hankyoreh

A Chosen Gakko school in Tokyo’s Kita ward

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) recommended that the Japanese government revise its “unfair” exclusion of Chosen Gakko (pro-North Korean schools) from free high school education status.

In a Feb. 7 press conference in Geneva, the CRC insisted the Japanese government should “treat [Chosen Gakko] equally with other foreigner schools.” While the CRC’s recommendations are not legally binding, the Japanese government will be required to report follow-up measures to the committee.

In a Jan. 17 review, the CRC characterized the exclusion of Chosen Gakko from the educational subsidy program as unjust discrimination. A Japanese government official argued at the time that the exclusion was “based on failure to adhere to legally prescribed review standards” and “does not constitute discrimination on the grounds of the students’ nationality,” but the claims failed to persuade the committee.

In 2010, the Japanese government instituted a system making high school education free of charge by providing schools with annual subsidies of 120,000–240,000 yen (around US$1,093-2,187) per student. The system applies not only to regular high schools but also foreigner schools, which fall in the law’s “various kinds of schools” category. But the Chosen Gakko, which are closely tied to the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), were excluded on the grounds that the subsidies could be used for purposes other than tuition.

Chosen Gakko alumni have filed suit in several courts to claim damages from the Japanese government for the “discriminatory” measure. So far, all of them have lost their cases in their first or second trial.

By Cho Ki-weon, Tokyo correspondent

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