A High School Labeled As Politically Impartial

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) released a report on an accident of overturn of two boats in offshore Henoko, Okinawa, in which one of the passengers who were students of Doshisha International High School died on March 16th. The ministry recognized that the program of the high school violated Basic Act of Education which prohibited schools to have political activity. It is concerned that the decision discourages schools to have a program related to political issues.

The accident occurred when two boats cruised the sea area where construction of new military base of the United States Force. Twenty-one passengers on the boats, including eighteen students, fell into the sea. A female student and a captain of one of two boats were found dead, while others were rescued.

 

The boats were usually used for protesting activity against building a new base in Henoko. While the government of Japan started the landfill in 2018, the governor of Okinawa and majority of the people in Okinawa have been opposing to the construction, arguing that Okinawa has been suffering from excessive burden of having U.S. forces in their community.

 

It was the first time, since enforcement of the law in 1947, for the government of Japan to adopt Basic Act of Education to an educational program in school in a view of political equality. “The schools prescribed by law shall refrain from education in favor of or against any specific political party, and from other political activities,” says Article 14 of the law. The ministry regarded the program for studying landfill in Henoko as violating the provision.

 

The ministry found that the teachers of the high school had recognized the boat as used for activity of protest. The ministry also found that the school had not sufficiently been introduced viewpoints of both side on Henoko issue. The report indicated that the program was biased on a specific viewpoint. It also accused that safety measures were insufficient.

 

The ministry demanded Doshisha to enhance safety measures in programs, to review the program of visiting Henoko and to explain details about the accident to parents of their students. The government of Kyoto prefecture considers cutting subsidy for Doshisha International High School. The government of Japan filed a criminal charge against the dead captain who was a pastor and activist against building Henoko base.

 

It is concerned how this issue impacts on other schools which have programs related to political issues. The Basic Act of Education does not specifically describe what kind of program would violate political impartiality in education. It is common for students to listen to the stories of sufferers from atomic bomb in Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Those hibakushas demand Japan to join Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Japanese government refuse it. Teachers may think that their program hearing from hibakushas would be illegal.

 

In 2015, prefectural assembly member in Yakaguchi accused a high school that had a program on controversial security legislation by Shinzo Abe administration. A kindergarten run by Moritomo Gakuen, which chairman was found guilty on corruption, let its pupils to make a speech to support prime minister Abe. Adoption of political impartiality must not be arbitrary.

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