Recently, Japan's education sector has undergone a major policy adjustment. According to Tokyo News on the 22nd, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito Party, and opposition party Japan Restoration Party held high-level talks in the Diet on the 21st and reached a draft agreement on expanding the scope of free education policy. The finalization of this draft marks an important step forward in Japan's education reform, and the three parties will quickly initiate internal procedures to promote the formal implementation of the agreement.
After the talks, the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, Itsunori Onodera, immediately went to the Prime Minister's residence and reported in detail the results of the talks to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Shigeru Ishiba highly praised the draft agreement, stating that it was "well-organized and comprehensive in content," and looked forward to its smooth passage through internal party review. If the draft is successfully approved within the three parties, the leaders of the three parties will further meet to discuss the details of subsequent implementation.
According to the draft agreement, the Japanese government plans to completely eliminate family income restrictions on private high school student enrollment subsidies in the 2026 fiscal year, and increase the maximum subsidy amount from the current 396000 yen (approximately 4.8 yuan based on 100 yen) to 457000 yen. This measure aims to alleviate the economic burden on private high school families and ensure that more students can equally receive high-quality education.
More notably, starting from fiscal year 2025, Japan will implement a universal high school subsidy policy, where every high school student, regardless of whether they attend a public or private high school, and regardless of their family's financial situation, will receive an annual subsidy of 118800 yen. The implementation of this policy is essentially equivalent to realizing free education in public high schools, bringing tangible benefits to Japanese families.
At present, Japan has implemented free compulsory education from primary school to junior high school, but there is still a household income threshold for tuition subsidies at the high school level. Families with an annual income of less than 5.9 million yen can receive an annual subsidy of 118800 yen for their children attending public high schools, and 396000 yen for attending private high schools; Families with an annual income between 5.9 million and 9.1 million yen can receive an annual subsidy of 118800 yen for their children attending public or private high schools.
The policy of expanding the scope of high school tuition fee reductions has sparked widespread discussion in Japanese society. Supporters believe that private high school tuition fees are generally high, and many families are forced to give up the opportunity for their children to receive higher education due to economic pressure. The new policy will greatly broaden the educational choices for these children and cultivate more talents for society. However, there are also some voices expressing concern. The Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun published a commentary stating that after the removal of income restrictions on tuition subsidies, high-income families may become the biggest beneficiaries. If these families invest the saved education costs into extracurricular tutoring, it may further exacerbate the unequal distribution of educational resources and lead to a polarization of educational opportunities.
The adjustment of high school tuition fee reduction policy this time is an important decision made by the Japanese government to address the needs of educational equity and social development. Although the policy outlook is highly anticipated, there are still many challenges in balancing the interests of all parties and ensuring that the policy truly benefits families in need during the specific implementation process. In the future, with the advancement of the internal procedures of the three parties, the ultimate direction of this policy deserves continuous attention.
(Editer：admin)
