By Keiichi Inai

The Government submitted the Fundamental-Law-of-Education reform bill to Parliament in May. Their goal was to pass the bill before the end of the current session. However, it was decided to carrying it over for consideration at the extraordinary session of the Diet in the autumn. The greatest focus of the bill is the incorporation of the item about patriotism.

The proposed bill states that while loving our country and hometown, the attitude of respect for foreign countries and the contribution to the peace of international society and development should be supported. On the other hand, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) proposal states that the heart of loving Japan should be cultivated, which is, in reality, no different even though they are trying to appear to oppose the government.

Although patriotism should be encouraged, the obligatory education of patriotism like in wartime must be absolutely avoided because there is a possibility that the state may brainwash people. The fundamental Law of Education is an important educational idea which must be made with children, guardians, citizens, and teachers. The law needs to be discussed carefully, like the Constitution, throughout the country so that there is no ambiguity.

The main focus of this argument is the item about patriotism, but there is no expression about patriotism in the present Fundamental Law of Education. Therefore, the ruling and opposition parties have to explain what patriotism education is in order to convince people, because some people may have a sense that Japan will return its former wartime education system by forcing patriotism.

The basis of the present Fundamental Law of Education is to avoid repeating the Imperial Rescript on Education, which drove Japan to war. The government should debate it seriously in order to prevent any future government from picking a convenient portion out of a provision and using it arbitrarily.

Underlying this Fundamental-Law-of-Education revision are various problems which have arisen at schools, such as the decline in academic abilities, classroom collapse, bullying, school refusal, an increase in juvenile delinquency and a loss of morals. People have continued asking the government for solutions to these problems.

In an article of the reform bill, the description of public spirit states that its aim is to train people to be rich in humanity and imagination, and to respect peopleﾕs contributions to society. However, by incorporating only public spirit in the Fundamental Law of Education, education problems will not be resolved. The government has to consider how to make the best use of the ideas of the Fundamental Law of Education for school problems, and it has to show concrete measures.

The Fundamental Law of Education, together with the Constitution, has been guiding the peace of postwar Japan. Although a majority of votes by referendum are required for revision of the constitution, the revision of the Fundamental Law of Education will be decided only by Parliament. Therefore, the government has to deliberate carefully. Debate is being carried over to the next session this time, but even so, it may not necessarily be settled then. The government has the responsibility to thoroughly answer questions the reform bill raises so that people will not be confused. Since we have an opportunity to spend a long time to discuss it, the government should debate the reform bill carefully.

Moreover, the government also has to discuss how and if patriotism education should be taught. If they plan to instill patriotism by force, there is a possibility of a violation of the freedom of expression. A similar problem about the violation of the freedom of expression happened concerning the national flag and national anthem law which came in to effect in 1999. At that time, the government said it was not compulsory to show the national flag or to sing the national anthem. Now, however, hoisting the national flag and singing the national anthem are compulsorily. According to the Ministry of Education, teachers who received disciplinary action or dismissal because of their opposition to the hoisting of the national flag and the singing of the national anthem totaled 125 people in 2004. If the patriot education reform bill is implemented, the same kinds of problems as above will be repeated.

The education reform problem is not only a governmental problem, but a critical problem which all Japanese have to consider. The national government, local governments, teachers and parents have to unite for our children's future.