EDITORIAL: Tuition-free high schools

We are wondering how the administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama intends to implement the Democratic Party of Japan's election promise to make public high school education effectively tuition-free in the coming fiscal year. Given the serious financial squeeze, this must be one of the key issues in compiling the budget for fiscal 2010.

Under the DPJ's envisioned plan, families would receive an annual subsidy of 118,800 yen, equivalent to the standard annual cost of tuition, for each child going to a public high school. All households would be eligible, with no income ceiling imposed for the subsidy. The program would also provide the same amount to families whose children attend a private high school, which is more costly. The amount would be doubled for such families with an annual income not exceeding 5 million yen.

The government would actually provide the necessary funds to the operators of high schools, such as prefectural boards of education. The program is intended to cover 3.6 million students at a cost of 450.1 billion yen for fiscal 2010.

Figures show that 98 percent of junior high school students go on to high school. The three years at high school represent an important stage of education, following a period of compulsory education, which allows youngsters to consider their career options seriously.

A growing number of high school students, however, are being forced to drop out, often because of financial reasons like their parents losing jobs. Some students are so busy doing part-time jobs to help the family finances that they have little time for studying. It is unfair that some young people end up with a handicap they cannot easily overcome before they venture out into the world.

In most countries, education up to the high school level is provided at no cost. Among the parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, a component of the International Bill of Human Rights, only Japan and Madagascar have reserved endorsement of a provision calling for "the progressive introduction of free education" at high schools and universities.

As a basic investment in human resources development, society as a whole should share the costs of ensuring that all young people get the opportunity to be educated. Free high school education, which embodies this spirit, should become a reality.

Another idea on the table concerns the special tax deduction for households with dependents--children aged between 16 and 22. The proposal would sharply lessen the deductions for families with high school students and use the saving to help finance the free high school education plan.

This tax benefit reduces the taxable income of eligible households by 630,000 yen per child, cutting the total tax burden on households with high school students by more than 200 billion yen. The benefit is greater for higher-income families subject to higher tax rates.

Slashing the tax deduction substantially while uniformly providing tuition subsidies would effectively offer larger financial support to lower-income families. This is an idea that serves the purpose of providing equal education opportunities to children irrespective of their parents' income. A certain degree of increase in the financial burden on well-to-do households is justifiable.

The DPJ pledged in its election manifesto to maintain the tax break. Given the current harsh fiscal conditions, however, a cut in the deduction should be considered.

Another proposal would offer free high school education only to families with a certain income level. But this would not honor the spirit of free tuition.

Besides tuition, high school education entails various other expenses, such as entrance fees, costs for teaching materials and expenses for school excursions. There are a number of families that need additional financial support.

Prefectural governments offer a reduction of or an exemption from high school tuition for low-income families. The savings for local governments from the new subsidy program should be used to enhance support for needy families. The education ministry and local governments should work together to figure out effective ways.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 11(IHT/Asahi: December 12,2009)