JCP proposes cuts in expensive tuitions

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

JCP proposes cuts in expensive tuitions

The Japanese Communist Party published a policy proposal for reducing the financial burdens associated with the payment of tuition fees.

JCP Vice Chair Ishii Ikuko held a news conference on April 17 to explain the policy paper entitled, “Measures to not discourage young people from studying due to financial reasons.”

“There are cases of discrimination against certain people based on their economic status which is in violation of the Fundamental Law of Education,” Ishii said.

Tuition fees for national universities that were 12,000 yen in 1970 are now 535,800 yen. If the entrance fee is added, students are asked to pay more than 800,000 yen for the first year. For private universities and colleges, the average amount of tuition fees is 1.3 million yen. Due to rises in tuition fees, about 10,000 students are forced to drop out due to economic reasons.

Ishii blamed the Liberal Democratic Party-led government educational policy for causing the present situation, and said, “Education is a basic human right. It is also essential for sound social development.”

JCP Policy Commission Chair Koike Akira said that the JCP proposal requires 190 billion yen a year but added that it is realizable by “abolishing the so-called sympathy budget for U.S. forces.”

Outline of JCP proposal

The JCP proposes that:

- Households with a yearly income of less than five million yen should be eligible to get a reduction in or exemption from tuition fees for their children at public senior high schools.

- For students attending private senior high schools, if their household income is less than five million yen, they should be exempt from payment of tuition fees.

- Partial reductions in private high school expenses can be provided to students from households of up to eight-million-yen yearly income.

- All students whose family earns below four million yen a year can receive exemptions in national universities and colleges.

- Students at private universities and colleges, if they are from households with incomes of less than four million yen are eligible for reductions in tuition fees.

- The government-funded student loan system should be free of interest. Its users should be allowed to defer the start of repayment until their annual income reaches three million yen.

- A repayment-free scholarship program should be made available to students who are under financial difficulties.

- Japan should ratify the International Covenant on Human Rights, which calls for free education in universities and high schools.

- Akahata, April 17, 2008