Foes of Ishihara's education policy fight
his re-election bid
A signature drive is being waged by 14 citizens'
groups seeking to keep outspoken Tokyo Gov.
Shintaro Ishihara, whose authoritarian education
policy they deeply oppose, from winning a third
term in April.
"This is part of our movement to show
Ishihara that (residents) oppose his (education)
policy," Yoichi Komori, a University of
Tokyo professor heading one of the groups, said
Tuesday. "We want to raise public awareness
that (his education policy) is a major point
of contention in the election."
Ishihara, first elected governor in 1999, officially
announced last month that he will seek another
term. He has recently drawn fire for spending
too much money on official overseas trips and
over his fourth son's questionable involvement
in metropolitan government projects, but he
is also considered unbeatable.
The 14 groups blame Ishihara for wielding too
much control over teachers and for creating
excessive competition among public schools by
evaluating them on such criteria as student
academic or sports performances.
Toshio Suzuki, a teacher of Japanese history
at a public high school in Tokyo, said the metropolitan
board of education is still trying to force
teachers to stand and face the Hinomaru flag
and sing the "Kimigayo" national anthem
during school ceremonies, even after the Tokyo
District Court ruled in September that such
pressure is illegal. The metropolitan government
has appealed the case to a higher court.
"We demanded that officials at the board
of education explain (Tuesday) why they are
pursuing this, but they refused to reply, saying
the case is in dispute," Suzuki said. "I
think their attitude reflects the metropolitan
government's strong-arm tactics."
Since October 2003, the board of education
has ordered teachers to stand and sing the anthem.
Those who refuse are punished, including temporary
pay cuts and suspensions from work.
Kumiko Miura, a member of a group opposing
a contentious, revisionist history textbook
for junior high schools that critics say whitewashes
Japan's wartime aggression, said the board has
approved use of the book at some public schools
without listening to the opinions of residents
and teachers.
"I don't want (Ishihara) to run for (re-election),
Miura said. Heads of local governments appoint
members of boards of education.
The 14 groups hope to collect thousands of
signatures by Feb. 10 and submit them to the
metropolitan government, Komori said.
