Revolutionary verdict on ‘exclusion of Korean schools,’ ‘missile launch’

 

 The Osaka District Court on July 28 ruled that the government’s decision to exclude Korean schools from free tuition act is illegal. The same night, North Korea launched a ballistic missile, which dominated news reports the next day. How are we to understand the two events that happened on the same day? The Osaka court said in its ruling, “Education Minister SHIMOMURA Hakubun is seen to delete the provision out of the “free high school tuition” act in order to exclude Korean schools based on diplomatic and political views that granting Korean schools free tuition would not be accepted by the Japanese citizens as it would interfere with attempts to resolve North Korean abductee issues, which is unrelated to equality in education at a high-school level. Therefore, the court interprets deleting the provision as illegal and invalid.” 

 <Word of an Ant> 

＜アリの一言＞「朝鮮学校排除」に対する画期的判決と「ミサイル発射」

 

朝鮮学校を高校無償化法の対象から排除している国（安倍政権）の措置は違法であるとする画期的な判決が7月28日、大阪地裁でありましたが、その半日後の同日深夜、北朝鮮が「弾道ミサイル」を発射し、メディアは「ミサイル」一色になりました。くしくも同じ日に起こったこの２つの出来事に、私たちはどう向き合うべきでしょうか。大阪地裁判決（西田隆裕裁判長）は、こう断じました（判決要旨より）。「下村博文文科相は、後期中等教育段階の教育の機会均等とは無関係な、朝鮮学校に無償化を適用することは北朝鮮との間の拉致問題の解決の妨げになり、国民の理解が得られないという外交的・政治的意見に基づき、朝鮮高級学校を無償化の対象から排除するため、高校無償化法施行規則の規定を削除したものと認められる。従って、規定の削除は…違法・無効と解すべきである」（アリの一言）

Lawsuit over exclusion of Korean schools from Tuition-Free High School Education System: 340 cue to enter court gallery in Tokyo

The third hearing was held at the Tokyo District Court on Oct. 1 for the lawsuit where high school students of Tokyo Korean Junior and Senior High School are claiming state compensation for the damages caused by the exclusion of their school from the national system of free high school education. Before the start of the hearing at 10 am, some 340 people including teachers and students of the school, parents of the students, and supporters lined up outside the courthouse in rain to get tickets to enter the courtroom. For the first time for the case, the hearing was held in the largest room in the courthouse. Korean high schools are not provided government financial assistance applied to other foreign and international high schools from the High School Tuition Support Fund. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed concern on this situation in the concluding observations document of the periodic review for Japan conducted in Geneva, Switzerland  late in August, by stating that the legislative provisions and government's actions in Japan including the exclusion from the High School Tuition Support Fund and the suspension or continued decrease of funding allocated by local governments to Korean schools hinder the right to education of children of Korean origin and recommended the Japanese government to revise its position.  The long cue outside the courthouse could have reflected a widespread interest in this issue in the society. (By NISHIHANA Seiichiro)      

傍聴券もとめて340人～関心広がる東京朝鮮学校「高校無償化」裁判

１０月１日、東京地裁１０３大法廷で、東京朝鮮中高 級学 校に在籍する高校生への就学支援金不支給を巡る国家賠償請求訴訟の第三回口頭弁論が開かれた。 午前１０時前小雨の裁判所前には、今回初めて大法廷で行われる公判の傍聴券を求めて、同校の教員や生徒、保護者、支援者ら約３４０人が列 を作った。８月下旬にジュネーブで開催された国連•人種差別撤廃委員会の日本審 査で、朝鮮学校の「高校授業料就学支援金」制度からの除外や、その影響による各地方自治体の朝鮮学校への補助金の凍結や継続的な縮減に対 して、教育権を妨げる差別的な行政措置として懸念表明され、是正勧告が出された こともあり、裁判への関心の広がりが感じられた。（西中誠一郎） 

Japanese government should stop discrimination, exclusion

 “Dignity and human rights to all”—about 600 people gathered on a common cause at a Tokyo park on Jan. 25 to demand that the Japanese government comply with UN recommendations on human rights. “The government says it is not obliged to comply with UN recommendations on human rights,” NOHIRA Shinsaku of Peace Boat said at the gathering. “A man trespassed on a Korean school in Kobe recently and threw punches at a teacher. The Japanese government is one that discriminates against others. We must continue our movement to resolve human rights infringement.” After the event, participants marched in demand for free tuition for Korean school students, respect for minority’s rights, promoting the correct recognition of history as well as no nuclear. (By OZAWA Kuniko)

 日本政府は差別・排除をやめよ！～国連・人権勧告の実現もとめて集会デモ

1 月25日、東京の代々木公園野外ステージで「国連・人権勧告の実現を！－すべての人に尊厳と人権をー」の集会とデモがあり、約600人が参加しました。主 催者あいさつで、ピースボートの野平晋作さんは「国連の人権勧告に従う義務なしと日本政府は言うが、つい最近も神戸の朝鮮学校で、学校に侵入した男が教師 に殴りかかるという事件が起こった。日本政府は差別・排除の張本人だ。今後も運動を継続し、私たちの抱える人権問題を解決してゆこう」と訴えました。集会 後、「朝鮮学校の無償化排除」「マイノリティの人権」「歴史認識」「脱原発」などの課題ごとに梯団を組み、デモ行進を行いました。（尾澤邦子） 

6000 people rally against exclusion of Korean schools from tuition-free high school system

The event was held on March 31 at Tokyo’s Hibiya Park, where 6,000 people gathered to voice against exclusion of Korean schools from tuition-free high school system. The government of ABE Shinzo  revised the ministry order in order to do so. Korean schools have been disputed whether or not to be entitled for free tuition The Abe administration tried to end the ordeal and decided that it would not let them offer free tuition. Mainstream media have slowly lost interest in reporting on this issue, but the Tokyo event showed how people’s interest was rising not to exclude any schools. The students of Korean high schools and their parents have also spoken up. People representing all 10 Korean schools across the country participated in this event. By YUMOTO Masahiro


高校無償化「朝鮮学校はずしにＮＯ！～3・31全国集会」に6000名
3 月31日、東京で「朝鮮学校はずしにＮＯ！全国集会＆パレード」が開催され、全国から6000名が参加し、会場の東京・日比谷野外音楽堂はぎっしり埋まっ た。安倍政権は政権発足直後、朝鮮高校を「高校無償化」から除外するための省令「改正」を行い、それまで延々と引き伸ばされてきたこの問題を最悪の形で終 わらせようと目論んだ。またマスコミも当初ほどの報道から手を引きつつある中、この集会は無償化排除を許さない新たな闘いの盛り上がりを感じさせた。この 運動をけん引してきたのは、当事者である朝鮮高校生とその親たちである。今集会でも全国の10あるすべての朝鮮高校の代表が参加した。（湯本雅典）