The government plan to publish state-authored history textbooks for middle and high schools got into full swing Wednesday with the announcement of the basic outline and the composition of authors.
The National History Compilation Committee said it would recruit senior scholars, leading academics and history teachers to write the history textbooks, which is scheduled for completion by next November. The committee also said they would be “correct textbooks” based on the spirit of the constitution and objective facts.
The Education Ministry’s decision to replace the current system — which allows schools to choose from several state-reviewed history textbooks — with one issued by the government, despite strong opposition from historians, teachers, students and the general public, shows this administration’s determination to rewrite history.
In fact, the administration wasted no time once the mandatory 20-day period to collect public opinion was over. The date of proclamation of the new policy was brought forward by two days from the scheduled date of Thursday, with the explanation that it was necessary to prevent further political wrangling.
However, in its rush, the administration revealed that it never intended to listen to public opinion. In fact, the government used the period to publicize the need for state-authored history textbooks, spending more than 2.2 billion won, half of the amount the Education Ministry appropriated from the reserve budget for the plan, in a public relations blitz, according to reports.
In making the official proclamation, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said that we couldn’t teach our children with biased history textbooks, referring to what has been described as the left-leaning content of the current textbooks.
In an apparent acknowledgment of the criticism that the new state-issued books will glorify the legacy of the authoritarian regime of former President Park Chung-hee, the incumbent president’s father, and show Japanese colonial collaborators favorably, Prime Minister Hwang pledged that there would be no distortion of history.
Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea said the entire process would be transparent, with the materials disclosed on the Internet. Both the prime minister and the education minister should remember their promises and stand ready to be held accountable.
