nuclear-news

Japan Atomic Energy board “sanitises” education about nuclear radiation

The editing of the supplementary reader was commissioned to the Japan Atomic Energy Relations Organization, where senior officials of power utilities serve as board members.

Both the supplementary reader and the teacher’s guide tout the benefits of radiation, but neither of them mentions last year’s nuclear disaster and the public’s alarm about high levels of radiation exposure

No well-trodden path for radiation literacy classes in Fukushima schools July 12, 2012 THE ASAHI SHIMBUN,  by Yasuhito Watanabe and Midori Iki. Schools in Fukushima Prefecture, still reeling from last year’s nuclear disaster, find themselves in uncharted territory with a new addition to their curriculums: radiation literacy classes.

Fukushima’s prefectural board of education ordained that between one and three hours of homeroom activity, or “integrated studies,” be set aside every year for the topic from this academic year through all grades.

But this has emerged as a contentious issue as parents weigh in with arguments about how the subject matter should be taught in light of the reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant that led to the mass evacuation of residents.

In December, the board started providing preparatory training sessions
for teachers after instructing municipal governments to set aside
classroom time for the classes.

But few municipalities have heeded the call due to the reaction from
parents……
The decision to teach radiation literacy education emerged after the
education ministry published a supplementary reader in October and
called on schools to use it in class. The editing of the supplementary reader was commissioned to the Japan Atomic Energy Relations Organization, where senior officials of power utilities serve as board members.

Fukushima’s prefectural education board compiled a teacher’s guide that condenses the supplementary reader. Both the supplementary reader and the teacher’s guide tout the benefits of radiation, but neither of them mentions last year’s nuclear disaster and the public’s alarm about high levels of radiation exposure……
This led to heated criticism from parents and the prefectural
teachers’ union. They argued that the teaching materials effectively
give formal sanction to nuclear power policy without reflecting the
reality of Fukushima Prefecture.

Some municipalities in the prefecture are moving to create their own
teachers’ guides.

Fukushima’s city board of education plans to touch on the impact of
the disaster and provide instruction of dealing with radiation
exposure on the premise that it is sustained but at a low level.

The classes are not expected to start any time soon……
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201207120010

July 12, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, spinbuster