Korean school tuition waiver process suspended

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Korean school tuition waiver process suspended

The government is suspending procedures to make Korean schools tuition-free under instructions from the Prime Minister Kan Naoto following North Korean artillery attacks on South Korean Yeonpyeong Island.

In April, a law was enacted to waive tuitions of public high schools, including international schools with the exception of Korean schools.

Subsequently, an expert commission appointed by the Education Ministry clarified its views that the government's standards to choose applicable schools for the tuition waiver program should be objective. The Education Ministry has been preparing for the start of the program with a view to including Korean schools.

Prime Minister Kan said, "I instructed the government to stop the procedure to waive Korean school tuitions as we are discussing the issue of the North Korean shelling of Yeonpyeong Island." However, the instruction goes against the government view that deciding on which schools are to be tuition-free should not be based on politics.

The North Korean indiscriminate artillery attacks on the island are unacceptable, outrageous, and unlawful behavior which violates not only the U. N. Charter but also the armistice agreement over the Korean War and other North-South agreements. However, it is unjustifiable for the government to suspend the tuition waiver process of Korean schools because of this.

In addition, International Covenants on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child state that children's rights to education are guaranteed by the government of the country where the children live, irrespective of their nationality.

According to these treaties, the Japanese government is in violation of international rules. If the government continues to take this stance, it will weaken its position to deal with North Korean behavior to the international community.

- Akahata, December 7, 2010