a day ago
Teacher's group starts petition to fight xenophobia in the classroom
Elementary school textbooks with illustrations of children of diverse backgrounds in Kyoto in July 2024 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
An assembly of teachers invested in the education of children with international roots issued an emergency statement on Aug. 9, titled, 'Don't say it, Don't let others say it: 'Japanese First.''
The national council for education of foreign residents in Japan, known as Zengaikyo, said the statement was driven by fears of a trickle-down effect of political slogans following the July Upper House election.
It is concerned that phrases such as "Japanese First" touted by some candidates and parties may spread among students, inevitably leading to some of their peers being hurt.
The group also launched an online petition asking boards of education across Japan to properly instruct schools so all children can learn equally and without being bothered.
Atsushi Funachi, 63, a high school teacher in Kanagawa Prefecture who heads the group, said he is worried 'if children have learned that it is OK to make xenophobic comments.'
Funachi recalled cases where students whose heritage includes the Korean Peninsula were bullied after reports of North Korean missile launches.
He said that young children, especially those in elementary school, may not be able to identify situations where they feel hurt by classmates' words as discrimination. Students additionally tend to find it difficult to talk to their parents about such incidents.
Funachi also pointed out that children sometimes make hurtful remarks casually without any discriminatory intent.
'I want not only schools and teachers but also boards of education to show their stances as public administrative bodies that they are opposed to xenophobia,' Funachi said.
The group plans to submit the signatures to each board of education around the country by the end of August.
According to the education ministry's school basic survey conducted in fiscal 2024, there were at least about 150,000 children of foreign nationalities enrolled at elementary, junior high and high schools in Japan.
A rough breakdown indicates that each school has about four students in this demographic.
The actual number is believed to be even higher, as this figure does not include children who hold Japanese citizenship and have at least one parent who is a foreign national.
The petition in Japanese can be found here:
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