With various school expenses and the impacts ofCovid-19, are children's rights being protected?
What do children themselves feel and think?

＼We asked 600 junior and senior high school students／

Covid-19 x Child's Right and Cost to Learn
Hearing Report (Summary)【When】 April 2, 2021 - July 8, 2021
【How】

Questionnaire (online and written, total 6 questions) /Interview (online and face-to-face, about 1 hour)【Who】

615 children of junior and senior high school age (Grade 7-12)* Including those in 4th year of high school, March 2021 graduates, and those notattending school. Questionnaire 606 people, interview 9 people.

【Living where】 9 prefectures (Iwate, Miyagi, Nagano, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba,Kanagawa, Gifu, Okayama)【Language】 Japanese (including easy Japanese), Spanish, Chinese, English
Question 1

Every child has the right to learn. But, there are young people whose
education, school life, and future prospects are affected or hindered
because of financial difficulties, especially under the Covid-19 pandemic.
Do you feel that you or people around you are negatively affected by thecost of school education? (Single answer, respondents = 606)
Because it costs money, I sometimes

Children'sNo response
1.7%

YesNo

give up even if I want to do something.

Voices

59.9%

38.4%

(Tokyo, Grade 11)

Because I feel bad, it’s hard for me to participate in"things I can live without" like school trips and goingout with friends.

(Chiba, Grade 10)

My mother's job was cut back because of Covid, andshe had to pay for my sister's first semester of juniorcollege. Since we can’t waste money, she usually buyshalf price off-season clothes, but even if they werecheap she wouldn’t this year.

About 6 in 10 said
they sometimes
feel someone ishaving trouble
paying for school.

* The "Children's Voices"section introduces commentsfrom open questions in thequestionnaire and parts ofinterviews. We have edited
some phrases for clarity. The
text has been made bold by
Save the Children. In brackets
is where they lived and thegrade at the time of thequestionnaire/interview.

(Kanagawa, Grade 10)

My mother was in an accident, and lost her job. She
had no money, so borrowed on her credit card, but it
was stopped, and the ward wouldn't give her a loan,
because she has debt. So we used a food pantry, butit's not enough. We don’t have money to pay school
fees, and when I can't bring my own lunch, I ask
someone else to share.

(Tokyo, Grade 11)1

Yes
Question2

If you answered “Yes” in [Question 1], in which aspects do you feelthe impact of financial difficulty?
0%20%(Multiple answers, respondents = 363)

40%

60%

80%

100%v
A. Havebuying/ preparing
ThebiggertheA.
Havedifficulty
buying/difficulty
preparingschooluniforms
Ａ．制服を買う・そろえるのが大変

school uniforms
expense required,such as school
B. Occasionally have to attend
Ｂ．おなかいっぱい食べられないため、
uniforms and cramclass feeling hungry, because you
授業中、空腹で過ごすことがある
don’t get enough to eat
schools, the more theimpact has been felt.
C. HaveＣ．教材や参考書が買えない
difficulty buying textbooks
Also, about 1 in 5
and supplementary books
students said theysometimes go hungry
D．It's hard to go to school because ofduring class. Ｄ．通学費がかかるので学校に行くことが大変
the cost of commuting.

63.6%

22.6%

35.8%

38.3%

E. Cannot afford things you use in club / extracurricular

16.5% 12.7%

I. Cannot afford to learn at cram school or
fee-based distance learning

18.7%

21.8%

29.5%

51.8%

Ｉ．有料の塾(じゅく)や通信教育などで学ぶことができない
J. Cannot afford higher education (university, etc.), and

32.5%

20.9%

35.8%

H. Have to change or give up on your academic
Ｈ．進学先をあきらめたり、変えたりしないといけない
aspiration / career path

Ｊ．進学費用が準備できないので、早く就職しないといけない
have to work full-time immediately after finishing sixth

18.2%

52.6%

necessities(internet access, computers, space for learning, etc.)
勉強できる場所など）がなく、オンライン・家庭学習ができない

16.8%

66.9%

34.7%

13.5%

24.8%

50.1%

Ｆ．オンライン・家庭学習に必要なもの（インターネット、パソコン、
F. Cannot do online edu. / at-home study, due to lack of

