While the cost of sending a child to a public school in Japan is virtually free, one of the largest existing costs is something for which public education in the country is quite well known: school lunch.
The average per-child cost of a school meal in 2022 was around ¥49,000 per year for elementary school students and over ¥56,000 per year for junior high school students, according to the education ministry. While the cost for one child might be manageable for a family, the cost of multiple children can add up.
In recent months, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has made improving the nation's birthrate a political priority, is considering universal free lunches as a measure to lessen the financial burden of child-rearing in Japan. The head of the country's newly formed children’s agency has also said it is necessary to continue discussions on the effort.
However, in the absence of a national policy, many municipalities have taken the lead on making school lunch for compulsory grades — elementary through middle school — free in some form, such as making every meal free or making them free for every second or third child.
By the end of this year, most of Tokyo’s wards will have such policies. As of April, nine of them had been providing free lunch in some form, while nine others were on the path to implementing such a policy within this year, according to NHK.
Suginami Ward is one of those that is moving to implement free lunches. Mayor Satoko Kishimoto announced earlier this year that the ward would allocate funds for free school lunches by October.
“While the national government has been slow to implement policy to make school lunch free universally, municipalities are stepping in, raising their voices and taking action until that happens,” said Kishimoto, who was elected last year.
Free school lunches were part of her election platform, and while she understands that it could be a significant financial burden on the local government — around ¥1.7 billion ($11.69 million) annually to be exact — she sees it as a valuable initiative.
“Especially with rising prices and utility costs, child-rearing has become increasingly challenging,” she said. “Child nutrition is crucial, and school meals play a vital role in that. So supporting this publicly holds value and I believe it’s essential for children.”
COVID-19 and the rising cost of living have shown experts and politicians just how crucial this part of education can be for families.
“There were several months of simultaneous school closures,” said Chiba Institute of Technology associate professor Shoko Fukushima. “It became clear that the health and development of children who couldn’t have school meals during those months was greatly affected, and that some children couldn’t eat properly while spending several months at home.
“Another reason is that the price of food has risen significantly, and it has become difficult for households to prepare meals at home.”
While there have always been assistance programs for families needing help with education-related expenses, many eligible people do not use them, said Atomi University professor Sakiko Gan.
“When asked why they don’t use assistance, people in poverty — like single parents or single mothers, for example — often say they think they’re not eligible,” Gan said. “They also often don’t understand the system and it’s not well promoted, so they might think it doesn’t apply to them or they say, ‘Give it to those who are in even more need.’"
An education ministry survey on free school lunches from 2017 — the most recent data — showed that around just 76 of 740 municipalities across the country, or 4.4%, had established a free school lunch program in some form, the majority of them being smaller cities and villages.
Today, Gan estimates that the portion of municipalities with a free lunch policy has likely grown to around 40%.
Structurally, while local governments are responsible for establishing and operating schools, the national government is responsible for setting the framework and guidelines to ensure an equal education for citizens. But Fukushima of the Chiba Institute of Technology said that municipalities pushing to address a need is a common way for Japanese society to inch toward achieving something that the national government isn’t enthusiastic about or reluctant to spend money on.
In the meantime, Kishida has promised that a survey to assess ongoing efforts by municipalities and their outcomes will be published.
Those who oppose the shift toward free lunches say the cost would be exorbitant for municipalities, or that the national government should take the lead. Gan and Fukushima also said that there’s a cultural mindset that the responsibility of feeding a child should rest with the family.
But the path already set by municipalities and examples from abroad show that such a change is possible for Japan.
Gan cited the quick shift that South Korea made in recent years to ensure public school students, including high school students, have access to nutritious food at school and eliminate the stigma associated with not being able to afford it.
Before becoming a politician in Japan, Kishimoto spent 20-plus years living and working in Europe, which gave her a different perspective.
“The social agreement to raise a child collectively — a social consensus — is important,” Kishimoto said. “In Europe, it extends even to higher education, and there’s the idea that education and children are the future and society as a whole, including those with and without children, should contribute.
“A solid education should be the foundation. Without that, educational disparities will only grow.”
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