Mild Check for Education Board and Intimidation to Teachers: Supreme Court conclude politically on Kimigayo-related suspensions

The supreme court gave rulings on January 16 on three lawsuits filed by a total of 166 public school teachers who refused to stand and sing Kimigayo anthem at schools events. The court annulled suspensions and pay-cuts regarding two plaintiffs acknowledging that such punishments by Tokyo Metropolitan Education Board were excessive. However, the reprimands given to other 163 plaintiffs were endorsed.
While some appreciate the court's decision on the account that it will control the education board's moves to some extent, many find it unsatisfactory because the suspension was not annulled in the case of Ms. Kimiko Nezu, the icon of Kimigayo lawsuits. Both the plaintiff herself and the supporters were puzzled at first, but they came to understand what happened as they closely examined the verdict: The record of suspensions prior to the present case, including the one for ripping of Hinomaru flag, was mentioned. Mr. Makoto Iwai, the layer representing Ms. Nezu, severely criticized the court in the debriefing session. "The verdict shows the strong feeling of disgust the judges have against Ms. Nezu. They are determined not to tolerate those who disturb the order. It will impose enormous pressure on public schools." While the court mildly warned the education board, it relentlessly ruled out the plea of Ms. Nezu most probably to intimidate those may follow her suit.
The two-sided verdict reflects a political intension of the supreme court to interrupt the solidarity among teachers fighting against Kimigayo. (By M)
Photo News; Report by Yumi Sasaki; YouTube Video; Video (Remark of Lawyer Makoto Iwai); Photo: Lawyer Iwai showing the banner accusing the two-sided verdict


「一定の歯止め」と「見せしめ」～最高裁「君が代処分」で政治的判決
1月16日、最高裁で「君が代不起立」教員に対する3つの裁判（計166名）の判決があった。判決では、都教委が停職処分や減給処分までしたのはやりすぎとして、2名については停職・減給を取り消したが、163名の戒告処分は是認した。「一定の歯止めがかかった」と評価する声もあったが、問題が残った。「不起立」のシンボル的存在である根津公子さんの停職処分取り消しがなかったからだ。「一体なぜ?」本人も支援者も「狐につままれた」状態。判決文を読んで分かったことは、根津さんの過去の処分歴（日の丸引き降ろし等）が問題にされていたことだ。岩井信弁護士は報告集会で、「根津さんへの嫌悪感に満ちた判決文。秩序を乱す人間については許さないという内容で、教育現場に息苦しい重圧をもたらすもの」と痛烈に批判した。「一定の歯止め」をかけた一方で容赦ない「見せしめ」、最高裁が二つの顔を体現した政治的分断判決だった。（M） 写真速報・動画（YouTube）　　・動画（岩井信弁護士のコメント）＊写真＝「分断判決弾劾」の垂れ幕をだす岩井弁護士

Osaka Prefectural Assembly Passes ‘Kimigayo’ Ordinance

Osaka Prefectural Assembly passed the “Kimigayo” ordinance, and it was enacted on June 3. The ordinance is to demand teachers of prefectural schools stand for the national anthem, known as Kimigayo. A citizens’ group released a protest letter to the local government, which said the reprimanding teachers who refuse to stand for and sing the national anthem, as well as threatening them by it, obstruct children’s right to know a diverse sense of value in society and people’s right to form their own personality. Treating teachers who refuse to stand up for the national anthem and reprimanding them would also hurt children. They would end up not making their own decisions and learning not to protest authorities without respecting their own ideas. The group announced that it would expand the protest action. Photo: rally held on May 26.

大阪府議会が「君が代」強制条例可決！～橋下知事の暴挙に抗議の声
6月3日午後7時32分、大阪府議会本会議において「君が代」条例が可決・成立した。「日の丸・君が代」強制反対ホットライン大阪は、この暴挙に対してただちに抗議声明を発表した。声明では「教職員に対して罰則と恫喝によって起立・斉唱を強制することは、子どもたちが社会には多様な価値観が存在することを知り、自己の人格を自由に形成すること阻害します。また、不起立の教職員に対する“犯罪者”的な扱いと“処罰”は、子どもたちの心を傷つけ、事がらが正しいのか誤っているのかの判断を行わず、意に反してでも権力者に逆らわない子どもたちを育てることにつながります」と強調し、この違憲条例に対する反対運動を広げていくことを明らかにした。 ＊写真＝5/26の緊急反対集会

Resistance never dies! Despite unlawful punishment for “Refusal for standing up during Kimigayo playing”

TANAKA Satoshi, a teacher at Akiruno Gakuen school for the disabled, refused to stand up while Kimigayo, Japan’s controversial national anthem, was being played at its entrance ceremony in April 2011 for his belief. The Tokyo Metropolitan Education Board forcibly reprimanded Mr. Tanaka, 41, on May 26 at its regular meeting. About 20 people demanded the board not to punish him in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building (photo). NEZU Kimiko, who was teaching at the same school before retirement and also refused to stand up during Kimigayo playing, said, “Simply asking children to follow a command without teaching the meaning of the anthem is to rob their thinking skills. One of the reasons of the recent nuclear disaster in Fukushima is that everyone ‘does not think or doubt’ at all, and has been deceived by the ‘myth of nuclear safety’”. People who participated in the session of the education board demanded the board members, “Stop punishing” and “Shame on you”. Mr. Tanaka’s refusal to stand up during Kimigayo playing was beyond expectation for the education board and showed that resistance never dies. (M)


