The Asahi Shimbun: Patriotic bill on education postponed

[La_Serpiente]

Patriotic bill on education postponed

Concerns about forcing patriotism on students have shelved the ruling party's plan to seek the first revisions of a 1947 law that forms the backbone of the nation's education system, sources said Friday.

The Liberal Democratic Party had planned to submit a bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education in the Diet session scheduled to start Jan. 19. But coalition partner New Komeito expressed apprehensions about the conservative swing in educational policy, particularly over the proposed inclusion of such basic principles as ``love of one's country and hometown'' and ``public minds and morality'' in the revised law.

The secretaries-general and policy chiefs of the two parties met Friday to discuss the revisions. Although they agreed to continue discussions, they failed to reach a consensus to submit legislation in the upcoming Diet session, sources said.

Debate on the education revisions will likely be put off until after the Upper House election slated for July 11.

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Patriotic bill on education postponed