Japan's Supreme Court: All teachers are required to sing the national anthem at school events

[NNN0LHI]

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/30_27.html

Top court rules in favor of national anthem order

updated at 13:29 UTC, May. 30

Japan's Supreme Court has ruled for the first time that it is constitutional to require teachers and staff to sing the national anthem at graduations and other school ceremonies.

A panel of the court handed down the decision on Monday, rejecting an appeal by Yuji Saruya, a former teacher at a Tokyo high school.

Saruya had argued that his school principal's order to sing the anthem, based on a 2003 decision by the Tokyo Metropolitan board of education, violates constitutional freedom of thought and conscience. snip

Presiding Justice Masahiko Sudo rejected the appeal, ruling that while the order may indirectly constrain freedom of thought for those who view the anthem negatively due to its links with prewar militarism, it is necessary to achieve order at school events.

[saras]

1. Try that in America and we'll either lose 80% of our teachers or get a new anthem