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教育的配慮 II
筆者は先月のコラムで、校長主催の入学式をボイコットした所沢高校の話題を取り上げ、生徒たちの行動を勇敢だったとほめた。これに対して、読者から筆者宛てに何通かの手紙が寄せられた—
One letter says I should go back to the United States and start a movement there against the use of the national flag and anthem in the schools. What does this suggestion mean?
First, it seems to be a way of saying, "If you don't like it here, why don't you go home?" In the more than 17 years that I have been writing for ST, this is the first time anyone has sent me such a message. This is ironic, because actually the article was written in a tone of praise, not blame. It gives one of the reasons why I do like it here: the marvelous young people. It is they, after all, who are Japan, its present and future.
Second, the writer implies that it is improper for a foreign resident to criticize the government's educational policies. But the Japanese school system is open to all children, regardless of nationality, and foreign residents pay taxes, which help finance the schools. Don't parents have not only the right but also the duty to be actively concerned with what is happening in the schools their children are attending or may attend?
This is particularly important when it comes to patriotic symbols. In a school system in which not all the pupils are Japanese nationals, is it proper to have obligatory ceremonies revering these symbols? Why should pupils whose nationality is Korean, or Chinese, or Filipino, or French (or dual, like my daughter) be forced to attend such ceremonies? And why should Japanese children who disagree with the ideology symbolized in these ceremonies be forced to attend them?
Third, the writer's statement that I should start a movement in the United States implies that I probably find no harm in the use of the flag and the anthem there. Here he is wrong. It is true that from its founding U.S. school system has been saturated with patriotism and militarism. Look at the result: a war every generation. High school students are expected not simply to make a gesture of respect to the flag, as in Japan, but to recite an oath of allegiance to it. This oath includes the phrase "one nation, under God," which implies that the United States is especially favored by God. To the extent that the recitation of this oath is enforced, it is bad education for the U.S. students and an absurdity and an insult to many foreign students — including Japanese — in the U.S. schools.
So, yes, I think it would be wonderful if some U.S. students would take a lesson from their fellow students at Tokorozawa High and begin a movement against pledging allegiance to the flag. How about beginning at a high school inside one of the U.S. military bases here?
Recently I wrote in this column (Shukan ST, May 1, 1998) about the students at Tokorozawa High School who had objected to the entrance ceremony planned by their principal and had organized an alternative ceremony free of patriotic symbols. I received four letters, three opposing what I had said.
One letter says I should go back to the United States and start a movement there against the use of the national flag and anthem in the schools. What does this suggestion mean?
First, it seems to be a way of saying, "If you don't like it here, why don't you go home?" In the more than 17 years that I have been writing for ST, this is the first time anyone has sent me such a message. This is ironic, because actually the article was written in a tone of praise, not blame. It gives one of the reasons why I do like it here: the marvelous young people. It is they, after all, who are Japan, its present and future.
Second, the writer implies that it is improper for a foreign resident to criticize the government's educational policies. But the Japanese school system is open to all children, regardless of nationality, and foreign residents pay taxes, which help finance the schools. Don't parents have not only the right but also the duty to be actively concerned with what is happening in the schools their children are attending or may attend?
This is particularly important when it comes to patriotic symbols. In a school system in which not all the pupils are Japanese nationals, is it proper to have obligatory ceremonies revering these symbols? Why should pupils whose nationality is Korean, or Chinese, or Filipino, or French (or dual, like my daughter) be forced to attend such ceremonies? And why should Japanese children who disagree with the ideology symbolized in these ceremonies be forced to attend them?
Third, the writer's statement that I should start a movement in the United States implies that I probably find no harm in the use of the flag and the anthem there. Here he is wrong. It is true that from its founding U.S. school system has been saturated with patriotism and militarism. Look at the result: a war every generation. High school students are expected not simply to make a gesture of respect to the flag, as in Japan, but to recite an oath of allegiance to it. This oath includes the phrase "one nation, under God," which implies that the United States is especially favored by God. To the extent that the recitation of this oath is enforced, it is bad education for the U.S. students and an absurdity and an insult to many foreign students — including Japanese — in the U.S. schools.
So, yes, I think it would be wonderful if some U.S. students would take a lesson from their fellow students at Tokorozawa High and begin a movement against pledging allegiance to the flag. How about beginning at a high school inside one of the U.S. military bases here?
Shukan ST: June 26, 1998
(C) All rights reserved
- had objected to 〜
- 〜 に異議をとなえた
- entrance ceremony
- 入学式
- principal
- 校長
- had organized an alternative ceremony
- 代わりの式を企画した
- 〜 free of patriotic symbols
- 愛国的な象徴には無縁の 〜
- three opposing 〜
- そのうち3通は 〜 に反対するものだった
- movement
- 運動
- national flag and anthem
- 国旗と国歌
- suggestion
- 提案
- way of saying 〜
- 〜 と言っているようなもの
- ironic
- 皮肉
- in a tone of praise, not blame
- 非難ではなく賞賛の念をもって
- marvelous
- すばらしい
- implies that 〜
- 〜 をほのめかしている
- it is improper for 〜 to 〜
- 〜 が 〜 するのはよくない
- foreign resident
- 外国人居住者
- criticize
- 批判する
- educational policies
- 教育政策
- is open to 〜
- 〜 に開かれている
- regardless of nationality
- 国籍に関係なく
- pay taxes
- 税金を払っている
- help finance 〜
- 〜 の財政を助けている
- Don't parents have not only the right but also the duty to 〜
- 親たちは 〜 する権利だけではなく義務もあるのではないか
- be actively concerned with 〜
- 〜に積極的に関心を持つ
- when it comes to 〜
- 〜のことになると
- pupils
- 生徒
- Japanese nationals
- 日本国民
- obligatory
- 参加義務のある
- revering 〜
- 〜をあがめる
- dual
- 二重国籍の
- be forced to 〜
- 〜することを強いられる
- disagree with 〜
- 〜と意見が一致しない
- ideology
- イデオロギー
- symbolized in 〜
- 〜に象徴された
- statement
- 言い分
- find no harm in the use of 〜
- 〜の使用に何の害もないと思っている
- It is true that 〜
- 〜は本当だ
- founding
- 設立
- has been saturated with 〜
- 〜にどっぷり浸かってきた
- patriotism
- 愛国主義
- militarism
- 軍国主義
- result
- 結果
- war every generation
- いつの時代にも戦争がある
- are expected not simply to 〜 but to 〜
- 単に〜するだけでなく、〜することも求められている
- make a gesture of respect to 〜
- 〜への敬意を示す
- recite an oath of allegiance to 〜
- 〜に対する忠誠の誓言を暗唱する
- "one nation, under God"
- 「・TT> ― のもとに一国となる」
- (is)favored by 〜
- 〜に守られている
- To the extent that the recitation of this oath is enforced
- この誓言を暗唱することが強制されるのは
- absurdity
- 不条理
- insult
- 侮辱
- take a lesson from 〜
- 〜から教訓を得る
- fellow
- 仲間の
- pledging allegiance to 〜
- 〜に忠誠を誓う
- U.S. military bases
- 米軍基地