Japan Press Weekly

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2013 November 27 - December 3 [EDUCATION]

JCP opposes abolition of free high school education program

A bill to abolish the tuition-free program for all public high school students was passed on November 27 in the House of Councilors and enacted by a majority vote of the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties as well as the opposition Your and Japan Restoration parties.

The Japanese Communist, Democratic, People’s Life, and Social Democratic parties voted against the bill.

The bill discontinues covering all public high school students with the program by introducing an income limit.

In the discussion prior to the vote, JCP lawmaker Tamura Tomoko opposed the bill and cited the Education Ministry’s assessment that the introduction of an income cap will impose tuition fee payments on 22% or 790,000 of high school students. She criticized the bill for contradicting the government decision to accept the article of the International Covenants on Human Rights calling for the gradual elimination of tuitions for secondary and tertiary education.

Tamura reported that an evening high school student is hoping all high schools be tuition free like elementary and junior high schools. She expressed her determination to work hard to protect the right to education of all children.

The tuition-free high school education program was launched by the Democratic Party-led government in April 2010.

Past related article:
> Gov’t tries to set income limit to free high school education system [August 30, 2013]
> Gov’t accepts international covenant on free higher education [September 14, 2012]