Japan Press Weekly

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2013 February 27 - March 5 [EDUCATION]

Total of 8.63 million call for better learning environment

An organization of parents and teachers on March 1 submitted 1,124,647 signatures to the Diet, calling for the educational environment to be improved.

In addition to the already-submitted signatures, the number reaches 8,629,708 in total.

They requested that the government realize small-sized classes of no more than 30 students, promote more tuition-free high schools, expand subsidies to private schools, and create a grant-type scholarship system which does not require graduates to repay.

All Japan Teachers and Staff Union Chair Kitamura Yoshihisa said that joint efforts made by children, parents, and teaching staff have contributed to the realization of small-sized classes at the prefectural level.

He added that their concerted action also moved the government to withdraw its reservation from an International Covenants on Human Rights article calling for tuition-free higher education.

The organization submitted the signatures via 47 lawmakers in both Houses, including Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers Kokuta Keiji, Takahashi Chizuko, Tamura Tomoko, and Inoue Satoshi.