My opinion this week(120):
Diarect ballot by inhabitants
In relation to the construction of movable dam in the Yoshinogawa River in
Tokushima Prefecture, some serious conflicts rose between Ministry of
Construction which try to proceed the project and the inhabitants who
are against the project. In the last prefecture diet member election,
22 members out of total 40 who are for conducting inhabitants vote
on this issue won the diet member seats. This has drawn much attention
nationwide since then.
As a result of this election, the Ministry of Construction has changed their
policy to proceed the construction of the dam in the Yoshinogawa River. The
Ministry announced their policy to start talking with inhabitants on the
construction of the dam. But the Minister has changed his policy again
quite recently. He said : "This kind of decision making should
not be influenced by such process as inhabitants vote. We will proceed the
project as originally scheduled." The change of his attitude seemed to be
the result of pressure from another national diet members and from inhabitants
who are for the construction of the dam in Tokushima.
It is natural that many citizens who are for conducting inhabitants vote
on this issue start complaining about what the Minister mentioned. They are
trying to hold the National Inhabitants Vote Network Meeting in Tokushima
to promote inhabitants vote on national level. They try to legislate
inhabitants vote at their prefecture and at any other districts of the
country.
The whole issue is not just whether or not the dam is to be constructed at
Yoshinogawa River. Form the side of the Ministry of Construction, the project
is absolutely necessary to make flood control and to provide a great
opportunity to vitalize local economy by its big investment. The Ministry
has already prepared necessary budgets and look forward to providing good
contribution for local economy and better life of the citizens.
The rationale for the objection against this project by another group of
citizens is , of course, the protection of the environment around the River.
The inhabitants who are against the construction of the dam are afraid that
some natural environments will be lost by sealing the bottom of the river
with cement. It is quite reasonable indeed. They started advocating inhabitants
vote to decide such important issue rather than ordinal process. I quite agree
with the basic concept of that process.
As to the rationale for the argument, I am not quite sure about which is
right and which is wrong. But I am sure to say that the concept to conduct
inhabitants vote on such issue which is directly concerned with very basic
economic and environmental problems of the citizens is quite reasonable. I
don't understand why the Minister says that such political process as
inhabitants vote is not proper in this case.
This is not first time that inhabitants vote became political problem
locally and nationally. Presently, they are arguing whether or not inhabitants
vote should be done to decide the construction of Kobe Air Port in Kobe
City. Another example is inhabitants vote to ask inhabitants' opinion on
the construction of Nuclear Power Station in Makimachi, Niigata Prefecture.
Another one is the vote made at Okinawa as to the construction of US Air
Force base camp. In those past two cases, votes themselves had no legal
power at all for they are not made based on some legislation.
As to any of those cases, I won't say that which is right or wrong. But
I wonder why such inhabitants vote system is not authorized as a kind of
formal decision process . It is funny that the Government authority denies
their valid, for there is no such legislation at the present. If not,
they should go ahead to legislate such process as soon as possible by
changing the present law.
I do not deny the present indirect diet member system of democracy.
However, some direct participation by citizens i.e. inhabitants vote system
should also be introduced when a local government decide some important
issues as we see above. What's wrong with this? This kind of direct vote
system is quite necessary to materialize the most basic right of citizens
and people of the nation designated in the Constitution of Japan.
1999/6/5
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion this week(121):
Integrated learning
The Ministry of Education decided to start the New Education Guideline
one year earlier than originally scheduled and to let schools start so
called " the integrated learning ". This "integrated learning" is one of the
keys of the New Guideline which intend to teach such new subjects as
international understanding, information technologies and welfare. The contents
of each topics are left to schools and so every public schools are now puzzled
a little bit about how they prepare a curriculum. The Ministry of Education is
asking school boards to prepare for the new curriculum by distributing various
cases on "Integrated learning".
In along with the "integrated learning" , another key subject in the New
Guideline is "moral education" . I would also like to make comments on this
issue but this subjects will be put aside at this time.
