Over 100 university student activists gathered for a rally at the Lower House members' offices in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward to protest tuition increases. Students from institutions such as the University of Tokyo, Osaka University, Chuo University, and Musashino Art University called for budgetary actions to reverse the hikes and urged the central government to expand scholarship programs.
University tuition fees have been rising around the country in recent years.
The student activists said the financial difficulties of universities are the reason behind the tuition hikes, and that without government support, universities will be pushed further into a corner. They also argued that loan-type scholarships just create debt for students.
“I gave up on graduate school because I thought it would increase my debt”, one participant said.
Another said, “The more that needy students are forced to work part time, the less they can study, and the less they can meet the grade requirements for their scholarships, creating a vicious cycle”.
Diet members of five opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party, attended the rally, as well as bureaucrats from the education ministry, the Finance Ministry, and the internal affairs ministry.
The students submitted a petition, signed by individuals from over 100 universities and graduate schools, advocating for an increase in the education budget.
