Japan’s exam asks to choose a country illegally occupying Takeshima
Japan’s exam asks to choose a country illegally occupying Takeshima
Posted June. 21, 2016 07:25,
Updated June. 21, 2016 08:27
A Japanese publisher set a question asking students to “choose a country illegally occupying Takeshima (Japanese name of Dokdo)” in a mock test for middle school entrance exam, triggering a huge controversy.
According to the Kyodo News on Monday, the person in charge of the mock exam claimed that all of the four textbooks used at elementary schools today are including explanation of territorial disputes surrounding the Takeshima and Senkaku islands, and Korea’s occupying of Takeshima has become a fact for students, adding that the question is based on the content of textbooks.
In January 2014, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology issued a guide for textbooks that instructed publishers to cover the idea that Dokdo inherently belongs to Japan, and that it is illegally occupied by Korea and the Japanese government is making efforts to reclaim it. As a consequence, all social studies textbooks for 5th and 6th graders published since last year include descriptions of "South Korea is illegally occupying Japanese inherent territory of the Takeshima islands.”
The mock test is held and supervised by a private institution every month. Approximately 12,000 to 14,000 students apply to each exam in the capital area only.
"Experts and parents are worried that their children might focus on memorizing the words before completely understanding historical facts,” the Kyodo News said. Some concern that young children who simply memorize “illegal occupation by South Korea” could develop hatred toward their neighboring country.
도쿄=서영아특파원 sya@donga.com
According to the Kyodo News on Monday, the person in charge of the mock exam claimed that all of the four textbooks used at elementary schools today are including explanation of territorial disputes surrounding the Takeshima and Senkaku islands, and Korea’s occupying of Takeshima has become a fact for students, adding that the question is based on the content of textbooks.
In January 2014, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology issued a guide for textbooks that instructed publishers to cover the idea that Dokdo inherently belongs to Japan, and that it is illegally occupied by Korea and the Japanese government is making efforts to reclaim it. As a consequence, all social studies textbooks for 5th and 6th graders published since last year include descriptions of "South Korea is illegally occupying Japanese inherent territory of the Takeshima islands.”
The mock test is held and supervised by a private institution every month. Approximately 12,000 to 14,000 students apply to each exam in the capital area only.
"Experts and parents are worried that their children might focus on memorizing the words before completely understanding historical facts,” the Kyodo News said. Some concern that young children who simply memorize “illegal occupation by South Korea” could develop hatred toward their neighboring country.
도쿄=서영아특파원 sya@donga.com
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