Japanese schools to teach patriotism
This story is a little old (around one month) but it is going to tie in nicely with the posts I’m going to make this evening. This, from the BBC website:
Japan schools to teach patriotism
Japan’s lower house of parliament has approved a new law requiring schools to teach children to be patriotic. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition voted for the law, which cites “loving our country” as a goal of Japanese pupils’ compulsory education.
Opposition members of parliament protested against the bill, warning that it could spread nationalism. The new legislation will be sent to the upper house for further debate and is expected to become law next month.
Parliament changed the Basic Education Law in December, requiring teachers to encourage patriotism as part of Japanese children’s compulsory education for the first time since World War II.
New goal
But Wednesday’s revision stated that developing “the attitude of loving our country and hometown” and “the attitude of participating in society based on social norms and public spirit” would now be a required goal of compulsory education in Japan.
The bill will also reinforce the education minister’s power over local education boards, and introduce a requirement for teachers to renew their licences every 10 years.
The move to instill patriotism may also meet concern from South Korea and China, which remain suspicious of Japan because of its wartime aggressions.
On Monday, Japan’s upper house of parliament passed a bill setting out steps for holding a referendum on revising the country’s pacifist constitution, which has not been changed since 1947.
Drawn up by the US occupation authorities after WWII, it bans military force in settling international disputes and prohibits maintaining a military for warfare.
But the government wants Japan to be more assertive on the world stage, with a military able to take part in peacekeeping missions abroad.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6669061.stm
Now I’m all for the teaching licence one, but the teaching patriotism could be a little disturbing, and I know some of my teaching colleagues are not exactly overwhelmed with joy at the prospect. Admittedly, it could be transformed into any sort of class the school requires (i.e. it could be teaching patriotism, but is in fact just another Japanese lesson).
It does provide a little food for thought though, especially as it was announced last week that a board of education in Wakayama prefecture had been grading schools on how well they sing they national anthem. Note that this is not just a “do they sing it or not”, but how well it is done. Is the national flag shown and does everyone face it, is the song sung with enough gusto etc. Strange, as Wakayama is generally regarded as a relatively liberal prefecture. The question is, what would happen in that instance if teachers at a school are not making sure the anthem is sung “properly”? Will they be disciplined by the school by the Board of Education, possible even losing their jobs? From here, it’s not too far until students are being told to sing songs about the emperor daily again and that path would not be a good one for Japan to walk down IMO.
Incidentally, in Okinawa when the national anthem is played at school events, the reaction is mixed from the teachers and parents. Around half will stand, and half again will sing it. The other half will either sit down or some will even turn away, so strong is the feeling towards Japan and the Japanese government’s actions in the past towards Okinawa. The students will all stand but not sing - I don’t think any of them would dare sit down due to the peer pressure involved in doing that, and the Japanese insistence on not making a stand on things.
How does everyone else feel on this one?
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