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Recent Developments The Nanao School, a public school for mentally and physically handicapped children, had been using a lesson plan by Mr. T. Three legislators and directors of education from the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education (TMBE) have been to the Nanao School to investigate "sex & gender education." They took a reporter of Sankei Newspaper with them. Their focus should have been "sex & gender education," but they also discussed the teachers' manner of dress and the actions of the Teachers' Union. Later, the top directors of education from TMBE visited each school in the district to investigate the lesson plans and teaching materials. In one school, they confiscated a printed instruction manual for a pair of dolls named "Susie and Fred," (founded by June Harnest, a specialist of "sex" education in the U.S.) while in another school, the vice-principal gave a pair of the dolls to the TMBE. The top directors marked many teaching materials with a "do not use" label. It is very possible that these sorts of actions, as well as the removal of teaching materials will continue. One of the banned materials was The Picture Book of Sexuality (published by Kodomo-no-mirai Ltd.) One reason why it was rejected was that it included a discussion of homosexuality. On July 2, Tsuchiya, a legislator from the Democratic ("conservative") Party, questioned the Governor and the Superintendent of the TMBE about sex and gender education policy, especially at the Nanao School. On July 14 and 18, Yamatani, a legislator from the New Conservative Party, asked questions concerning sex and gender education, and Prime Minister Koizumi stated, "More review is necessary" (Sankei Newspaper, July 15 2003). Since then the attacks have continued in the Sankei Newspaper, Yomiuri Newspaper, and Asahi Geino (a popular weekly magazine that includes pornographic photos). The legislators and the Superintendent of the TMBE plan to visit any more schools, but it is not clear exact dates at present. |
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Reports from a Group of Teachers of Nanao School
(for mentally and physically handicapped children) and Three legislators and the directors from the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education (TMBE) came to visit our school, bringing a reporter from the Sankei Newspaper. Without observing our classes, they looked at our teaching materials and took photos. At that time, they pulled down the underwear of the dolls, placed two dolls together, and took the photos of genitals. It seemed as if their actions were a rape. The words in the Song of the Body include "penis" and "vagina" as well as most of the other body parts. The Sankei Newspaper's report stressed only "penis" and "vagina." Later, a meeting was held with two of the directors of education from the TMBE and one teacher from Nanao. There was no verbal or written record of the conversation permitted for him/her (by the directors of education). After the meeting, the teacher was forced to sign that (s)he agreed with the content of the talk The teacher was shown the directors' version of the record of the meeting and allowed to dispute some of the distorted parts. Parents of Nanao School were angered by the attitudes of the TMBE and protested. (They handed a message to them.). However, the TMBE answered that there would be no apology or change of mind. All of the sex and gender education at Nanao has been approved and supported by the parents and the PTA (The Parents & Teachers Association), although, the TMBE has claimed that the lessons did not fit the developmental stages of the children. The TMBE said that they plan to think about the developmental stages, which shows they have no concrete ideas for that. The Circle for the Handicapped in the Sei-Kyo-Kyo reported that all of their materials were developed by experienced teachers. Providing their form of sex and gender education has improved the classes. For example, many more children have established positive self-images. They have started thinking that it was okay to be born and their birth was not just due to their parents' excessive sexual intercourse. Children today do not read many books and thus often learn about sexual issues through comic books. As a result, they often form bizarre ideas based on the comic-book descriptions, and they fear peer pressure. On the other hand, some children develop an aversion to sex, which leads children to think that they do not want to grow up. In short, they cannot accept their identity. These lessons encourage children to think that they will become wonderful adults and human beings, like anyone else. The government ignores the fact that these pupils are handicapped children, who also happen to be human beings with a natural interest in "sex" and, therefore, also a need for sex and gender education, like other children. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |