JAPAN TODAY


 

TOKYO — A controversy has been brewing after “a bakery” that appears in an elementary school ethics textbook was changed to “a Japanese wagashi confectioner” by a textbook publisher, in response to suggestions made by the education ministry in consideration of the “respect for tradition and culture” requirement under the curriculum for ethic classes.

Bakeries are furious and are considering bringing the case to the state government as they believe the maneuver to be a veiled slight, with the implication that confectioners are somehow a more valued part of Japanese tradition and culture.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, meanwhile, is striving to dispel speculation that it forced the change for curriculum for ethic classes, which are scheduled to be elevated to an official elementary school subject in the 2018 academic year.

“Nichiyobi no Sanpomichi” (Sunday Promenade), a story published by Tokyo Shoseki Co, for an ethics textbook for first-year elementary school students, is at the center of the trouble.

A boy strolls through unfamiliar paths of his hometown with his grandfather, the protagonist making fascinating discoveries along the way, including a bakery that emerges at the end of the story.

Tokyo Shoseki sought approval of the textbook from the ministry, saying that it nurtures among children respect for Japan’s tradition and culture and attitudes to love their country and hometowns.

In the post-screening of the textbook, however, the education ministry suggests that story as a whole did not satisfy the requirements of “showing a fondness for traditions and culture of our country and hometowns” in the context of curriculum guidelines.

The education ministry, which asked that the textbook be amended to reflect children’s affinity for Japan’s homeland, culture and life, requires ethics textbooks for early elementary grades to clear 19 curriculum guidelines such as “respect for regulations.”

The publisher thus changed the bakery to a wagashi confectioner in the story.

A ministry official in charge pointed out that the story merely describes “a routine walk,” without making reference to “our country and hometowns.”

“The bakery was not the culprit,” the official said. “Other parts could have been revised in accordance with curriculum guidelines.”

Since the screening results were made public on March 24, online social networking sites have been flooded with comments such as “Bread is also an excellent culture in Japan.”

The ministry has received some 30 complaints after some press reports indicated that the textbook was authorized because of the change. But the person in charge at the ministry said it was approved “as a whole” after the addition of a question asking children what they like about their hometowns and country.

Unlike other textbooks such as those for social studies examined for each description, ethics textbooks are checked from the viewpoint of whether curriculum guidelines and screening standards are followed throughout.

Changes in school textbooks are made by publishers at their own discretion, a senior ministry official said.

Although Tokyo Shoseki resorted to an “easy” solution, “the screening system has no choice but to authorize textbooks that meet the standards,” the official said.

But Takao Nishikawa, 74, who heads a national cooperative of small and midsize bread manufacturers, said, “The fact that a bakery was changed to a wagashi confectioner is regrettable because we have been contributing to school lunches for many years.”

The cooperative is considering filing a complaint with the ministry.
For another elementary textbook, Tokyo Shoseki made a change from “a middle-age member” of a volunteer fire brigade to an “elderly member” because the ministry pointed out the lack of concern for the aged in the section dealing with “gratitude.”

Superficial revisions of such kind are widely practiced because of issues with the textbook screening system, experts say.

After being notified of the post-screening opinions, publishers are required to make necessary changes within 35 days and tend to minimize them in order to retain the number of pages.

“Publishers may well wish to avoid spending time and effort (on changes) under time constraints,” another senior ministry official said, explaining that publishers incur huge losses if their textbooks fail to pass the screening.

Tokyo Shoseki did not reply to a request for comments.
“The screening system implicitly requires publishers to surmise (the education ministry’s) intentions,” an editor from a textbook publisher said. The change by Tokyo Shoseki “was maybe a superficial response but a desperate one.”

© KYODO