日本對中小學生進行性取向調查

Last month the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:

性同一性障害:小中高対象に初の実態調査　文科省

毎日新聞　2014年01月24日　18時28分（最終更新　01月24日　19時06分）

　心と体、社会生活上の性が一致しない「性同一性障害」について、文部科学省は２４日、全国の全ての小中高校を対象とする初の実態調査を始めた。性同一性障害の子供たちは、制服やトイレ、着替え場所など、男女の区別がある場面で耐え難い苦痛を感じている。文科省は今年度中に調査結果をまとめ、施策に生かす。

　当事者団体「日本性同一性障害と共に生きる人々の会」（東京都品川区）によると、同障害を抱える若年層は年々増加しているが、対応は進んでおらず、不登校や自殺に至る深刻なケースも少なくないという。

　文科省は昨年１１月に同団体からの要望を受けて調査を検討。今回、全国の教委などに調査実施の依頼文を発送した。学校が回答する方式で、昨年４〜１２月に同障害に関連して受けた教育相談について、特別の配慮の有無とその内容を聞く。医療機関での受診、診断の有無など、当事者への配慮が必要な内容は任意回答とする。

　性同一性障害を持つ近畿大２年、岩崎陸斗（りくと）さん（２１）＝東大阪市＝は、高校に入り女性の体に違和感を感じ始め、担任教師に性同一性障害であることを告げた。「スカート（女性用制服）ではなくズボンをはかせてほしい」と要望したが「規則だからだめ」の一点張りで聞き入れられず、「精神的につらかった」。全国調査について「今も学校では多くの子供が苦しんでいるはず。性同一性障害を多くの教師や生徒が理解し、学校側の対応が変わるきっかけになればいい」と期待を寄せている。【福田隆、鵜塚健】

(試譯文)

     On the 24th the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology began the first survey on students in all the primary, junior and senior high schools in the country regarding "gender identity disorder" in order to know whether or not their sex at heart corresponded with their body or social life. The children with gender identity disorder could feel an intolerable pain in a situation which needed to distinguish man and woman, such as a uniform, a toilet, or a clothing changing location. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology would summarize the result of this investigation during the current fiscal year and implement the measures efficiently.

     According to the concerned organization "The Japanese Association for People with Gender Identity Disorder" (Shinagawa-district, Tokyo), the younger age group that had the obstacle was increasing in number every year, but the response to it had not progressed and the number of serious case that could result in truancy or suicide was not small.

     The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology considered conducting an investigation in response to the request from this organization in November last year. This time the document requesting the implementation of an investigation was delivered to the board of education all over the country etc. About the educational consultation, the style of the response was to hear the contents of the school’s answers made between April and December last year in order to know the existence of any special consideration in their response in relation to the obstacle. For medical institutions, to see whether there was any consultation or diagnosis in existence etc.; contents that might generate worry to the party concerned could be replied at their discretion.

     Kinki University second year student Ms. Iwasaki Rikuto (21) [ Higashi-Osaka] went into the high school with gender identity disorder. When she began to feel the sense of incongruity for her female body she was told by her class teacher that it was gender identity disorder. She requested "to wear trousers and to dispose of the skirt (uniform for women)", but because of stubbornness it was not listened to, it was "useless since it is the rule". "It was mentally difficult for her". Regarding this nationwide survey, the hope was that "while many children must still be in pain in schools, when many teachers and students understand gender identity disorder, it would be good when changes could come in response to it from the side of the school".

It is interesting to note that in places such as Canada, China and Hong Kong, such a survey could be very sensitive politically.