- Japan's ruling coalition and opposition parties, including the LDP, Komeito, and Nippon Ishin no Kai, reached a consensus on the free high school education policy, aiming to provide tuition-free education for more students, especially those from low- and middle-income backgrounds.
- The debate also covered the treatment of foreign students, addressing the need for fairness while considering the varying financial situations, including foreign students in international schools and ethnic schools.
- The policy will focus on direct tuition assistance to schools rather than students, to prevent opportunistic tuition hikes by private institutions, and will be included in Japan's economic and fiscal policy recommendations by the end of June.
In a major step towards actualizing free high school education in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ruling coalition and Komeito, as well as the opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai, or Japan Innovation Party, reached a wide consensus to cover key issues regarding the policy. The debate centered on a number of important points, such as the range of eligibility for free tuition fees at high schools and how foreign students would be treated under the policy.
One of the principal areas of discussion was how to delineate the scope of students to be given free tuition. Although the details are yet to be agreed on, the two sides agreed to pursue ways of opening access to high school education to more students, particularly those with low- and middle-income backgrounds. The intention is to see that no student, including those with a poor economic background, would be denied education due to financial constraints.
Another major concern debated was the management of foreign students, and the coalition parties acknowledged the diversity of the situations within this population. They pointed out the necessity of taking into account a range of circumstances, including foreign students who come from high-income families and study in international schools with high tuition costs, and foreign students from low-income families who study in ethnic schools. The policy will pursue fairness while addressing the specific problems of foreign students in Japan.
The political accord also contained provisions for the direct distribution of tuition assistance to schools, instead of handing out money to students. The method aims to provide enough financial assistance to schools while stopping opportunistic tuition increases by private colleges. The accord also emphasized increasing the support for public schools so that they are competitive and accessible.
This accord will now be included in Japan's annual economic and fiscal policy recommendations, which are due to be finalized by June's end, opening the way for a full-scale implementation.
