Gov't to waive tuition fees for private school students on low income

Friday 23rd October, 07:00 AM JST

TOKYO —

The education ministry decided Thursday to pursue ways to make private high schools tuition-free for students from low income households in addition to those at public schools under the new government’s key policy, government sources said. The ministry will ask the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry to use taxes allocated to local governments in order to help fund the tuition-free program that would apply to households with an annual income of up to 3.5 million yen.

Education ministry data show that municipal governments across Japan spend roughly 32 billion yen in expenses related to public high school tuition fees, including those needed for tuition exemptions and for covering fees in arrears. The ministry is seeking to use 24.9 billion yen out of the 32 billion yen after the aid package for high school students is put in place in the next fiscal year.

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12 Comments

dasyhard at 08:34 AM JST - 23rd October

I never thought I'd see the day that this government is finally doing something positive for their future generation.
timeon at 09:19 AM JST - 23rd October

I don't know the details, but a "private school" is a business, right? so the government pays tax money to make some dudes rich? (I think I've heard this story before, something with high bonuses for bankers?). then how about low income students going to public schools? what, the level is lower? then how about investing those money that make some private school dudes rich into increasing the level of the public schools?
bogva at 09:22 AM JST - 23rd October

then how about investing those money that make some private school dudes rich into increasing the level of the public schools?

Impossible! The reason? Well it's not a business. Business cares for their clients. Public and state care but bribery and other factors come first to mind!
Altria at 09:27 AM JST - 23rd October

So they're going to throw the really rich kids and the really poor kids in private schools, and the average Joe Jr goes to public school, right?
JackieS at 11:19 AM JST - 23rd October

In the 60's when I used to live in Japan, it was pretty tough to pass the entrance exams to get into the public schools. Any kid not accepted had to go to private schools or give up. Back then, the process was a bit political too. Undesirable children (like me and my brother) were heavily influenced to fail and get out of the way. I'm glad the government is going to help keep kids like me in school. The funding isn't the ideal solution. But, it feels good to read that maybe the country is starting to address some of their issues revolving around classism.
Yelnats at 12:41 PM JST - 23rd October

I make more than three times the top limit, but my bank account goes down to ¥10,000 before pay day. I should be eligible. :-)
paolo27th at 05:06 PM JST - 23rd October

In the 60's when I used to live in Japan, it was pretty tough to pass the entrance exams to get into the public schools. Any kid not accepted had to go to private schools or give up. Back then, the process was a bit political too. Undesirable children (like me and my brother) were heavily influenced to fail and get out of the way. I'm glad the government is going to help keep kids like me in school. The funding isn't the ideal solution. But, it feels good to read that maybe the country is starting to address some of their issues revolving around classism.

Interesting story. Why were you undesirabe? And where do you live now?
smithinjapan at 06:27 PM JST - 23rd October

I was going to say this is a great thing, until I thought about it for more than a split-second and asked myself, "In Japan, how many 'low-income' kids are you going to find in private universities?" The public ones alone cost an arm and a leg. Now, show me the government saying they'll give grants and increase scholarships for low-income kids TO attend private, and also for public, universities, and I'll be truly impressed.

As it is now I simply see more officials patting themselves on the back for trying to look good while basically doing nothing. What's the percentage of low-income kids at private schools (who are not on scholarship)?
bdiego at 04:36 AM JST - 24th October

Agreed with Altria, the government wants really rich and really poor kids to succeed and everyone else to go to public school and fail. Politics as usual, it's called bread and circuses.
bcbrownboy at 08:57 AM JST - 24th October

Yelnats I make more than three times the top limit, but my bank account goes down to ¥10,000 before pay day. I should be eligible. :-)

Amen, the limit is far too low. Most of us far above that level are having a hard time making ends meet. And the private school fees are really hurting. Public high school should be provided free in Japan, as it is in ALL DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. As I've said Japan is a third world country when it comes to social services, even though we pay tons of tax.
Mex1c060 at 12:24 PM JST - 28th October

"All developed countries" do not provide free education. Nothing is free in this world. Taxes are collected from real estate, consumption of services and goods, to provide this so-called "free" education. I do agree that trying to become educated in Japan should not have to be a potentially financially bankrupting the parents. My wife mentioned that there is something called "Education Insurance". Has anyone heard about that and how it actually works? I imagine it is similar to the investment education fund run in America where you invest for your child's future, not to be touched until they are old enough to attend college or turn a certain age. I saw a documentary about France and they provide better opportunity to get a university education without going bankrupt than say the USA. I have heard of Medical Schools and Dental Schools in Japan taking so-called gifts (bribes) to allow rich people's kids to enter the school. Of course, the kid still has to pass the entrance exam, he just merely moves to the selection part. No worries about being qualified, just not necessarily about the best qualified of the group of examinees. Well, changes should be made to make it more financially-able for parents to get the best education in Japan.
Unfortunately, you get what you pay for. Whatever idea can work, it should ensure excellent incentives to be excellent teachers. As well as overarching trust in getting what you pay for in educating Japanese children.
OneForAll at 01:28 PM JST - 28th October

Mex, we are talking about high school. The last three years of normal public school. It is a class system that is geared for those who can send their children to Jukus or pay early to get their children into a good private school before an exam. Class system for the rich or one child family.