More Than 80 Protest "Recurrence Prevention Training" for Teachers Resisting to Kimigayo Imposition

"It was the first time for me to attend the course," said KOBAYASHI Keiko, a teacher at Tachibana High School for evening classes. "In the dark corridor of the second underground floor where the training was held, more than 10 staff of the education board were standing here and there. A woman was standing at the door of the toilet. I suspect that the purpose of the arrangement is to make us feel as if we were criminals." In March this year, six teachers working at municipal schools in Tokyo refused to stand up while Kimigayo was performed in graduation ceremony. One of them was imposed salary reduction by 10% for one month and the rest were reprimanded. In addition, they were obliged to attend "recurrence prevention training" that Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education impose on disobedient teachers every year to have them give up their thoughts. The training for the six teachers were held on April 6 in the board's teachers training center in central Tokyo. In the morning of the day, more than 80 citizens including retired teachers gathered in front of the training center to protest the punishment and show support to the six teachers. (By SASAKI Yumi)  Photos (in the full report in Japanese)    Video(YouTube) 

「君が代」不起立教員に「再発防止研修」～80名をこえる人々が抗議の声

教員の小林恵子さん（橘高校定時制）は、「今回初めての研修だった。地下2階の暗い中をおりていくと、廊下には10数人の職員が処々に立っていて、お手洗いにいくとその前には女性の職員がいた。『おまえたちは悪いことをした』ということを感じさせたいのだと思った」と話した。東京都では、今春の卒業式で6人の教員が「君が代」不起立をし、1人が減給10分の1・1ヵ月、5人が戒告処分とされた。都は、処分だけではあきたらず毎年、再発防止研修という思想転向の強要をくりかえしている。4月6日、その研修が水道橋の東京都教職員研修センターで行われた。朝8時半、センター前には、研修への抗議と不起立教員への支援のために80名をこえる元教員や市民が集まった。（佐々木有美） 報告・動画（YouTube）