|
Koizumi wants education law revision enacted this Diet session+
(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TOKYO, April 14_(Kyodo) _ Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Friday the government wants to enact a bill revising Japan's Fundamental Law of Education during the current Diet session.
Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the New Komeito party, finalized the bill Thursday paving the way for the first amendment of the 1947 law on basic philosophies for education.
At his official residence, Koizumi said he and LDP policy chief Hidenao Nakagawa agreed earlier Friday there is a need to enact the legislation during the current Diet session, which runs through June 18.
On Thursday, Koizumi declined to clarify whether the government will try to enact the legislation during the current session.
Koizumi's latest remarks come amid growing calls within Japan's governing coalition for the extension of the Diet session as time is likely to run out before the bill can be passed.
The governing parties ironed out their differences over the definition of the word "patriotism" under the education law.
Patriotism is defined in the bill as "an attitude which respects tradition and culture, loves the nation and homeland that have fostered them, and contributes to international peace and development."
The two parties agreed to stress the importance of public spirit and tradition in the bill's preamble along with other factors they think should be newly incorporated to update the conventional 11-article education law.
The LDP has been unable to realize its longstanding goal of revising the postwar education law as a way to promote patriotism, public spirit and respect for tradition due to public concern that such an amendment could lead to a rise of nationalism similar to that seen in Japan in the run-up to World War II.
A group of 19 intellectuals, including writers and university professors, released a statement Friday opposing the bill's submission to the Diet, saying it is feared that it will enable authorities to goad the public in a manner similar to the prewar era.
Japan's opposition parties have also raised objections to the bill.
On the governing coalition, New Komeito Diet affairs chief Junji Higashi proposed Friday setting up a special House of Representatives committee as an option to expedite deliberations so the bill can be passed by the end of the current session.
The LDP's House of Councillors secretary general Toranosuke Katayama said separately that another option is to carry the bill over to the next Diet session.
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
|
INDUSTRIES
Activate Email 
Find Solutions for Enterprises, SMBs & Service Providers at the INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference and EXPO East, January 20-22, 2010. Miami, FL.
