Scholars representing three academic associations have called on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government to revise its "foolish" rules dictating changes in school textbooks, which they allege are designed to indoctrinate pupils with certain political views.
In a joint statement Monday, three eminent university professors in the fields of education, philosophy and ethics slammed the government's move in January 2014 to overhaul the nation's textbook scrutiny standards as an attempt to "disseminate its own (political) views."
So far, the new criteria have been applied to a range of history and social studies textbooks, five of which were required to undergo major rewrites, the education ministry said last month.