TOKYO -- Next April, Japanese teens will troop back to school to start an academic year like no other. For the first time, tuition will be free at all high schools, both private and public, regardless of household income, as Japan's minority government places a bet of nearly $4 billion a year on making child-rearing more affordable -- and boosting its own popularity.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to make private high schools accessible to all families with junior high school students, like these at a Plus Gym cram school in Tokyo on April 3. The policy comes with enrollment slipping to an all-time low. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Policy Asia
Japan to subsidize private high schools as public system creaks
$4bn annual tuition aid starts from April in move aimed at cutting child-rearing costs
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