Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education requests the suspension of flight above schools
Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education Superintendent Shojin Heshiki (front left) requesting U.S. military aircrafts to suspend flights over schools to the Okinawa Defense Bureau Director Kouichiro Nakajima (front right), taken on February 15 in Kadena’s Okinawa Defense Bureau.
February 16, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo
On February 15, Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education Superintendent Shojin Heshiki met with Ministry of Defense Okinawa Defense Bureau (OBD) Director Kouichiro Nakajima. Superintendent Heshiki verbally requested for the U.S. military to suspend flight over all K-12 school and special support education schools in the prefecture.
Following the U.S. military helicopter accident last December in which a window from the helicopter crashed into the school grounds of the Futenma Daini Elementary School, Superintendent Heshiki identified this as a problem.
As a representative of the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education, he decided to make an unprecedented request by asking the U.S. military to change their operations.
He said, “From the standpoint of protecting the lives of students, there is no way we cannot raise the topic of the Futenma Daini Elementary School accident.”
In his request to Director Nakajima, Superintendent Heshiki said, “I feel that the U.S. military aircrafts suspending their flights over school facilities is the general direction we should be taking.”
He then said, “I’m sure the national government is also working with the U.S. military, but we want them to focus on various options for their flight routes to ensure a safe environment.”
He also asked that the U.S. military aircrafts prevent noise in March and April when high school entrance examinations, graduation ceremonies, and entrance ceremonies are held.
In response to the request, Director Nakajima explained the OBD’s stance regarding the suspension of flights by U.S. military aircrafts over schools.
He said, “The Futenma Daini Elementary School accident should not have happened. We are asking U.S. military aircrafts to not fly over educational institutions.”
With that, he also emphasized that “We too want to do everything we can to ensure a safe environment as much as we can. He thereby sought people’s understanding.Regarding the suspension of flights during high school entrance examinations and graduation ceremonies, Director Nakajima said, “Every year, we update the U.S military on the dates. Especially with entrance exams, they determine a young person’s future, so we have requested that they take that into consideration.”
The request was also reported to the board of education members during a study session prior to the Prefectural Board of Education regular meeting held on February 15.
(English translation by T&CT and Chelsea Ashimine)
Previous Article:Minister of Defense says internal communication delays by U.S. military caused late reporting on dropped Osprey engine intake, no apology from U.S. military
Next Article:Memorial statue commemorating the landing of John Manjiro unveiled at Odo Beach in Itoman
[Similar Articles]
- Reading of names at school entrance ceremonies in Naha halted by flight of U.S. planes
- U.S. military aircraft noise disrupts school entrance ceremonies midway despite no-flight appeal
- Osprey spotted flying above Futenma Elementary School
- Futenma elementary school’s yearly evacuation drill assumes a U.S. military aircraft crash
- Governor petitions directly to the Ministry of Defense after U.S. military helicopter window falls
Webcam(Kokusai Street)
