Japan Press Weekly

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2014 June 11 - 17 [POLITICS]

Bill to allow local gov’t heads to interfere in education enacted

A bill to revise the law on local educational administration and strengthen municipal heads’ control over education on June 13 was passed through the House of Councilors and became law by the majority vote of the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties. The Japanese Communist Party voted against the bill.

After the enforcement of the law, a local government head will directly appoint the head of the board of education secretariat who is currently chosen by members of the board.

The revised law will give a municipal head the authority to draw up basic guidelines on school education.

JCP member of the Upper House Tamura Tomoko in a discussion prior to the voting on that day pointed out that the guideline could step on education commission’s authority, such as in the selection of school textbooks, and violate the aspired political neutrality of education.

The JCP Dietmember also stated that the true aim of Prime Minister Abe’s education reform plan, including the bill in question, is to impose on children a distorted form of patriotism and morals as well as to intensify competition among students.

Tamura cited the fact that the Shizuoka Prefectural governor provoked much criticism after arbitrarily releasing a part of the national achievement test results for students in the prefecture and that the Osaka Mayor’s interference in education brought about confusion in the classrooms. Under such circumstances, it is wrong to strengthen the power of mayors and governors over education, she stressed.