Japan Press Weekly

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2024 October 2 - 8 [POLITICS]

JCP issues statement calling for a ‘tuition-free’ Japan

The Japanese Communist Party on October 2 released an appeal to the general public to “join forces to oppose proposed tuition hikes and have tuition fees lowered in order to ultimately establish a ‘tuition-free’ Japan.”

The appeal criticizes the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and an advisory panel to the education minister for promoting an increase in tuition fees on the grounds of providing a “quality education”.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru during the LDP presidential election campaign had pledged to make national universities and technical colleges tuition-free.

Regarding this pledge, JCP Policy Commission Chair Yamazoe Taku at a press conference in the Diet building said, “Ishiba didn’t offer any concrete measures on how to eliminate tuition fees, and the government says ‘it is up to individual universities to decide’ whether to raise tuition fees.” Yamazoe added, “The issue should normally be discussed in the extraordinary session of the Diet,” expressing his dissatisfaction with the shortened 9-day session.

Yamazoe stated, “Our party stands in solidarity with university students’ protests against the proposed tuition hikes,” and presented JCP policy proposals to: immediately cut tuition fees by half and eliminate enrollment fees; create a scholarship program centering on grants which does not require repayments; and waive half of scholarship repayment requirements.

Yamazoe noted that the estimated budget for the next fiscal year shows military spending at more than 8.5 trillion yen, about twice the amount of the budget for education. He pointed out that a 20-trillion yen revenue source could be generated by reviewing preferential tax measures for large corporations and the ultrarich.