Japan Press Weekly

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2018 July 25 - 31 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Shinfujin to Education Ministry: Install A/C in classrooms to protect children’s lives

With the scorching summer heat continuing in Japan, the New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin or NJWA) on July 26 petitioned the Education Ministry to install air conditioners in classrooms and gyms in public schools without delay.

The petitioning was joined by Shinfujin members from across the country, including those who brought along their school-age children who are on summer vacation. They handed a written request to State Minister of Education Niwa Hideki.

Shinfujin in its petition demanded that the ministry implement emergency measures so that classrooms and gyms will be equipped with air conditioners before summer holidays end. It also urged the ministry to provide extra funds to municipalities to help their schools cover leasing fees for newly-introduced A/Cs and pay for the increase in electricity fees.

A woman who came from Aichi’s Toyota City cited a recent incident in which a first grader in an elementary school in the city died of heatstroke soon after a short field trip. She said that for her, the incident is not just someone else’s misfortune because she has a child of the same age as the deceased pupil, stressing that the Education Ministry should do everything it can to protect children’s lives.

Another Shinfujin member, whose child is also a first grader in an elementary school in Aichi’s Nagoya City, said that a school environment which endangers children’s lives is unacceptable.

The petitioners were accompanied by Japanese Communist Party lawmakers Hatano Kimie (Lower House), Motomura Nobuko (LH), and Kira Yoshiko (Upper House).

Past related articles:
> Shinfujin urges Education Ministry to increase subsidies for more air-conditioned classrooms [July 20, 2018]
> A/C for 100% of US base schools, 22.5% of Tokyo schools [December 22, 2010]