What is the "integrated learning" , by the way? In the New Guideline, teaching
hours for Japanese, social studies, mathematics, sciences, foreign languages,
etc. will be cut out 5% or so in order to introduce this "integrated learning".
According to the New Guideline, the "integrated learning" means to teach
children over third grade of elementary schools some practical learning
methods and problem solving capacity through various actual experiences in
social life. I saw some TV news which introduced a number of seminars that are
being held for teachers on practical cases studies. The key concern is to
teach children to find problems and to find answers to those problems through
practical learning.
I will not deny the necessity of such learning at all. I admit the necessity
and the effects to learn any subjects through actual experiences and case
studies. The issue here is that why such learning process should be done under
the name of the "integrated learning". Many teachers at schools are annoyed
by the name.
I wonder if such practical learning are to be done in each subjects such
as Japanese, math, sciences, social studies and foreign languages. Why some
of those case studies and learning through actual experience in social life
cannot be done in learning each subjects as mentioned above? Teachers
can teach some of those case studies in each subjects. The total results of
such teaching in each subjects is to be called the "integrated learning", as
I understand it.
There is another issue on contemporary school education. That is a teaching
on PC. A serious shortage of instructors to teach PC is another issue these
days. The issue is that there are some argument about shortage of instructors
and the methodology as how to teach PC to children. PC education is another
form of the "integrated learning" , isn't it? PC education is not just the
technical issue at all. For example, if we can teach students about Internet
together with PC, that would provide a number of practical experience to
children so that the "integrated learning" can be done at class room.
We should not forget the fact that all subjects including PC training at
class rooms are interrelated closely each other. They are to be integrated
into so called the "integrated learning" at schools.
1999/6/12
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion this week(122):
Coalition of LDP, LP and KP
A number of reports are now concerned with coalition of three political
parties i.e. Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal Party and Koumei Party.
In order to pass various new bills through Diet, Liberal Democratic Party
is trying to bring Komei Party to their side by making a number of
political compromise to them. One typical example is that the Guideline
Acts on Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was approved by both two Houses with
the affirmative vote by Komei Party.
The pending Telephone Tapping Bill was passed through the Lower House
thanks to the affirmative vote from Komei Party recently. There are some
other important bills such as National Flag and Anthem Bills and Inhabitants
Number Registration Bills which the ruling Liberal Democratic Party intend
to pass through the Diet in this session by getting the support from Koumei
Party.
As we see the current situation, it seems that Koumei Party seizes a
casting vote at the present Japanese politics. The issue of Local Economy
Promotion Ticket was proposed by Koumei Party. Although Liberal Democratic
Party did not necessarily agree with that idea , they decided to take the
policy into practice, for they intended to draw Koumei Party to their side
by such measures. In relation with such coalition possibility , Koumei Party
started advocating to change the present electorate system.
They demanded Liberal Democrat Party that the present small electorate
system should be changed into medium size electorate system. For they think
that the latter is better for Koumei Party to get larger number of seats in
general election of the House of Representative. As to this issue, Liberal
Democratic Party itself cannot afford to accept their demand.
The story of coalition between Liberal Democratic Party and Liberal
Party which started in early this year was different a little bit from
the possibility of coalition between Liberal Democrat Party and Koumei
Party. When the negotiation on the coalition started, Liberal Party
presented several basic policies to Liberal Democratic party to accept as
a fundamental condition for coalition. The coalition started after Liberal
Democratic Party agree to accept some of those basic policies presented
by Liberal Party. The mass media did not necessarily appreciate that
sort of coalition process , but I think that that is the way for the
political process of coalition.
It seems that the present process of coalition between two parties
lacks this important phase of political process. They are not discussing
too much on basic policies. All thought of ruling LDP is to pass some
of those important bills through Diets by getting affirmative votes from
Koumei Party. They would make any compromises rather easily to Koumei
Party with some significant changes of bills. On the other hand, it
seems that the primary concern of Koumei Party is not some of those basic
policies but electorate system which is key factor for their survival in
coming general election.
