Voici un éditorial du Yomiuri Shimbun du 25 septembre 2011 :
大阪教育条例案 教委の役割を問い直す議論を（9月25日付・読売社説）
教育行政への問題提起として、首長と教育委員会の役割を徹底議論することは意義があろう。
大阪府の橋下徹知事を代表とする地域政党・大阪維新の会が、教育基本条例案と職員基本条例案を府議会に提出した。
二つの条例案は、知事の教育行政への関与を強め、教員を含めた府職員に対する信賞必罰の姿勢を前面に打ち出している。
具体的には、知事が府立高などの教育目標を定める。その目標を実現する責務を果たさない府教育委員は、知事が議会の同意を得て罷免できる、としている。
大阪府に限らず、教育委員会は首長から独立した合議制機関と位置づけられている。月１～２回の会議しか開いていないところが多く、形骸化を指摘する声もある。維新の会は「現行では民意を十分に反映できない」と説明する。
ただ、教育行政には、特定の党派からの中立性と、安定性・継続性が欠かせない。知事が代わるたびに府の教育目標が大きく変わることになれば、教育現場が混乱する恐れもある。
両条例案には、教員を含む府職員の処分基準を定めた公務員制度改革策も盛り込まれた。
毎年の人事評価を５段階の相対評価に見直し、例えば、２年連続で最低ランク（全体の５％）とされた職員は、適格性を欠く場合に適用される分限処分の検討対象となる。組織改編による余剰人員は分限免職できるようにした。
橋下知事は「公務員は安泰という価値観を転換する」と主張する。その方向性は理解できるが、相対評価や組織再編による分限処分には、公務員の身分保障の観点などから現場に強い反発もある。慎重に議論を進めるべきだろう。
条例案は、国歌斉唱時の不起立など同一の職務命令に３回違反した職員を原則、分限免職にするとした。たびたび訴訟に発展する問題だけに丁寧な審議が必要だ。
部長級職員や正副校長を、公募により任期付きで採用する規定もあるが、身分保障のないポストに有為な人材が集まるだろうか。
維新の会は、府議会で過半数を占めている。大阪市議会にも同様の条例案を提出し、１１月に想定される府知事、大阪市長のダブル選で争点の一つにするという。
学校現場への影響を考えると、十分な議論なしに採決することは避けるべきだ。「子どもたちの適切な教育を受ける権利に責任を負う」という目的と相反する部分は柔軟に見直してもらいたい。
（2011年9月25日01時09分 読売新聞）
Et la traduction anglaise:
Don't rush to revamp local educational
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Recent moves by a local party led by Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto have raised important questions over the proper relationship between local school boards and the heads of local governments. This occasion presents a meaningful opportunity to thoroughly discuss their respective roles in local education.
Osaka Ishin no Kai (Osaka restoration group) has submitted two bills to the Osaka prefectural assembly: One concerns a fundamental ordinance on education and the other concerns a fundamental ordinance on prefectural government employees.
The bills emphasize increasing the governor's involvement in the prefecture's educational administration and applying the principle of "work and you will be rewarded" to prefectural government employees, including school teachers.
To be specific, the Osaka governor would have the power to set the educational goals of prefectural high schools and others. According to the bill, the governor would be able to dismiss members of the prefectural board of education who fail to work toward the goals after obtaining approval from the prefectural assembly.
A local board of education is considered a collegial institution independent from the head of the local government. But many institutions hold meetings only once or twice a month. Critics say the meetings have turned into a mere formality. Osaka Ishin no Kai says that under the current system, the prefectural board of education cannot properly reflect the will of Osaka Prefecture residents.
However, it is crucial for the educational administration to remain neutral regarding political parties, while maintaining stability and continuity. If Osaka Prefecture's educational policy changes every time a new governor is sworn in, schools and classrooms may be thrown into confusion.
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Punishing poor performers
The two bills also include measures to reform the prefectural government's personnel system, such as tougher disciplinary standards for teachers and other government employees.
Under the bills, annual employee performance evaluations will use a five-grade relative assessment system under which employees ranked in the worst grade for two consecutive years will be subject to the same punishments applied to local government officials who are judged substandard in carrying out their duties. The proportion of people who receive each grade is fixed, and about five percent of government officials will be put into the worst grade.
The measure also enables the prefectural government to dismiss workers to deal with overstaffing after administrative reorganization.
Hashimoto says the aim of the bills is to break down the widely held image that public servants' jobs are infinitely guaranteed once they are hired.
Hashimoto's stance is understandable in some sense. However, some prefectural government officials strongly oppose the ideas of relative assessment and dismissal of employees due to administrative reorganization, from the standpoint of guaranteeing the status of public servants. Thorough discussions are needed before implementing such measures.
The bills stipulate that government officials who refuse to comply with an order three times, such as refusing to stand up for the singing of the "Kimigayo" national anthem during ceremonies, will be subject to dismissal, in principle. However, since the issue of refusing to stand for the anthem has been a frequent subject of litigation, lawmakers in the prefectural assembly should take adequate time to discuss the measure.
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Private-sector recruitment
The bills allow prefectural schools to recruit principals, vice principals and other officials at levels equivalent to department chiefs in the prefectural government from private companies on fixed-term basis. However, there is a question whether talented people will accept such jobs when their status is not guaranteed.
Osaka Ishin no Kai members hold a majority in the prefectural assembly. They say the party will submit similar bills to the Osaka municipal assembly soon, making the issue of educational administration reform a point of contention during November's simultaneous elections for the governor and mayor of Osaka.
Members of the prefectural and municipal assemblies should refrain from passing the bill without thorough discussion, considering the huge influence of the bills on schools and classrooms. The lawmakers should not forget they are responsible for providing adequate education to children. Measures that may run counter to this purpose should be reviewed with open minds.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 25, 2011)
(Sep. 26, 2011)
