Education in general is very important to almost every country. In politics it is always a topic that it is brought up, and that has an immense impact on so many people. The Japanese government is focusing on education Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants children in Japan to have national pride. The focus of this was to better the kind of teachings the students are receiving.
"We intend to implement a fundamental reform of the existing system" Mr. Abe addressed the parliamentary session. This is being done by revising manuals of teachings to both high and middle schools. The main issue with these manuals is that it includes many different things, for example Takeshima is stated as being "illegally occupied" and that Japan has "repeatedly lodge protest." The issue is that Japan is being seen in avery completely light, and many do not seem to agree with it.
I found this next paragraph extremely important and wanted to share:
"Mr. Abe has long called for an overhaul in Japan’s education system to revive patriotism among the Japanese. 'After the war, the Japanese have single-mindedly blamed nationalism as the cause of the war and the reason for our defeat. As a result, the notion that the state is evil has become lodged in the corners of the minds of the post-war population,' Mr. Abe wrote in his book “Towards a Beautiful Country” written in 2006 and revised last year. 'It is the failure of the post-war education that the Japanese are unable to think from the perspective of national interest or rather, avoid doing so.'"
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/01/29/abe-seeks-dose-of-pride-in-education-overhaul/
I agree, education is a very important to structuralizing a well rounded and strong government. I can understand why Prime Minister Abe would like to promote the idea of loyalty and pride to ones own country through education but the events that occur in history cannot be changed or rather writing false facts on middle school and high school texts. Throughout history, their has been a number of territorial disputes over uninhabited islands in Japan. For example, the islands of Senkaku located in Japan has made it very hard for the country of Japan to own their own part of land due to a binding document they signed with the U.S. at the end of WWII. By implementing a up to date geographical manuals to Middle/high schools, Japan will grow into a more independent country.
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