教育政策 高校無償化の見直しは妥当だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 31, 2012)
Review of tuition-free program for high schools appropriate
教育政策　高校無償化の見直しは妥当だ（12月30日付・読売社説）

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apparently has shown his true colors in the educational area that he is willing to reform.
　安倍首相が改革に意欲を見せる教育分野で、早くも独自のカラーを出したということだろう。

The previous Democratic Party of Japan-led government held off on a decision over whether to include pro-Pyongyang Korean schools in its tuition-free program for high schools. The Abe administration has decided to exclude them.
　民主党政権が結論を先送りしてきた朝鮮学校に対する高校授業料の無償化適用について、安倍政権が適用を見送る方針を決定した。

In giving a reason for this decision, Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Hakubun Shimomura said there had been no developments regarding the abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents.
Shimomura also said the finances and curriculums of those schools are under the influence of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, which reportedly has strong ties with North Korea.
　その理由として、下村文部科学相は、日本人の拉致問題に進展がないことに加え、朝鮮学校の財務や教育内容が、北朝鮮と結びつきの強い在日本朝鮮人総連合会の影響下にある点を挙げている。

The education ministry has been studying whether to include these schools based on standards established under the DPJ-led administration, but the Abe administration, acting independently, made its own decision, Shimomura said.
　民主党政権下で策定された判断基準に沿って、文科省が審査を続けてきたが、これとは別に、安倍政権として判断したという。

If these schools were included in the program, the government would provide grants totaling 200 million yen a year for tuition to 10 pro-Pyongyang Korean high schools in Japan.
　無償化が適用されると、日本の高校にあたる「朝鮮高級学校」１０校に、授業料分として年約２億円の就学支援金が支給される。

It seems certain taxpayers would be puzzled why the government is spending their money on these schools unless it was able to ensure the grants would not be used for purposes other than tuition or that the schools would not teach students material that deviated from the facts.
　確かに、就学支援金が授業料以外に流用される恐れや、事実と異なる内容の教育が行われる懸念が払拭できない限り、国費投入に国民の理解は得られまい。

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Income cap reasonable

Shimomura already has said he would review the current tuition-free program for high schools and impose income ceilings on families receiving grants, starting in fiscal 2014.
　高校無償化に関しては、下村文科相が、２０１４年度以降、制度を見直し、対象に所得制限を設ける方針を明らかにしている。

The program was an eye-catching policy devised by the DPJ-led government, as it believed society as a whole should help raise children. However, the program was constantly criticized as a handout because it was applied to everyone without exception, including students whose parents were well-off.
　高校無償化は「社会全体で子供を育てる」という理念を掲げた民主党政権の目玉政策の一つだった。だが、家計に余裕のある層まで一律に対象としたため、「ばらまき」との批判が根強かった。

In addition to tuition, school supplies and other necessities are heavy financial burdens for high school students. The Abe administration plans to save money by reducing the number of students under the program with the introduction of income caps, and to utilize the funds saved to support low-income earners. We think this is a good idea.
　高校生は授業料以外にも学用品購入費などの負担が多い。所得制限によって無償化の対象を絞り込むことで財源を捻出し、低所得者層の支援に活用するという安倍政権の考え方は理解できる。

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Measures against bullying

Another big issue in the educational field is school bullying, for which countermeasures must be taken as soon as possible.
　教育分野で早急な対策が求められるのは、いじめ問題だ。

Since summer, serious bullying cases have surfaced around the country.
　今夏以降、各地で深刻ないじめが表面化した。

In a bullying case involving an Otsu middle school boy who killed himself in October last year, for instance, papers on two of three classmates were sent to prosecutors on suspicion of assault or other charges.
The other was sent to a child consultation center for delinquency.
大津市でいじめを受けた男子中学生が自殺した事件では、元同級生３人が、暴行などの容疑や非行事実で書類送検や児童相談所送致となった。

Bullying is caused by a lack of sensitivity toward other people.
　相手を思いやる気持ちの欠如が、いじめを生んでいる。

We praise the Abe government for announcing plans to enhance moral education at school.
安倍政権が道徳教育の強化を打ち出したのは当然だ。

Respect for social norms and public morality must be nurtured at school and through work experiences in local communities.
学校の授業や地域での職場体験などを通じ、規範意識や公共性を育む必要がある。

Enactment of a basic law on measures to prevent bullying is also being studied.
　「いじめ防止対策基本法」の制定も検討されている。

It is significant for society as a whole to use the law-making process to say bullying will never be tolerated.
法制化を通じて、「絶対にいじめを許さない」という意識を社会全体で共有する意義は大きい。

We expect legislation to call on local governments and schools to take tangible measures to prevent school bullying.
自治体や学校に具体的な取り組みを促す効果も期待できるのではないか。

We also hope the government will discuss the function of education boards, as the education board that dealt with the Otsu case proved dysfunctional.
　大津の事件で機能不全が露呈した教育委員会の在り方についても政府内で議論を進めてほしい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 30, 2012)
（2012年12月30日01時17分  読売新聞）