17.6% 5.8%

28.1%

44.1%

Ｅ．部活動・クラブ活動に必要なものが買えず、参加がむずかしい
activities, and have difficulty joining them

G. Have to take on jobs to pay school costs
Ｇ．学校の費用のためにアルバイトをしなければいけない

12.9%

12.9%

10.2%

14.0% 11.6%

23.7%

11.0%

20.1%

11.3%

12.4% 11.0% 9.6%

19.6%

32.8%

12.9%

36.4%

11.8%

form / high school
K. Cannot bring yourself to focus on your school
Ｋ．お金の不安などから、勉強に集中できない
education, due to financial concerns

30.0%

21.8%

Children's
VoicesYes
あてはまる

I don’t
わからないknow

あてはまらない
No

Especially at my high school, even the coats we wear
over winter uniforms are specified by the school, allof it. We have to buy the ones they say, and its
30,000 yen...expensive. I don't get it.
(Tokyo, Grade 12)

Textbooks etc should be shared around if possible.
(Iwate, Grade 12)

N/A
無回答

I can’t keep up with just school so I want to go
to cram school, but can't. There is a free one runby the city, but the students in the classroom arenoisy so it’s hard to concentrate. Transportation
costs are also hard.

(Tokyo, Grade 10)Iintolerance

sufferfromorthostaticandirritable bowel syndrome, and it’s hard to attend

Sometimes we have to buy textbooks we don't use…
it’s a bit much. For world history, I think it depends
on the teacher, but I haven't used the textbook inclass since Grade 10. That’s how it’s done, but forme, it's really a waste that we only use them a bit inworld history and social studies.

school. I feel pretty behind in my studies, but(Kanagawa, Grade 12)

I want them to explain in a way we cansince cram schools and correspondence courses
are expensive, I feel the limits of independent
study. So my options for high school feeldesperate.

(Tokyo, Grade 8)

understand without having to go to cram school.
Strengthen support for those not attending school(free of charge).
(Gifu, Grade 12)2(Gifu, Grade 9)

In [Q3], we asked what they feel has influenced their studies, school life, and career path, other than A-K in [Q2].
Some responses are in the "Children's Voices" section.

Question 4

In comparison to before the Covid-19 pandemic (before February 2020), doyou find it more difficult to understand what you are learning at school(including free schools and at-home learning), due to financial reasons?
(Single answer, respondents = 606)

N/A
2.6%

I can't say either way0.2%

No
64.2%

About 1 in 3 said
they feel moredifficulty

Yes

understanding or

33.0%

learning due tofinancial reasons.

Question 5

If you answered “Yes” in [Question 4], which financial reasons do you
think are affecting your learning?

(Multiple answers, respondents = 200)

0%

40%

20%

Ａ．教材や制服など、学校生活に必要なものをA. Being
unable to afford textbooks, uniforms,
and/or other things necessary for school

60%

30.0%

（お金が理由で）そろえられなくなったため

B. Unable to affordＢ．通学費が出せず、登下校に多くのtransportation fees, it requires moretime and energy時間・労力がかかるようになったため
to commute to / back from school

15.0%

C. Being unable
to access online education / atＣ．オンライン・家庭学習に必要なものをhome study due to financial reasons

44.5%（お金が理由で）そろえられなかったため

Ｄ．塾(じゅく)や通信教育などに（お金が理由で）
D. Cannot afford to continue with the cram

47.5%

schoolor fee-based distance learning
通えなくなった・学べなくなったため
E. Havingless time left to study, due to increased
Ｅ．学費のためにアルバイトを増やさなくてはならず、
work hours to cover school costs

16.0%

勉強の時間が減ったため

F. Diminishedmotivation, after having to change
Ｆ．お金が理由で進路をあきらめたり、or give up on academic aspiration or career path
変えたりしないといけなくなり、勉強のやる気が低下したため
due to financial reasons

43.0%

G. Cannot bring yourself to focus on your school

28.0%

Ｇ．お金の不安などから、勉強に集中できなくなったため
education, due to financial concerns

6.0%

Otherその他（自由記載）(free description)

Children's

With changes inlearning styles andfamily financial
situations due toCovid-19, different
ways of learning
should besupported.

