Japanese teachers trained to stand

[Taro Toporific]

Rebel teachers forced to get training to stand up for national anthem
Aug 2, japantoday.com
TOKYO --The Tokyo metropolitan board of education started a mandatory training program on Monday for teachers ... failing to stand up and sing Japan's national anthem, "Kimigayo," during school ceremonies.

[tidbits]

Why is that Godzilla on the right of the pic?

[Taro Toporific]

Why is that Godzilla on the right of the pic?

Gee, I'm just goofing around with Photoshop. Everybody knows Godzilla is American since he comes from the atom bomb tests at the Marshall Islands. :P

During my unsuccessful attempt to find JPEG photos a Japanese teachers saluting or bowing for "Kimigayo," I found a lot of funny pix.

[Taro Toporific]

JAPAN:
Rebel Teachers Spark Debate About Identity Crisis
by Suvendrini Kakuchi / TOKYO, Aug 6 (IPS) -
.... Amid tight security, 45 teachers accompanied by their school principals, attended the first 'training session' in the morning.
At a press conference later, English teacher, Toru Kondo who attended the programme, said they were forced to sit at desks and told to write down why they did not stand up for the national anthem.
''There were scheduled lectures for us which did not occur. Many of us did not write down anything as ordered. We left with a warning that we could face punishment again,'' Kondo told reporters.

Lawyer Bunya Kato, who is appearing for the teachers, says the controversial training programme is usually ordered by the authorities for teachers who have been accused of sexual harassment or have alcohol problems.

[Big Booger]

I think this is horseshit. You cannot force a teacher to be a nationalist. That flag and kimigayo have nothing to do with education. If a teacher or student doesn't want to sing the national anthem they shouldn't be forced to be some nationalist zealots in the government.

This is the very reason teachers need the ability to strike. IF every teacher in Japan were to strike, I think the government and the BOE would have to change their requirement.

This just proves that Japan is no democracy...

[AssKissinger]

This is the very reason teachers need the ability to strike

They're cowards. People all over are so afraid of getting fired they won't fight. Take it from me, if you get the 'neck', you'll get over it. But if you take it up the ass everyday for your whole life you won't.

[Bongo]

Shit, looks like an Uyoku terrorist training camp. (Ok, just read back and found it was not the teachers being CORRECTED! ) Ha!

Things will get much worse before things get back to normal.
When I came here 20 years ago, no such crap went down like this over the national anthem. Most Japanese at that time would have stood up for those teachers and probably would have said, "the teachers beliefs and wishes as human beings should take precedent over the national anthem". Come to think of it, I vaguely remember a scene to that effect.
What scares me is the fact that all students here including primary school kids as of last year, got a new section on their school report. It is the AIKOKU-SHIN-DO or level of patriotism section which is not shown to parents or the kids themselves but is kept at the schools for an indefinite period of time and is required under law to be turned over to the police if a student is suspected of a crime and the documents are requested by the police.
What next, brown shirts turning their parents in for anti patriotic statements or actions?

This is certainly not the nation it used to be.

[Big Booger]

Shit, looks like an Uyoku terrorist training camp. (Ok, just read back and found it was not the teachers being CORRECTED! ) Ha!

Things will get much worse before things get back to normal.
When I came here 20 years ago, no such crap went down like this over the national anthem. Most Japanese at that time would have stood up for those teachers and probably would have said, "the teachers beliefs and wishes as human beings should take precedent over the national anthem". Come to think of it, I vaguely remember a scene to that effect.
What scares me is the fact that all students here including primary school kids as of last year, got a new section on their school report. It is the AIKOKU-SHIN-DO or level of patriotism section which is not shown to parents or the kids themselves but is kept at the schools for an indefinite period of time and is required under law to be turned over to the police if a student is suspected of a crime and the documents are requested by the police.
What next, brown shirts turning their parents in for anti patriotic statements or actions?

This is certainly not the nation it used to be.

I can't believe that patriotism horseshit... You'd think parents would clamp down on that sort of shit. This is one of many reasons my kids won't be attending Japanese Militant schools at any point in their life.

Love for the country should be a voluntary act.

[GomiGirl]

This is the very reason teachers need the ability to strike

They're cowards. People all over are so afraid of getting fired they won't fight. Take it from me, if you get the 'neck', you'll get over it. But if you take it up the ass everyday for your whole life you won't.

You talk tough AK but sometimes I wonder...

[Bongo]

Shit, looks like an Uyoku terrorist training camp. (Ok, just read back and found it was not the teachers being CORRECTED! ) Ha!

Things will get much worse before things get back to normal.
When I came here 20 years ago, no such crap went down like this over the national anthem. Most Japanese at that time would have stood up for those teachers and probably would have said, "the teachers beliefs and wishes as human beings should take precedent over the national anthem". Come to think of it, I vaguely remember a scene to that effect.
What scares me is the fact that all students here including primary school kids as of last year, got a new section on their school report. It is the AIKOKU-SHIN-DO or level of patriotism section which is not shown to parents or the kids themselves but is kept at the schools for an indefinite period of time and is required under law to be turned over to the police if a student is suspected of a crime and the documents are requested by the police.
What next, brown shirts turning their parents in for anti patriotic statements or actions?

