Disparities in Tuition Support Fuel Debate Over Free High School in Japan

The Debate Over Free High School Tuition in Japan

The Diet's debate over making high school tuition free across Japan is intensifying. This comes as the current system of financial aid from local governments has led to disparities in student equity. These disparities are caused by some local governments offering additional support beyond the central government's income-restricted tuition assistance.

Implementing a uniform nationwide system would be a challenge, with estimated funding needs of around 600 billion yen ($3.9 billion). Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike emphasizes the central government's role in offering free high school education, stating, "The central government is supposed to do it. We are watching closely how it will handle this moving forward."

This fiscal year, Tokyo expanded its own tuition support program, removing income restrictions and covering up to an average tuition cost of 484,000 yen for private school students. Osaka Prefecture has also begun phasing in a more generous support system, providing up to 630,000 yen annually to private school students.

However, these enhanced support measures have caused friction. Governors of Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa prefectures have pointed out that Tokyo's program creates significant disparities due to the financial situations of local governments. Similar support initiatives exist nationwide, but the amounts and eligibility vary widely.

The disparities in tuition support are already influencing students' school choices. In Tokyo and Osaka, more students are opting for private high schools. A survey by the Tokyo Junior High School Headmasters' Association showed that the percentage of third-year public junior high school students aiming to attend Tokyo metropolitan high schools has dropped to 66.97%, the first time in 30 years it has fallen below 70%.

In Osaka, over 30% of students applied only to private high schools during last spring's entrance exams, while nearly half of public high schools did not reach full enrollment. Nationwide, private school students make up around 35% of all high school students, but this figure rises to 60% in Tokyo and 40% in Osaka.

The debate in the Diet gained momentum late last year as the ruling coalition and Nippon Ishin agreed to reach a conclusion on the issue by mid-February. However, uncertainties remain over funding and timing.

Some experts argue that the right to education should be guaranteed for all, just like compulsory education. The current system, which also includes grant-based scholarships, provides some form of support to 73% of students. The high school enrollment rate has now reached around 99%.