The Yen for Living column titled "Mounting student debt may cost society dearly" in the Jan. 24 issue made me think long and hard. Let me share some of my thoughts from my perspectives as a parent and an educator.
The idea of sending kids to university is quite natural for parents. I have a baby now and personally want to have three in the future. However, since I wouldn't want my children to owe any debt, realistically two kids might be a good idea. There are surely many families in the same situation.
Several years have passed since it was said that information and communication technology (ICT) should be utilized in education settings. The reality is that many high schools in my prefecture still don't have, for example, a computer or projector in each classroom. Some budget issues are behind this problem. I strongly feel ICT is necessary to provide a better education to students.
Mounting student debt is intertwined with the government's budget cuts for education. This problem may, subsequently, lead to the low birthrate in Japan. This may cause universities to raise their tuition fees.
I hope the government will take some action to stop this vicious cycle as soon as possible.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.