Abstract
On the basis of the debate about the proposals for revision of the Fundamental Law of Education presented by the Central Council for Education at the end of February, this paper aims to clarify the contemporary meaning of the Fundamental Law of Education from the perspective of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Within the context of integration of on the one hand, the postwar Constitution of Japan and the Fundamental Law of Education, and on the other hand, the incorporation into domestic legislation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the theme itself can be essentially defined as the basic issue of pursuing, in a unified sense, the legal debate over the amalgam represented in the formulation "Constitution - Fundamental Law of Education - Convention on the Rights of the Child". However, within this very broad framework, this paper limits itself to concentrating, in terms of the relationship with reform of the Fundamental Law of Education, on two aspects, firstly, on a legal case-study approach to the "revision" debate from the standpoint of a country that has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and secondly, on an attempt to clarify the prospects of a citizen-focused, practical study, because the Convention on the Rights of the Child is an issue that closely concerns the people, parallel to, but differentiated from, the "revision" debate dimension. With regard to the former aspect, on the question of trends in the "revision" debate, the paper clarifies 1) the inadequacy of reasons for "reform" and the weakness of the basis for "revision" in terms of educational policy; 2) the illegality and unconstitutionality of the content of "revision"; and 3) the unreasonableness of "revision" procedures. With regard to the latter aspect, basing its stance on the reality of the fact that Government attempts to make the debate into a "citizens' debate" were a complete failure, the paper examines, from the perspective of educational law and sociology, the reaction of citizens to the "revision" problem, the low level of reaction and debate from the educational world, including practicing teachers, and the generally low level of interest in society in general and in the educational world. In particular, the paper shows the prospects for the formation of "community education councils" as a practical way of "breathing life into the Fundamental Law of Education from the grassroots", while deepening the significance of educational participatory methods as a legal principle within the context of the current legal system in terms of development of the "Constitution - Fundamental Law of Education - Convention on the Rights of the Child" amalgam.
