Japan Eyes Aid to Night Junior High School Education

November 2, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's education ministry is considering providing financial support to households that have members attending night junior high schools, starting as early as fiscal 2020, informed sources said.

Night junior high schools offer classes such as math and Japanese language to people who have not finished compulsory education, including foreigners and truants.

The ministry's move reflects expectations that the needs of such schools will rise in line with an increase in the number of truants and foreign workers.

The ministry will first examine the economic burden of households with night school enrollees, including expenditures for events such as school trips as well as income levels. It plans to put together its findings by summer 2019.

A total of 25 cities and wards in eight prefectures in Japan have set up such night schools using empty classrooms at public junior high schools and other locations.

The number of enrolled students stood at 1,687 as of July 1, 2017.

The city governments of Kawaguchi, in Saitama Prefecture, and Matsudo, in Chiba Prefecture, are expected to open such night schools in April 2019.

The Japanese government has set a goal of establishing at least one night junior high school in each of the country's 47 prefectures. Jiji Press