Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2012 November 14 - 20 [EDUCATION]

Private college teachers and students call for lower tuitions

The Japan Federation of Private University Teachers’ and Employees’ Unions on November 13 made representations to Dietmembers, calling for lower college tuitions and a drastic increase in government subsidies for private universities.

The action was taken by 21 college teachers and staff as well as students.

They also demanded that the government launch a grant-type scholarship program and provide interest-free loan-type scholarships to everyone who applies.

During talks with Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi and other JCP parliamentarians, one of the participants said that although most students take out a loan to go to college, they find it difficult to obtain a regular job after graduating and are saddled with paying back their debts.

Ichida pointed out that among OECD nations, Japan is the only country which does not have a tuition-free higher education or a grant-type scholarship program. “We’d like to join forces with you to achieve a tuition free education,” he told the participants.