Textbook Scandal

Japanese: 教科書疑獄 - きょうかしょぎごく

A bribery scandal occurred over the adoption of textbooks in the latter half of the Meiji era. It began on December 17, 1902, when textbook companies such as Kinkodo and Shueido were subjected to searches of their homes and prefectural and district school inspectors were arrested. By March of the following year, nearly 200 people had been arrested nationwide, including prefectural governors, prefectural secretaries, normal school principals, prefectural assembly chairpersons, and textbook company presidents. In 1886, school textbooks were screened and their adoption was left to review committees set up in prefectures. When the textbook companies launched an aggressive campaign against the members of the committees, including normal school principals, academic affairs officers, elementary school teachers, and council members, leading to frequent bribery scandals.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

明治時代後半期に教科書採択をめぐっておこった贈収賄事件。1902年12月17日に金港堂，集英堂などの教科書会社が家宅捜査をうけ，県･郡視学官らが拘引されたのに始まり，翌03年3月まで県知事，県書記官，師範学校長，県会議長，教科書会社社長など200人近くが全国的に検挙された。1886年に学校教科書が検定制になり，その採択が府県に設置された審査委員会にゆだねられると，委員会を構成する師範学校長･学務課員･小学校教員･参事会員などに各教科書会社が激しい運動を展開し，贈収賄事件を頻発させた。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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