Protest against Forcing Passage of Revision of Fundamental Law of Education

 

On 15 December the Japanese Government and the ruling bloc pushed through the bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education in the Upper House following the Lower House. The enactment was led by the tyranny of the majority. We protest against railroading the bill to revise an important law, which has been recognized as a quasi Japanese Constitution, without full discussion, and in flat defiance of the voices of the people.

 

Many negative facts such as “fake questions”, and so-called “rewards” were revealed continuously in the Town Meeting the Government has hosted in order to “listen to the voices of the people”. That means the believability of “the voices of the people” crumbled at its foundation. “Bullying” in schools and “suicide” committed by children and people involved in education due to bullying exposes the serious deterioration of situations in schools. In addition, another issue is pointed out as a bad effect of competition in school entrance exams. That is recently-discovered shortage of school credits. At many high schools students are allowed to learn subjects necessary for the entrance exams without learning other curriculum-based subjects.

It was no in-depth discussions, but was evasions or avoidance of responsibility by the Government that stood out in the Diet. Ignoring the voices to call for the concrete countermeasures against problems at schools, Prime Minister Abe pushed ahead with the controversial legislation.

 

The revised law puts emphasis on “respect for public spirit” in the preamble to it, and it includes “love of nation” in Article 2, “Goals of Education”. It contradicts postwar democratic education, restores values which lead to prewar conditions, and that can be said as aiming at switching a set of values from “individual” to “public”. We should not allow nationalist education which tramples constitutionally-guaranteed “Freedom of one’s thought” or freedom in spirit and forces state values to individuals.

 

From now the Government is going to launch revision of 33 concerned law including School Education Law. In concert with that, the Council for Regeneration of Education is going to conduct a review of educational contents and undertake drastic reform of the Law of Teaching Credential and Educational System. On the same day, the Government enacted the legislations. They are the bill to upgrade the Defense Agency into a full ministry and its concerned legislation to upgrade SDF’s overseas operation into a “primary duty”. Abe’s next target is to amend the Japanese Constitution. It is clear that he is preparing to enact Conspiracy and National Referendum to smooth the way for Constitutional amendments.

 

We cannot allow moves to a military power and amendment of the Constitution toward it, and we do continue to fight together with all the people seeking peace, democracy and social justice.

   

16 December, 2006

Japan Confederation of Railway Workers’ Unions (JRU)