30% of high school students say they can't choose private school even though high school is free of charge: Students from needy families still have a heavy burden - NGO survey

Although tuition-free tuition at private high schools began in April, household financial burdens other than tuition fees, such as entrance fees and school fees, are still heavy. Approximately 30% of students from impoverished families said they were unable to choose a private high school as a career choice, and an international NGO that conducted the survey pointed out that ``hidden educational costs are putting pressure on household budgets.''

Amended high school tuition fee law is enacted, providing support to private schools without income restrictions

The survey was conducted online between May and June among households using the child benefit program of the international NGO Save the Children Japan (Tokyo). Valid responses were received from a total of 550 people, including 125 first-year students and 425 parents at junior high and high schools across the country.

Regarding the impact of free high school on career choices, 27.0% of first-year high school students said, ``Private school was not an option because I thought there would be expenses other than tuition fees.'' 50% of parents who send their children to private high schools cited ``the possibility that they will not be able to continue attending school for financial reasons'' as a concern when enrolling their children.

The average cost for enrolling in a private high school was 147,526 yen, which covers facility maintenance costs, heating and cooling costs, and more than double compared to last year. The entrance fee was 173,135 yen, an increase of about 1.2 times, and the burden of uniforms, exercise clothes, and school commuter passes had also increased.

More than 60% of parents and junior high and high school students called for computers and tablets to be included in school equipment, which can be costly to purchase. While 54.7% of national and public schools said they received purchase subsidies or grants, only 7.0% of private schools said they received purchase subsidies or grants. The average cost for private high schools was about 100,000 yen.

Mitsue Tashiro of the NGO, who spoke at a press conference, emphasized, ``The heavy financial burden on households due to rising prices is affecting the right to study, especially for children from economically disadvantaged households.'' Yuji Shirakawa, a professor of educational sociology at Chiba University who cooperated with the survey, said, ``We need to change the practice of paying entrance fees and school fees, and promote the use of school supplies as supplies and transfers from graduates.''