Only 1 Percent Is Likely to Select the Distorted History Textbooks in Japan

The procedure to select the history textbook in the middle school next year is to be over on 15th in Japan, in the midst of people`s increasing interest as to whether the history textbooks written by `the Association to Make New History Textbooks` (AMNHT) is to be selected.

According to the survey by the civic organizations on Tuesday, no public middle school has selected the textbooks written by the AMNHT. Only the special schools, such as the Tokyo provincial nursing school and Aihime nursing school, have selected the AMNHT`s textbooks.

Although it has not been confirmed how many national and private middle schools have selected the textbooks written by the AMNHT, it is anticipated that the selection rate would be around 1 percent.

The AMNHT once anticipated that the selection rate would reach 12 percent. However, it`s outlook has been miscalculated due to the repeated criticisms by the conscientious civic organizations and the academic circle, and the systematic protest against the selection of the AHNHT`s textbooks by the civic organizations.

542 textbook-selection districts of the public middle school and the national and private middle schools, in which principals have the right to select the textbooks, are obliged to report the selection result to the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture by 15th.

Shim Kyu-Sun ksshim@donga.com