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LEAD: Upper house panel meets to discuss revision of key education law
TOKYO, Nov. 22 Kyodo
(EDS: RECASTING, ADDING INFO)
A House of Councillors ad hoc committee met Wednesday to examine government-proposed legislation to revise the Fundamental Law of Education after opposition lawmakers decided to end their boycott of discussions.
The ruling coalition is placing top priority on passing the proposed revision during the current Diet session through Dec. 15. The revision aims to incorporate into Japan's law on education the idea of nurturing patriotism among students as a target of education. |
The opposition camp led by the Democratic Party of Japan had spurned Diet deliberations after the coalition single-handedly pushed the bill through the House of Representatives special committee on the education law on Nov. 15.
Opposition lawmakers decided to take part because the ruling bloc has agreed to take up the issue of the government's planting of participants at town meetings on the law revision who posed questions in favor of government proposals.
On the issue, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe admitted responsibility for it, saying, ''It is a regrettable problem that occurred under my jurisdiction as chief Cabinet secretary.''
He also suggested he will punish government officials involved in the scandal and said he will make the results of the investigation public.
On the revision of the education law, the premier reiterated his view during interpellations at the day's committee session that there is a need to rewrite the law, saying the proposed revision ''sets ideas and principles that conform to a new era.''
''Now that 60 years have passed since the war, it is necessary to make a fresh start with new ideas,'' Abe said of the law instituted in 1947.
He also said the revision would not lead to strengthened state control over education.
The DPJ has introduced alternative legislation for the basic education law in the upper house.
The government-sponsored bill was first proposed in April and carried over from the previous Diet session that ended in June.
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