Lower house panel approves 3 education bills

An education panel of the House of Representatives approved Thursday a set of three education reform bills aimed at instilling patriotism during compulsory education, reinforcing state control over local education boards and requiring teachers to renew their licenses every decade. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who places top priority on education reform, hopes the bills will be enacted during the current regular session through June 23, coalition sources said.

One of the bills is to revise the School Education Law, with a provision citing instilling patriotism as a goal of compulsory education, while another is to amend the regional education administration law by reinforcing the power of the education minister in managing schools. The third bill is designed to strip teachers of tenure for life and require them instead to renew their licenses every 10 years.