This is certainly not the nation it used to be.

I can't believe that patriotism horseshit... You'd think parents would clamp down on that sort of shit. This is one of many reasons my kids won't be attending Japanese Militant schools at any point in their life.

Love for the country should be a voluntary act.

Yeah, I get you man.
Thing is, they probably would cause a ruckus about if they knew about it to begin with!
I doubt very many know about this crap which says a lot about the teachers.

[Taro Toporific]

[Big Booger]

[Samurai_Jerk]

[joshuaism]

'Kimigayo' observance a teacher duty, top court says

A principal would not be violating the Constitution by ordering a music teacher to play the piano accompaniment to the "Kimigayo" national anthem during public school ceremonies, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday...

...The Supreme Court said the principal's order to accompany the national anthem does not constitute a denial of the plaintiff's historical and world views and does not violate Article 19 of the Constitution, which stipulates freedom of thought and conscience.

The Tokyo District Court ruled in December 2003 that "public servants must serve for the whole, and their freedoms of thought and conscience are subject to restraint from the point of public welfare," and concluded the principal's order was constitutional and the reprimand lawful.

The top court's decision is its first in a series of lawsuits in connection with teachers who were punished for failing to follow orders to observe the national anthem and the Hinomaru national flag at school ceremonies

Sounds like bad news for the next guy who challenges his students' graduation ceremony.

[Greji]

'Kimigayo' observance a teacher duty, top court says
Sounds like bad news for the next guy who challenges his students' graduation ceremony.

And rightfully so! The same teacher then will go to an international sport event i.e. soccer, volleyball, WBC, etc., and be among the cast of thousands, chanting "nippon", "nippon", "nippon",..... What's the difference?

When they decide to ban National Anthemns, flags, and all country identification from all meeting places, conventions, international events, sports events, public buildings, election days, the UN and so on, maybe there might be a point to this dissent.

IM (not so) HO, I think that interrupting such an important occasion in a young person's life just to make your own political statement is not the answer and is totally uncalled for in any circumstances.

[joshuaism]

IM (not so) HO, I think that interrupting such an important occasion in a young person's life just to make your own political statement is not the answer and is totally uncalled for in any circumstances.

It wouldn't be an issue if standing/singing/playing the piano wasn't mandated by the law. What about rights to religious freedom and expression? (I have Jehovah's witnesses objections to national anthems and flags in mind right now.) Should those rights be plowed over as well?

If teacher's were allowed to respectfully remain silent and seated during the Kimigayo what would be the problem? And in this instance, if a teacher refused to sing or play piano for the national anthem, why couldn't it just be played back on tape. Hell, I don't think I would want someone who objected to the Kimigayo to play the accompaniment. That's just asking for an unfortunate accident/disruption!

[Greji]

Should those rights be plowed over as well?

I don't know if I would call it plowed over, but as you say, there should be other ways of dealing with it.

If teacher's were allowed to respectfully remain silent and seated during the Kimigayo what would be the problem? And in this instance, if a teacher refused to sing or play piano for the national anthem, why couldn't it just be played back on tape. Hell, I don't think I would want someone who objected to the Kimigayo to play the accompaniment. That's just asking for an unfortunate accident/disruption!

Won't happen in Japan. The command to stand and even bow, is given for myriad things, speeches, VIP intros, etc., during these cerimonies and the teachers are required to go along with the students, standing and bowing. To allow one or more of them to remain seated during one of these command performances, would never happen without recourse. Private schools do this all the time and the teachers comply or quit. It goes with the territory. The battle was for public school systems and regardless, it is a losing one for the dissenting teachers.

[AssKissinger]

I know this much: 99.99999999999% of teachers, students and parents just want to know when to stand up and when to sit down without confusion and could give a shit about the politics.

[baka tono]

Ive heard the teachers are communist bastards.

[TFG]

From I have heard from American people it seems that George W Bush has affiliations with the Devil.

[baka tono]

From I have heard from American people it seems that George W Bush has affiliations with the Devil.

Ive heard he IS the devil.

[TFG]

Well, just when is NOVA going to implement singing of Kimigayo and will the foreign staff have to learn all the words?

[Buraku]

Well, just when is NOVA going to implement singing of Kimigayo and will the foreign staff have to learn all the words?

no, perhaps gaijins that dont obey will be docked pay and stuck into labor camps

[unkosando]

Tokyo: Tokyo High Court on Thursday rejected a demand for compensation by former teachers who argued that they were refused post-retirement re-employment because they had remained seated during singing of "Kimigayo" national anthem at school ceremonies despite their principals' orders.
(Snip)

On the decision by the metropolitan government to reject them post-retirement re-employment as part-time instructors, the judge said the local government acted within its discretion because "the plaintiffs had no option but to be rated lowly since they violated orders from superiors and were reprimanded."
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