Tokyo ? Japan’s conservative government revised the country’s central education law Friday to require schools to encourage patriotism in the classroom and upgraded the Defense Agency to a full ministry for the first time since World War II.

The measures, enacted in a vote by Parliament’s upper house, form key elements of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to bolster Japan’s international military role, build up national pride and distance the country from its post-1945 war guilt.

The education measure, the first change to Japan’s main education law since 1947, calls on schools “to cultivate an attitude that respects tradition and culture, that loves the nation and home country.”

The call for more patriotism in the schools coincides with a push by some local governments to crack down on teachers and students who refuse to stand for the national flag or sing an anthem to the emperor at school ceremonies.

The upgrading of the Defense Agency under the Cabinet Office to a full ministry passed Parliament without much opposition, propelled by concern in Japan over North Korean missile and nuclear weapons development.