Japan Press Weekly

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2009 March 11 - 17 [EDUCATION]

Take urgent measures so that all students can graduate high school: JCP

With many students unable to finish or even enter high school due to economic reasons, the Japanese Communist Party has proposed that the national and prefectural governments provide financial assistance to students facing financial difficulties.

At a news conference on March 11 to issue the proposal, JCP Vice Chair Ishii Ikuko called for a national campaign to force the government to take necessary steps.

Ishii pointed out that many children are being affected by the collapse of the job market.

“A survey on private schools shows that the number of students who are in arrears with their tuition payments has sharply increased. The number of students not able to keep up with payments at the end of 2008 was 24,490, three times the previous year’s figure,” she said.

Saying that this is too serious to be overlooked, Ishii proposed taking steps to prevent students from having to give up finishing or even entering high school due to their inability to pay tuitions.

The JCP urged the government to establish a interest-free loan system for borrowers with guarantors for those experiencing economic difficulties. It also called for an increase in tuition exemptions as well as the establishment of a system to assist in transportation expenses.

Some high schools do not give diplomas to students who are in arrears with the payment of tuition fees.

“Parents, teachers, students, and other people concerned are called upon to discuss the issue of high school students experiencing financial difficulties and find ways to prevent them from giving up finishing their studies because of being in arrears. The national government and local administrations must fulfill their social responsibility to this end,” Ishii added.

The JCP also called for fundamental improvement in the scholarship system for high school students and the establishment of measures to encourage non-Japanese students to continue to study while gradually reducing tuition fees in accordance with the International Covenants on Human Rights, which the Japanese government has still not ratified.