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ANALYSE DE L’ACTUALIté 1. Mr. Abe's programme 2. A Reform of the Fundamental Law on Education 3. The Consequences of the North-Korean Nuclear Test 4. An Improvement in Japan-China Relations POINTS OF NEWS Wada Haruki, «Abe Shinzô's Historic Consciousness in Question», Sekai, oct. 2006 l Kobayashi Yôichi, «Conveying Grassroots Voices to the Diet», Sekai, nov. 2006 l Kitaoka Shinichi, «Five Options of Deterrence Towards North Korea», Chûô kôron, dec. 2006 l Ebata Kensuke, «Basic Notions in Nuclear Matters», Chûô kôron, dec. 2006 l Asô Tarô, «The United States Have Reaffirmed the Nuclear Umbrella», Chûô kôron, dec. 2006, (interview of Teshima Ryûichi). l Okazaki Hisahiko, «Out of Asia and Towards the United States, Once Again.», Chûô kôron, dec. 2006.
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French Editor: G. Delamotte. Translation: Peter Brown
In October, Mr. Abe set up a commission to completely reorganise education (kyôiku saisei kaigi), its mission being “to build an education system that is adapted to the 21st century”. Special commissions for educational reform had already been established by his predecessors, first Mr. Nakasone (1987), then Messrs Obuchi and Mori. With the Nobel laureate for Chemistry, Noyori Ryôji, as its chairman, this 17 member commission[1] will submit an interim report next March.
The brief of this commission is to come up with ways of reforming syllabi with a view, according to the political programme of the PLD, to stimulate young peoples’ ambition and imbue them with a love of their country. In addition to this goal of reforming the very content of the curriculum, there is also the objective of reforming the administration of education, and particularly the education boards.
The responsibility of these boards has in fact been called into question by recent events. The malicious behaviour of certain children towards their schoolmates (ijime) led to the suicide of six children in one month this past autumn[1]. However, the boards are seemingly not inclined to divulge any details about incidents in relation to this behaviour or to seek to know whether such incidents are occurring within their jurisdiction (the Minister of Education, M. Ibuki, regrets that parents regard good schools as being ones in which such incidents are not reported[2]). A good many education boards have reacted to these recent events by setting up enquiries into schools under their jurisdiction.
A bill to reform the fundamental law is currently before the Diet[3]. It was already passed in a first reading by the Lower House on November 16th. The opening two articles of the bill state, in particular, that education “aims to develop the full personality of students” and must prepare them “to live in a democratic and peaceful society and nation” (art. 1). Education affords a central place to knowledge, individual values and autonomy, equality of the sexes, altruism and the public interest, and a respect for life, nature and the environment. It fosters an attitude that can contribute to peace and the development of the international community through respect for Japanese traditions and culture, in a love of the country which bore these and a respect for other nations (art. 2). The bill is different from the current law by dropping a reference to the Constitution in its preamble and by citing Japanese traditions and “a love of the country” (rather than the term aikokushin, it is the periphrase “kuni wo ai suru” that is used).
French Editor: G. Delamotte. Translation: Peter Brown
The writer emphasises the importance of educational reform for Mr. Abe and the break that the draft bill represents with the spirit of the present fundamental law.
Mr. Abe is the first Prime Minister to be born post-war, whose party has committed itself in its electoral programme to revising the Constitution within five years. For this politician, what is paramount is to give the people the impression that he has managed to radically change the policy of the post-war period. Education is at the top of the list of his plans for reform. In October, immediately after the Prime Minister’s election, a think tank close to Mr. Abe, “the Organisation for the Regeneration of Education” (Nihon kyôiku saisei kykô), headed by the lawyer Yagi Hidetsugu, who is a key figure in the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, held a meeting about education. By means of this reform of a law dating back to the immediate post-war period that had never been amended, the Prime Minister intended to bolster his image as a new-generation Head of State.
In 1999, at the time of the passing of the law on flag raising and singing of the national anthem in schools, Mr. Abe lent his support to making them compulsory at ceremonies marking the start and the close of studies. A decree was published in relation to this on the eve of Mr. Abe’s election as president of the PLD. Four hundred and one teachers then instituted proceedings against the Tokyo education board and the city of Tokyo which wanted to make flag raising and singing compulsory. The Tokyo district court ruled that such an obligation would be anti-constitutional (art. 19 of the Constitution) and ran counter to provisions of the 1999 law (art. 10).
The ultimate aim of the draft legislation is to break the connection between education and the Constitution. The preamble to the education law currently in force (which dates from 1947) begins with the following words, which are deleted in the present bill: “Having established a Constitution, [built a democratic and culturally rich nation, we have resolved to contribute to the well-being of humanity and world peace].”[1] This was a reminder that sovereignty was no longer imperial but a matter for the people, and that from now on the government would not be declaring any more wars.