March 23, 2016
Calling for improvement in public scholarship programs and the lowering of financial burdens for students and their families, 400 people including teachers, students, lawyers, and union activists on March 22 held a rally at the House of Councilors Dietmembers’ Office Building.
Parliamentarians of five opposition parties (Japanese Communist, Democratic, Japan Innovation, People’s Life, and Social Democratic parties) as well as lawmakers of the Komei Party attended the rally.
Kozu Rikio, president of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), on behalf of the organizers delivered an address and stressed that the current situation where young people are burdened with millions of yen of debts due to loan-type “scholarships” before finishing school should not be allowed to continue.
Chuo University Professor Ouchi Hirokazu, who is working to help improve the scholarship programs, said that many young people shoulder heavy financial burdens with loan-type scholarship repayments, which contribute to delayed marriages and lower birthrates.
A female student who receives a loan-type scholarship said that having to pay back as much as seven million yen, she feels anxiety about her future.
JCP Vice Chair Koike Akira, who is a member of the House of Councilors, in his speech pointed out that what the government calls a scholarship program is actually a student loan program, and said that the JCP will work hard to create a grant-type scholarship program in collaboration with other parties.
JCP members of the House of Representatives Miyamoto Takeshi, Hatano Kimie, Ohira Yoshinobu, Ikeuchi Saori, and Saito Kazuko also took part in the rally.
Earlier on the same day, the rally organizers submitted to the government a petition signed by 3.01 million people demanding a genuine scholarship system.
Parliamentarians of five opposition parties (Japanese Communist, Democratic, Japan Innovation, People’s Life, and Social Democratic parties) as well as lawmakers of the Komei Party attended the rally.
Kozu Rikio, president of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), on behalf of the organizers delivered an address and stressed that the current situation where young people are burdened with millions of yen of debts due to loan-type “scholarships” before finishing school should not be allowed to continue.
Chuo University Professor Ouchi Hirokazu, who is working to help improve the scholarship programs, said that many young people shoulder heavy financial burdens with loan-type scholarship repayments, which contribute to delayed marriages and lower birthrates.
A female student who receives a loan-type scholarship said that having to pay back as much as seven million yen, she feels anxiety about her future.
JCP Vice Chair Koike Akira, who is a member of the House of Councilors, in his speech pointed out that what the government calls a scholarship program is actually a student loan program, and said that the JCP will work hard to create a grant-type scholarship program in collaboration with other parties.
JCP members of the House of Representatives Miyamoto Takeshi, Hatano Kimie, Ohira Yoshinobu, Ikeuchi Saori, and Saito Kazuko also took part in the rally.
Earlier on the same day, the rally organizers submitted to the government a petition signed by 3.01 million people demanding a genuine scholarship system.
