We demand high school tuition subsidies be available to students of all Korean schools immediately!
We demand that equal opportunities for education and the right to ethnic education be ensured for all!
Victory at the Osaka District Court!
On July 28th, 2017 the Osaka District Court ruled the Japanese Government refusal to apply the high school tuition-free program to Korean schools, "illegal and therefore invalid."
The aim of the program which was started in 2010, making high school education free, was to provide an equal opportunity for education to all. Whether attending public or private school, the program provides each student with tuition fee coverage equivalent to that of the tuition of public schools.This program was applied to most high schools across the country, including foreign schools of various countries, and international schools. However, only the decision about Korean schools was put on hold, apparently for reasons involving diplomatic problems between Japan and North Korea. In 2013 the ministry of education ordained that the tuition-free program not be applicable to Korean schools.
According the July 28th ruling of the Osaka District Court, this decision "had nothing to do with equal opportunities for education", and was a decision based on "diplomacy and political opinion." Furthermore, they clearly stated that this was "abuse of power above and beyond the discretionary powers" of the then education minister, Shimomura. This is a watershed ruling in which the discriminatory actions of the government was ruled as "illegal." Moreover it presided the tuition-free program also be applicable to Korean schools.
It has been many years since the tuition-free program was instated and yet during this period many students of Korean schools have graduated unable to receive any of the subsidies available to other high school students. We have appealed to society in many ways but the situation has not changed. Though we have won at the Osaka District Court, the application of the program to Korean schools is not yet ensured. We demand the Japanese government to recognize this ruling and instate the tuition-free program for all Korean schools immediately!
English version news
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2017/07/a4499596cc38-court-rules-korean-school-entitled-to-govt-tuition-free-program.html（共同通信）
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201707280052.html（朝日新聞）
