki City, Taketomi Town, and Yonaguni Town) use a civics textbook written by the rightist publisher Ikuhosha.

Vice Education Minister Mori Yuko on September 15 stated that her ministry recognizes the recommendation as valid.

On the other hand, the Okinawa Board of Education takes a different stance. It regards as valid a decision made by all educational board members in the three municipalities on September 8 that their junior high schools should use a civic textbook published by Tokyo Shoseki.