As to the possible coalition of the three parties , Mr.Ozawa, the
President of Liberal Party said : "The primary condition of coalition
of three parties is to attain a complete agreement on basic policies of
three parties. Even if LDP and Koumei Party agree on them, if Liberal
Party do not agree with them. we would leave the coalition immediately. "
It is quite right, indeed.
Since the end of so called Year 55 Establishment, a number of new
political parties and coalition have been born and disappeared.
Democratic Party, the second largest political party is another
new born party but they contains a number of different groups, the
policies of which are quite different each others. They are a quite
unstable party by themselves.
Politics is a power. Yes , it is. However, it is now the time to stop
just assembling number of diet members without complete agreement on
policy matters. Japanese people now tired with such style of politics
in these days. It is requested that all politicians recognize a basic
principle of politics that primary power of politics is created by the
majority support for any policies by the people of the country.
1999/6/19
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion this week(123):
English Literacy of Japanese People
TOEFL English Test Center announced the result of English test made for
students of Asian countries. According to the announcement, Japan was
was ranked 32nd in along with the North Korea among all participating
countries. Singapore was ranked No.1. Although the news drew some attention
among public, the reaction was maily very low or virtually none among most
people of this country. However, there was a kind of definite reaction
with some opinion that that is one serious issue for the future of Japanese
society. I myself have had some concern about that test result.
Mr. Kato, a leader of Liberal Democratic Party, and one of a candidate
for the next Prime Minister of Japan, appeared in TV news show in last
Sunday. He suggested to pick up this issue, English literacy of Japanese
students, in coming election campaign of the President of Liberal Democratic
Party. I appreciated his comment that this is one of such important issue
among various other key issues for the future of this country.
Prime Minister Obuchi was attending the Summit Meeting held in Cologne, last
week. Whenever we obseve Japanese Prime Minister attending the Summmit, we
feel that it is only Japanse Prime Minister who always looks alone with
little communication with other leaders of summit countries. It is because
of the luck of proficiency in foreign language especialy in English. In any of
formal meeting, it is not necessary at all for any attendans to speak in
foreign languages. They can speak in their own languges which are translated
in any other languages as necessary.
The question is the time when they make some informal conversation each others
in such occasions as dinners. Do they communicate each other still through
translators at those occasions? I don't think so. It must be very important
to communicate directly each other in such occasion through some common
language such as English in order to deepen friendship and good human relations
each others. With some exceptions, most Japanese Prime Minister were very weak
in English and they had some great hadicaps in this respects as a matter of
fact.
Well, the Summit is only an example to talk about the importance of English
to live in the global society today. More typical example today is, needless
to say, the use of Internet in global and information society. English is the
most important tool to utilize Internet.
In the past "My opinion of this week", I appealed once or twice how important
it is to be versed in English in order to live along with Internet. I proposed
to start English education from elementary school rather than middle high
school. I do not intend to discuss too much about how we can improve education
methods at this time. All I want to say here is that improvement of proficiency
in English for young Japanese people is one of the key point of the structural
change of Japanese society as well as Japanese education system.
It seems that Japanse young generation is working well on Internet and
studying well about English, too. But we are shocked to know that their
English proficiency is about the same level of the North Korea which is
orphan in contemporary international society. Some critics palusibly explained
that Japanese language is the one which is most different from English. I am
personally interested in talking about such technical issues, of course. But
according to my personal obsevation, the most critical background for such
test result is the mind of Japanese people. their timid mind with which they
are always reluctant to speak out with their own words.
Together with this message, I wish to reconfirm that it is very important
for us all Japanese to learn more practical English rather than academic
one and to use them practically in any of our life stages in coming global
and information age as today.
1999/6/26
Tadashi HAYASE
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