Japan Press Weekly

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2023 May 10 - 16 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP opposes bill which neglects the use of foreign students as cheap labor

The House of Representatives education committee on May 10 passed a bill regarding Japanese language institutes by the majority vote of the ruling parties, the “Nippon Ishin no Kai” party, and the Democratic Party for the People.

The Japanese Communist Party voted against the bill as it does not contain measures to address the issue in which foreigners studying at Japanese language schools run by for-profit businesses are exploited as cheap laborers.

In discussions prior to the vote, JCP representative Miyamoto Takeshi pointed out that many private Japanese language schools play a role as a cheap labor pool by offering part-time job information to foreign students.

According to Miyamoto, a Japanese language institute operator forces foreign students to register with his/her staffing service agency and work for more than 28 hours a week which exceeds the maximum limit allowed by law for international students. In addition, the school operator charges high rents for student accommodations.

Under the bill, jurisdiction over Japanese language institutes will be transferred from the current Justice Ministry to the Education Ministry and instructors will be required to obtain a new national qualification for teaching Japanese.

JCP Miyamoto said that the bill is insufficient to properly tackle the issue. He stressed that the need is for the government to take measures to fix structural problems in Japanese language schools that lead to the exploitation of foreign students. Furthermore, he pointed out that Japanese teachers are struggling to make ends meet due to low wages, and demanded that the government improve these teachers’ working conditions if it introduces a national qualification system.