日本老師拒絕唱君之代被罰

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:
大阪府教育委員会は、府立高校の卒業式で君が代を起立・斉唱せず、条例に基づく職務命令に違反したとして、１７人の教諭を戒告の懲戒処分にしました。
大阪府では、府内の公立学校の教職員に卒業式などの式典で君が代の起立・斉唱を義務づける条例が去年６月に施行され、府の教育委員会は、ことし１月、条例の施行後初めてとなる卒業式に向けて、府立学校の教職員全員に起立・斉唱を指示する職務命令を出しました。
こうしたなか、府の教育委員会によりますと、先月行われた府立高校の卒業式では、合わせて１７人の教諭が起立しなかったということで、この１７人について９日付で戒告の懲戒処分としました。
起立しなかった理由について教諭らは、「思想信条に関わる問題だ」とか「理由は話したくない」と述べたほか、教育委員会の事情聴取を拒否した教諭もいたということです。
今月に入ってからの卒業式でも、これまでに１２人が起立しなかったということで、府の教育委員会では、こうした教諭や、今後行われる府立学校の卒業式で起立しない教職員についても厳正に対処するということです。
大阪府教育委員会教職員人事課の中野伸一課長は、「生徒を送り出す厳粛な日にこのようなことになり、大変残念だ」としています。
府立学校の卒業式は今月１６日まで行われます。
(試譯文)
17 teachers were given punishment in the form of disciplinary warning by the Osaka board of education for breaking the job instruction that was given out based on an ordinance in that they did not stand up and sing Kimigayo together at the graduation ceremony of a prefecture high school.
In Osaka prefecture the ordinance that was enforced in June last year had imposed on school staff the duty to stand up and sing Kimigayo together in public schools during ceremonies, such as a graduation ceremony; the board of education of the prefecture in January this year took out this job instruction to all school staff which directed them to stand up and sing together at the prefecture schools during the graduation ceremony. It was the first time since the ordinance was in force.
According to the board of education of the prefecture, at the graduation ceremony of the prefecture high school last month, in total 17 teachers did not stand up, and on the 9th it considered giving out punishment of disciplinary caution towards these 17 people.
Some teachers described that "it is a problem that has a connection with the principle of belief", or "does not want to talk about a reason"; also some teachers refused the investigation of the board of education.
In the graduation ceremonies this month so far 12 people had not stood up; the board of education of the prefecture said that regarding these people, and also those school staff who did not stand up at the graduation ceremony in the prefecture school held from now on would be dealt with seriously.
Section Chief Shin-ichi Nakano of the Osaka board-of-education school staff personnel division supposed that "I am very sorry as it is such a solemn day to see the students off."
All graduation ceremonies in prefecture schools would be organized up to the 16th of this month.

It is interesting to note that teachers in Osaka are fighting back regarding this new instruction.