"Training" To Punish Teachers Who Refused To Stand Up along Kimigayo: a Hundred Supporters Protested

The Tokyo Metropolitan Education Board held on July 21 a "training" to prevent recurrence of disobedience to its notice of 2003 that demanded upstanding while the national anthemn is played during ceremonies at prefectural schools. Three out of seven teachers who refused to stand up while Kimigayo was played during the graduation or the entrance ceremonies attended the "training". The other four resigned by the time of "training." Approximately 100 people gathered in front the training center of the TMEB, the venue of the "training," to protest to it and support the punished teachers. A group of lawyers attempted to submit a letter to the TMEB that denounces the notice, but the TMEB refused to receive it without giving reasons. In the past, they received similar letters for six times. It is suspected that their move this time was inspired by the supreme court's rulings of June and July that concluded the TMEB's notice was constitutional. One of the teachers who did not stand along with Kimigayo during the entrance ceremony said after the "training" that s/he had always refused to stand up, but was never condemned before. "I am not ashamed," said s/he. "Though the TMEB tried to discipline me on charge of negligence on duty, there is no reason why I should be reproached." (Hidekiyo Watabe)

「君が代不起立」教員3名にイジメ研修～約100人が抗議に駆けつける

7月21日、都教委による再発防止研修が行われました。対象となったのは、今春の卒・入学式での「君が代」不起立者7名中、退職者を除く3名です。研修抗議・該当者支援行動には、約100名が集まり、盛り上がりました（写真）。しかし、今回都教委は、研修センター前での弁護団の申し入れを一方的に拒否しました。理由を聞いても答えず、申し入れ書も受け取らない、という姿勢をとりました。これまで、7回にわたり行われてきたことを突然拒否してきたのです。「最高裁判決でお墨付きをもらったから問答無用」というのでしょうか。研修後、入学式で「不起立」したTさんは「今回はじめての現認（これまでは見過ごされていた）で、処分と研修となった。服務事故というが、不起立は恥ずべきものではないと思っている。非難されるいわれはない」と語りました。（渡部秀清）