Japan’s free high school policy may provoke exodus from public schools

Japan Today :

Japan’s decision to make high school tuition virtually free, even for private institutions, is raising alarm among educators and policy experts, who warn it could accelerate an exodus from public schools and deepen inequalities.
While aimed at easing households’ financial burdens amid inflation, the policy — rushed through as part of a political deal — also risks undermining the role that public high schools have long played as “safety nets” for students with diverse needs. Critics say the government has failed to pair the tuition measure with adequate support for struggling public schools, many of which are already facing shrinking enrollment and budget shortfalls, putting their very survival in question.
So far, public schools have adapted to various social changes, but they have also grappled with challenges such as excessive teacher workloads and more frequent cases requiring individualized responses such as bullying and truancy.