Free uni fees (3 kids) ?

[beanhead]

Japan really seems to be finally doing something to encourage people to have more kids.
If this passes, of course.
A lady interviewed on the news was grumbling that it would not be fair on couples with 2 children...

https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2023120700586/

[RetireJapan]

A lady interviewed on the news was grumbling that it would not be fair on couples with 2 children...

I had to mute a few people on Twitter. Not a fan of the selfish, I didn't get it so none should, attitude.

Our three kids paid for uni, still think this is a good idea

[sutebayashi]

It’s a good thing that money grows on trees!

[Randomletters]

It’s a good thing that money grows on trees!

While I'm not sure this is going to raise birth rates, providing opportunity for young people to maximise their potential seems like something we should want to support. There are many worse things to spend money on, I would suggest.

[sutebayashi]

providing opportunity for young people to maximise their potential seems like something we should want to support.

Certainly. I am all for all people having opportunity to become well-educated.

There are many worse things to spend money on, I would suggest.

Certainly. And that’s the point - where are the priorities, and what can be afforded?

My comment was aimed more at the fact that the government has created a large amount of public debt through its spending programs, and I hope that this spending will not backfire through adverse consequences.

I have three kids myself - but was going to send them to whatever level of education they want, wherever they want, anyway. There must be many people like me.

So who is going to kindly bear this cost on my family’s behalf? (Rhetorical question)

While I will of course take it, as for the policy making I am not impressed. That’s all

[RetireJapan]

I have three kids myself - but was going to send them to whatever level of education they want, wherever they want, anyway. There must be many people like me.

Apparently there are just over 1 million households with 3+ children, and 2.5 million with two children.

[Newseishain]

It's better than most things they've tried before, I think, and we as a family will certainly be grateful for it, should it be implemented in the end.

(I can understand how people with fewer than three children feel, not too mention people who are still paying off "scholarship" loans, and it would be nice if there was something for everyone.)

But we've certainly seen a number of support initiatives for families in the last few months, including additional allowances from local governments, new subsidies for children attending private school, extended and increased national child benefits, proposed free school lunches, etc.

And free university tuition for three or more of your children? Great.

[sutebayashi]

Just started wondering if this tax payer funded education will apply if kids are sent overseas for that education, or one will be stuck to choose only from domestic options.

[captainspoke]

Just started wondering if this tax payer funded education will apply if kids are sent overseas for that education, or one will be stuck to choose only from domestic options.

Domestic options are great. At present, with good grades (it's competitive) going from a national uni, you can do a year abroad at many excellent uni abroad--and the key point: if accepted you only pay tuition to the school here (not some exorbitant fee as a student from abroad). Parents will be on the hook for housing/living expenses (plus flights), but in our case that worked out to less than it would have cost here.

Also, graduating from a decent school here, with the right major and playing the system, a student who does grad school abroad can be funded completely (at least for US-bound students, possibly euroland, too).

*

Separately, this may intensify the competition to get into good schools, since some students who might have previously scratched a school or two off their list due to cost, might now see it those same schools as "do-able".

Another aspect of doing uni here is that that student will be even more fully literate/functional in Japanese. While high school level literacy/fluency may seem okay, having the uni/technical/major-specific background level of language (in Japanese) in something ranging from business/finance to chemistry (or other sciences) could be a big plus from an employer's point of view.

[beanhead]

Separately, this may intensify the competition to get into good schools, since some students who might have previously scratched a school or two off their list due to cost, might now see it those same schools as "do-able".

It could also go the other way for some places.

National / state universities are cheaper than private ones.
This leads to the intense competition for places at many of those state institutions.
So, if there is financial support which includes private institutions, they may become more popular than the state universities.