Needy Parents Eye Living Cost Cuts for Kids' New School Life

   Tokyo, March 28 (Jiji Press)--Many needy households in Japan with children set to enroll in junior or senior high schools next month are considering reducing their living costs to cover spending necessary for the new school life, a survey has found.
   The survey by nongovernmental organization Save the Children Japan was conducted in January, covering 2,135 parents and other guardians of such children who have applied for benefits offered by the organization for financial reasons.
   With multiple answers allowed, the survey asked how the respondents plan on securing enough money to pay for items necessary for their children's new school life.
   A total of 63.5 pct of guardians of children starting their first year of junior high school said they will cut living expenses, while the same response was given by 59.9 pct of guardians of children entering high school.
   "Both the central and local governments need to expand their subsidies so as to reduce (such households') burden of paying for uniforms and tablet devices necessary for students advancing" to junior and senior high school, an official at Save the Children Japan said.

(2025/03/28-13:16)