15 Comments

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  Latenights at 05:36 PM JST - 12th August

  What the...?

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  cleo at 05:44 PM JST - 12th August

  There should be no school fees at elementary school. What are we paying taxes for?

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  TheNewZen at 06:38 PM JST - 12th August

  Not sure but the article might be talking about fees for "school lunches". There was a stink some time ago about unpaid school-lunches and some parents even demanding that school-lunches being stopped.

  At my sons school we pay for school-lunches, day-care(free option also available) and for a few things like planters to grow stuff, etc.

  But not sure from the little bit of info we are given. Time to hit other news-sources again to get all the details.

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  stanoue at 07:14 PM JST - 12th August

  Aren't 'voluntary' school fees at public schools the norm these days? To cover the shortfall for technology & sports items that the government payments just don't cover. If the shortfall was being covered out of staff's own salaries/pockets I would say it is ridiculous, but I don't mind it coming out of their pool of money for social events. Also it is a nice change to see the staff covering the shortfall - whereas in NZ or Australia, the kids whose parents can't/don't pay get excluded from school camps, sports trips, anything slightly extracurricular.

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  serindipity at 10:07 PM JST - 12th August

  This really puts true meaning to the term 'public school', doesn't it? Why isn't the local council or state government footing the bill? What a great system!

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  noborito at 11:25 PM JST - 12th August

  Most schools have uniforms. do schools in the rest of the world pay for these? no parents do, or in this case, some don't. Hot lunch programs all around the world are not free. All those notebooks the kids have are provided for in school, not purchased. These are never free in other countries. So why should they be free here.

  Schools provide teachers, building, books, and even extra-curricular (extensive hours) for free. Lunches, notebooks, school uniforms, even shoes are to be paid by parents. This I believe is normal behavior.

  Honorable teachers who pay for poorer students etc. should be applauded in this culture where people would walk by a man having a heart-attack.

  Let's give them some praise.

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  cleo at 12:33 AM JST - 13th August

  Most schools have uniforms.

  Not Japanese public elementary schools. I don't know of a single one that has a uniform.

  All those notebooks the kids have are provided for in school, not purchased. These are never free in other countries.

  Not true. I attended both public and private schools in the UK, and not once was I ever expected to pay for a notebook or a textbook until I was at uni. In Japan I bought and paid for every notebook my children used.

  If the teachers are making sacrifices for poorer students, yes that is to be applauded; but if the system allows children to go without the basic necessities of compulsory education because their parents can't or won't pay, that is disgraceful.

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  KitsuneYoukai at 04:25 AM JST - 13th August

  Good post Cleo. I agree 100%. I came from a poor family being raised by my grandmother and my father's sister. When they sent me to elementary school because of their income level which was almost nil my brother , sister, and I got free breakfast and lunch and they did not ahve to pay for any text books. Whatever they had went for food, clothing which my grandmother made most fo the time, and housing expenses. We're lucky here to have access to school despite our income levels and there are good teachers at all levels you just want to have to succeed to get out of your situation growing up. To be denied basic education/textbooks is very pathetic. I guess the government doesn't realize that it is these children that will be making up the bulk of taxes one day.

  I applaud teachers that do what these did especially at their income level. It shows they really care, these are the best kind.

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  Triple888 at 04:27 AM JST - 13th August

  I agree with Cleo. Want are taxes for?

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  MeanRingo at 05:54 AM JST - 13th August

  That is mighty nice of them to cover the expenses of the less fortunate/lazy parents. I applaud them. I feel that in the land of monkey see monkey do, all school boards should have teachers, principals and school clerks cover the cost of school lunch. It should be mandatory.

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  VOR at 06:21 AM JST - 13th August

  Parents are expecting their children get free lunches for one reason or another. School lunch programs offered by the city cover the expense for parents below certain income levels, but the parent needs to get off their lazy behinds to register for the program.

  Japan is a society in decline.

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  zaichik at 07:42 AM JST - 13th August

  Not Japanese public elementary schools. I don't know of a single one that has a uniform.

  I used to visit a couple of Japanese public elementary schools that had uniforms (for sport as well), but I agree that these aren't the norm at elementary level.

  I think it's admirable that these teachers have been willing to donate money to cover these unpaid fees....

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  browny1 at 10:47 PM JST - 13th August

  Cleo - You don't know of a single elementary school where Uniforms are the norm!!!!!!!!

     You must travel very selectively, because in my prefecture I'd hazard a guess and say 95%+ wear uniforms.
  
     Re school stationery - in Oz everyone pays for their own, unless registered as 'in need' whereby the govt coughs the bill.
  
     Shocking that such a means tested system doesn't apply here and that the govt doesn't pay for such. Teachers paying for kids books and other fees, is just not on. There is nothing admirable about it all. I'd say a lot of sub-coercive pressure is at play here and the only losers are the teachers. Prefectural/City coffers in this country can't possibly be at the level where errant expenses can not be covered.
  

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  cleo at 11:41 PM JST - 13th August

  browny -

  Not a single public elementary school. Most (All?) private schools have them, and most junior/senior highs, public and private.

  Can't say I approve of means testing where children are involved; it isn't the child's fault if it has skinflint parents who can but won't cough up. If we as a society intend to invest in our children (as I think we should - sheer lunacy not to), then compulsory education at least should be free to all, and secondary/tertiary education free or heavily subsidised for those with the appropriate ability. Paying for education is a kind of means test; those who earn more, pay more (supposedly at least), and those with no kids get to do their bit to help the workers of tomorrow who will be paying taxes to cover pensions and old folks' homes.

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  browny1 at 02:12 PM JST - 14th August

  Cleo - I believe you but that's incredible. In my realms I know of not one single public elementary school with a no uniform policy. Not one!!!

  And I do agree with you re education should be free for all esp in the copulsory years.

  The Means testing I alluded to is actually not so severe at all. Simply those on welfare benefits and incomes below the deemed minimum can apply for 'payment not necessary.'

  Now in Japan with millions of households on ￥2 million or less annual income providing truly free education would certainly go a long way to lightening their burden. Especially seeing free for all education is not going to happen in the foreseeable future.

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