Aichi Pref. grants black belts to PE teachers after a 6-day training…
Aichi Prefecture grants black belts to PE teachers after a 6-day training seminar ? Kodokan will conduct investigation.
Yomiuri Shinbun reported today (January 16, 2012) that for almost 30 years, the Aichi Board of Education has entrusted the Aichi Judo Renmei (Federation) to hold Judo seminars for Aichi public junior/senior high school PE teachers. All participants who completed the 6-day seminar (2 days in the first year and 4 days in the second year) receive a shodan (a black belt).
The Aichi Judo Renmei explains that there is no problem as all participants have sufficient athletic ability as PE teachers even though they are beginners in judo; all participants have been granted shodan level in 6 days. The federation says that contents of the seminar are sufficient to award the black belt.
The Board sees no problem and says “Having the black belt makes the teachers more able to provide more fulfilling instruction for the students.” The Board and Renmei will increase the number of trainee slots in its seminars to 44, as “budo” will become a mandatory part of the PE curriculum in the new fiscal year.
On the other hand Kodokan Deliberation Council says, “Seminars for shodan recognition of school teachers is conducted by prefectural federations with detailed lectures and strict examination based on teachers’ experience and achievements.” However Kodokan accepted that granting of belts were left to the responsibility of judo federations and was not checked by them. As to Aichi case Kodokan says that they “do not know the details and will confirm what is happening.”
