From 2020, Japanese government will make university fees free of charge for low-income households. About 20% of new students’ family will not have to pay fees.

With reading only title, this news seems good.

However, after I read the whole article, I got some questions.

First, there will be discounts, but most poor Japanese families will have to pay fees.

In the article, it says that family do not have to pay resident tax will not have to pay university fees. It is good for them because their children can enter university easily than before. On the contrary, most poor Japanese families pay resident tax, in other words, they cannot use the system of safety net, for example, welfare. They seems have ordinary life, but actually not. The reason why the number of students who hold scholarship is that there are poor families in Japan. Japanese government should make more flexible system for all poor families.

Second, it is important to make a fixed purpose to go to universities clearly.

Today, about half of Japanese high school students enter the universities. It suggests that it is natural to go to the universities. However, I think the intention of studying in university is fading. If the number of university students increase by the free system, the intention will disappear. Therefore, not only government, but also teachers and students have to think the reason why entering the universities.

I also have to reconfirm the meaning of studying in university.