The Japanese ministry will revise an ordinance to exclude North Korean schools from a tuition-free program. As a result, the 10 schools that applied for the program will lose their eligibility.
According to Education Minister Shimomura Hakuban, the North Korean schools are in conflict with the Fundamental Law of Education, which states that educational programs must be free of political influence.
The decision was made in the wake of North Korea’s nuclear test which threatened the United States. The action seemed to demonstrate that the country’s issues will not be resolved anytime soon. Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji stated, “The action is also a challenge to the Japan-U.S. security structure. This cannot be overlooked.”
Before the government’s decision, the ministry appealed to the public as to whether or not the ordinance should be revised. Out of the 30,510 public comments collected, 52% supported the revision while 46% opposed it.
Those that opposed the ordinance revision have been passionate about voicing their opinions. This past January, Aichi prefectures filed a lawsuit demanding tuition-free Korean schools. The following month, Korean school students organized a rally in Osaka.
At the rally, one mother of a Korean high school student said, “To sincerely address this issue is my responsibility as a mother.”
Kato Makoto, a government liaison in education, noted “North Korea’s actions should not be condoned, but sanctions against the country and support to ensure children’s right to learning should be separated. It is truly irrelevant for the prefecture to impose sanctions against children.”
Creative Commons Love: Joseph Ferris III on Flickr.com
Written by Alice Formwalt