For Intervention in Education

Headquarters for Promoting Constitutional Amendment in Liberal Democratic Party approved the draft of amending the provision about education on Wednesday. The draft requires the government active involvement in improving educational environment, which is already determined in Basic Act on Education. Following another draft on electoral districts along with the border of prefectures, LDP keeps on creating the drafts of unnecessary amendment.

 

As the conservative lawmakers, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his colleagues have been promoting educational reform, aiming at restoration of pre-war education that generates students’ obedience to the government. Hating their political enemy Japan Teachers’ Union, LDP has been making effort to eliminate liberal education that respects for diversity of each student. Educational reform is one of the most important issues in constitutional amendment.

 

Article 26 of the Constitution tells that “All people shall have the right to receive an equal education correspondent to their ability, as provided by law” and “All people shall be obliged to have all boys and girls under their protection receive ordinary education as provided for by law. Such compulsory education shall be free.” The draft adds a sentence in the first paragraph of the article, which demands no educational discrimination with economic reason.

 

While the draft tried to assure equal education for every student, LDP refrained from making new provision of education for free. Abe administration hoped to achieve cooperation from Japan Restoration Party, which had been appealing necessity for education for free, to collect votes for initiative of constitutional amendment in the Diet. Failing to find budgetary resource for it, however, LDP gave up including the word of “free” in the draft.

 

The draft also adds new paragraph that reads “The government has to make effort to maintain educational environment.” That is to urge the government securing necessary budget for education. But, the opposite parties interpreted the draft as further intervention of the government to the schools. Needless to say, the government is responsible for maintenance of good environment of education, as determined in the Constitution that guarantees people’s right to have education. It is fair to say that the additional provision for further involvement of the government can give the government new chance to intervene. The discussion for constitutional amendment by LDP is always directed to enhance governmental power over ordinary people.