The criticism against Japanese textbook screening from Asian countries
The criticism against Japanese textbook screening from Asian countries
In Japan all textbooks used in Japan's elementary and secondary schools must receive approval from the Ministry of Education prior to their use. Through this screening, the government controls the content of school textbooks. Especially textbooks in history are subject to careful screening that consistently excludes all photos of the war.This March the textbook screening for 2002 is being carried out. The textbooks to be screened include one which is compiled earnestly by people who has criticized the traditional textbooks for "self-torture" history.Criticism from Asian countries against this textbook has become more clamorous before the screening. And it becomes an issue whether the government of Japan intervenes in the decision to pass or fail this textbook.This topic includes following issues.(A) The content of Japanese textbook is criticised from other countries.(B) Textbook screening system is legitimate or not.(C) How should we teach our childeren about the past war of our own country?As for (A), the textbook screening in Japan is the system to point out some defects in the textbooks, reflected on the objective facts obtained by scholarly results.And among some textbooks, which pass the screening, local educational committees or teachers can select one textbook, which they will use. Even though one textbook based on extreme opinion was passed, the balance is kept and there is no problem.It is inappropriate interference in domestic affairs of Japan that the textbooks under the system are criticized from other countries. It is uncomfortable for us that some Asian countries criticize the content of textbooks of Japan. They are using this issue as the most effective diplomatic (political) resort against Japan. They immediately had to stop this criticism. And Japanese government had flatly to refuse.As for (B), the present screening system is only to point out some objective defects. Textbooks are widely used among students and children in the whole country. It is a problem that some defects are left in them. Therefore it is necessary to have such screening system. But I think following points are problems to revise.(1) This system has some opaque process. Which description was demanded to revise is not made public nor from what reason, what data they were demanded is not made public. These opaque processes lack objectivity and should be improved.(2) Although this system aims to point out the objective defects, it reflects the opinion of then central government. It is inappropriate to demand the amendment of the contents contrary to the government's opinion. In Japanese textbooks," wartime-sex slavery" is touched. But there is no historical facts to prove it and a negotiation in backside between Japan and Korea produced that such inaccurate thing was described in textbooks. Anyway screening system should be based on objectivity, science, not on politics.As for (C), war is not the thing, which can simply affirm or deny one-sidedly. It should be considered in the historical context. To reign over a country in the international society, political tactics are necessary. War is one of them, one of the choices.In the old days, an organization to settle some international disputes was weak and the weight of war in the political tactics was big. The people who decided to do a war then can't be criticized for that. Then-leaders were called to account for their failures.In the present day, there is an international organization such as UN to bring a complaint with about international dispute. So we had to seek a peace solution instead of war, which violate people's lives. Such political battles are a war in modern international society.Like this, the meaning of war has changed in history. So we shouldn't teach our children one-sidedly that war in past was bad thing.
In Japan all textbooks used in Japan's elementary and secondary schools must receive approval from the Ministry of Education prior to their use. Through this screening, the government controls the content of school textbooks. Especially textbooks in history are subject to careful screening that consistently excludes all photos of the war.This March the textbook screening for 2002 is being carried out. The textbooks to be screened include one which is compiled earnestly by people who has criticized the traditional textbooks for "self-torture" history.Criticism from Asian countries against this textbook has become more clamorous before the screening. And it becomes an issue whether the government of Japan intervenes in the decision to pass or fail this textbook.This topic includes following issues.(A) The content of Japanese textbook is criticised from other countries.(B) Textbook screening system is legitimate or not.(C) How should we teach our childeren about the past war of our own country?As for (A), the textbook screening in Japan is the system to point out some defects in the textbooks, reflected on the objective facts obtained by scholarly results.And among some textbooks, which pass the screening, local educational committees or teachers can select one textbook, which they will use. Even though one textbook based on extreme opinion was passed, the balance is kept and there is no problem.It is inappropriate interference in domestic affairs of Japan that the textbooks under the system are criticized from other countries. It is uncomfortable for us that some Asian countries criticize the content of textbooks of Japan. They are using this issue as the most effective diplomatic (political) resort against Japan. They immediately had to stop this criticism. And Japanese government had flatly to refuse.As for (B), the present screening system is only to point out some objective defects. Textbooks are widely used among students and children in the whole country. It is a problem that some defects are left in them. Therefore it is necessary to have such screening system. But I think following points are problems to revise.(1) This system has some opaque process. Which description was demanded to revise is not made public nor from what reason, what data they were demanded is not made public. These opaque processes lack objectivity and should be improved.(2) Although this system aims to point out the objective defects, it reflects the opinion of then central government. It is inappropriate to demand the amendment of the contents contrary to the government's opinion. In Japanese textbooks," wartime-sex slavery" is touched. But there is no historical facts to prove it and a negotiation in backside between Japan and Korea produced that such inaccurate thing was described in textbooks. Anyway screening system should be based on objectivity, science, not on politics.As for (C), war is not the thing, which can simply affirm or deny one-sidedly. It should be considered in the historical context. To reign over a country in the international society, political tactics are necessary. War is one of them, one of the choices.In the old days, an organization to settle some international disputes was weak and the weight of war in the political tactics was big. The people who decided to do a war then can't be criticized for that. Then-leaders were called to account for their failures.In the present day, there is an international organization such as UN to bring a complaint with about international dispute. So we had to seek a peace solution instead of war, which violate people's lives. Such political battles are a war in modern international society.Like this, the meaning of war has changed in history. So we shouldn't teach our children one-sidedly that war in past was bad thing.
posted by sekiya at 4:39 AM
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