Voices“Make sure it doesn't cost anything to go to school".
There's a high school I want to go to, the same one as[Asking for PC rental at school]

my friends. But my mother says it's too far away, andDefinitely there are some people

so it costs too much. If they make it you don’t havethat don't really want to talk about their financial

to pay to commute by school, the government could

situation, and maybe skip school that day, and justgive a transport pass or something for that.

not go to the online classes to avoid talking about it.

(Kanagawa, Grade 9)

Or maybe resorting to a friend and telling them, “Can
I go to your house and do the online class there.”(Kanagawa, Grade 11)

I wish there was the same level of support for highschool students as compulsory education. Even
though it’s hard to find a job without at least

Club activities. It takes money, baseball and all that.

graduatingnot

We don’t have much money. So, I can’t join the club

compulsory education high school tends to be left

activities I want to. Even if I want to join, I don’tout.

because of the costs.

fromhighschool,

sinceitis(Chiba, Grade 10)(Kanagawa, Grade 10)3Question 6
What changes would you like to see happen to make it possible for all
children to learn without worrying about money or financial impact due to
Covid-19? Do you have things you would like to propose or to say to theadults or the government?
0%(Multiple responses, respondents = 606)

20%

40%

A. Make school uniforms
affordable
Ａ．制服を安くする

60%

42.2%

B. Young people can choose what to wear toＢ．学校に着ていく服（制服・私服）を選べるようにする

29.7%

school (uniforms, own clothes)

C. Provide free lunch or lunch fees
Ｃ．給食費・通学時の昼食費を無料にする

51.3%
23.9%

D. Optional free breakfast at schoolＤ．学校で朝ごはんを無料で食べられるようにする
E. Schools provide all materials necessaryＥ．学校に必要な教材は学校が用意する
for school education / life

59.6%

F. Make transportation fees free
Ｆ．通学費にお金がかからないようにする

40.9%
52.5%

G. Make club / extracurricular activities freeＧ．部活動・クラブ活動にお金がかからないようにする
H. All decisions
about schools are made based on
Ｈ．学校のことは、子どもの意見をきいて決める
the voices of the children & young people

34.2%
5.3%

その他
OthersNothingなし

Children'sE "Schools provide thematerials needed forschool," is requested
by more than 50% ofall grade levels, fromGrade 7 to high school
graduates.

0.2%

N/A
無回答

5.9%

VoicesI wanted to go to a public school but failed the entrance
exam and had to go to a private school. The tuition is sohigh that even with support it’s nowhere near enough.
I don’t know if I can continue for 3 years. I'm so worriedFees to get into university like cram school anduniversity tuition is a burden on my parents, so
I can’t say anything.

(Tokyo, Grade 11)

about the financial aspect and the really high possibility
I might have to quit partway through…

I would like to go far away to the Kanto area for

It’s not just tuition and facility maintenance fees thathigher education or work, but I feel I can’t

are really expensive, but also other costs, so I wish there

when I think about my family or about money.

was more support for those too. I wish high school was

I want to get a job in the Kanto area, butincluded within compulsory education.

thinking about money and things… I feel

(Saitama, Grade 10)

uncertain and think I might have no choice butto stay closer.

Iappreciate

thatthenationaland(Iwate, Grade 12)

prefectural

governments have tuition waiver programs, but it's a big
burden when you have to pay the school first and get itback a few months later.
Even if you get a scholarship, you have to pay theschool first. For universities and vocational schools, youhave to pay for the whole year in advance. It's a huge[Aboutgoingtothe

government

parliamentarians to deliver opinions]

orWell, I

might be nervous, but even for kids, the world
doesn’t work if we don’t share our opinions,right?

(Kanagawa, Grade 7)

burden. It would be much easier if there was a system
where you don't have to pay this first.
(Saitama, March 2021 graduate)
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
For more about（埼玉県、2021 年 3 月に高校卒業）[Contact] Save the Children Japan, Domestic Program
this report…
Yamada Bldg. 4F, 2-8-4 Uchikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0047, Japan4

TEL: 03-6859-6869

FAX: 03-6859-0069* See our website for a more detailed report on hearing results.

https://www.savechildren.or.jp/
E-mail: japan.soap@savethechildren.org

Published in October 2021