抵抗の灯は消えない！～「君が代不起立」田中聡史さんに不当処分
4月の入学式で根津公子さんと同じ職場の「あきる野学園」教諭の田中聡史さん（41歳）は、自らの信条に従い「君が代不起立」をしたが、5月26日、東京都教育委員会は定例会で田中さんの処分（戒告）を強行した。この日は朝から支援の仲間約20人が都庁前でチラシを撒き、処分をしないように訴えた（写真）。根津さんはマイクを握り「歌の意味も教えないでただ従えということは、子どもから考える力を奪うこと。今回の原発事故も“考えない・疑問をもたない”大人ばかりになったことが遠因で、多くの人が“原発安全神話”に乗せられた。君が代問題と原発問題はつながっている」と訴えた。都教委を傍聴した人たちは職員が制止する中、大きな声で「処分をやめろ」「都教委は恥を知れ」と教育委員にぶつけるように叫んだ。田中さんの不起立は都教委としては予想外の出来事で、抵抗の灯が消えていないことを強く示すことになった。（M）

Schools becoming the world of “Modern Times” – LaborNet TV “Special Program on Education”

On February 24, 2011, the first special program of “LaborNet TV” was broadcast for approximately 80 minutes with the title, “Too oppressive to breathe! What’s going on at schools in Tokyo now”. Teachers are nearly “suffocated” at schools in Tokyo under the governor Ishihara administration due to the coercion of the controversial “Hinomaru” Japanese national flag and “Kimigayo” national anthem, while freedom is suppressed. In the program, five teachers revealed the bare truth about what is happening at schools in Tokyo. A system to control teachers with PCs, called “Times”, is abnormal enough to astonish viewers, who said, “It’s the same as what is depicted in Charles Chaplin’s ‘Modern Times’”. Tsuchiya Tokachi, caster, angrily said, “The system named ‘Times’ is disgusting. Why is it necessary to apply private sector’s methods to the public education sector unnecessarily?” Tsujitani Hiroko, a school teacher in Osaka, introduced what the governor Hashimoto’s administration is doing in the prefecture in pursuit of the practice in Tokyo, and the teachers’ resistance to the move, and appealed, “Start with raising your voice and working in solidarity”. * Archive viewing * Photo: Teachers talking about reality of schools (Left: Katayama Kaoru, facilitator)

学校が「モダンタイムズ」に～レイバーネットTV「教育特番」
　2月24日、「レイバーネットTV」初の特番「窒息寸前！学校現場・東京なう」が、約80分にわたり放送された。石原都政下の学校は、「日の丸・君が代」強制で教員がものが言えなくなり、自由が消滅し「窒息寸前」の状態にある。番組では、5人の教員が登場し赤裸々にその実態を語った。とくに「タイムス」と呼ばれるPCによる教員管理システムの異常さに、「チャップリンの映画『モダンタイムス』と同じ」と驚きの声がギャラリーから上がった。土屋トカチキャスターは「タイムスは気持ち悪い。民間企業のやり方を教育の場でやっていいのか」と怒りのコメント。また大阪の教員・辻谷博子さんは、「東京」を後追いする橋下府政の実態と抵抗を紹介し「まず声を出すこと、つながることから始めよう」と呼びかけた。 ・アーカイブ視聴　　＊写真＝学校の実態を語る教員たち（左＝司会の片山薫さん）

210 gathered to protest against the coercion of Hinomaru Kimigayo

On February 6, a protest rally against the coercion of Hinomaru Kimigayo was held at the Tokyo Shigoto Center. Right-wing groups gathered twelve sound trucks in front of the venue to thunder out the Imperial Rescript on Education and jeer at the meeting repeatedly. Despite the obstruction from the rightist groups, 210 people attended the meeting, which was packed and successful. There were 18 speakers, excluding those who gave the main speech, singing, resolution and action proposal. All the speeches were exposing concrete facts on what is happening and how absurd the situation has become. (Hidekiyo Watabe)

厳しい情勢のなか「日の丸・君が代」強制反対集会に210人
2月6日、「日の丸・君が代強制反対 2・6総決起集会」が開かれました。すでに開場前から、東京しごとセンター前の道路に右翼の該当宣伝カーが12台ほど来て、大音響で「教育勅語」を流したり、私たちに対する罵声を繰り返していました。こうした右翼の動きにもかかわらず、主催者の予想を上回る210名の参加で、会場も超満員となり、集会は成功しました。集会では、基調報告、歌、講演、集会決議、行動提起を除き、計18人が発言しました。いずれも、現在起きている具体的な問題を暴露するもので、私たちを取り巻く情勢が、いかに理不尽なものになってきているかを物語るものばかりでした。（渡部秀清）