In the wake of Thursday's Lower House passage of the education reform bill, critics wonder whether news management may have been used to clear the path for what one commentator alleged to be a "fascist" power grab by the central government.
The concerns arise following revelations, soon after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office on Sept. 26, of pervasive coverups within the education system -- problems administrators and teachers say were known for years but had been kept hidden.
In recent weeks, the media have reported that the education ministry claimed no students had committed suicide due to bullying since 1999, despite evidence to the contrary.