The Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 27, 2010)
Foreign nurses deserve helping hand
医療の人手不足 外国人の就労制限撤廃は当然（4月26日付・読売社説）
Given the serious shortage of medical and nursing care workers and nurses, lifting certain restrictions so qualified foreigners in these fields can apply their skills in this country is an obvious solution.
医療や介護の人手不足は深刻だ。資格を持つ外国人の就労制限をなくすのは当然と言えよう。
In its fourth basic immigration control policy plan compiled late last month, the Justice Ministry stated it would reexamine the mandatory limit on the length of time foreign nurses and dentists can work in Japan when they hold residential status.
法務省が先月末に策定した第４次出入国管理基本計画に、医療分野の在留資格で看護師や歯科医師として働く外国人に課している就労年数制限の見直しが明記された。
Even if non-Japanese qualify to work as a nurse or dentist after passing state exams, they are not permitted to work here for more than seven years and six years, respectively. A four-year limit is imposed on public health nurses and midwives.
外国人の場合、日本の国家試験に合格して免許を取得しても、看護師は７年、歯科医師は６年を超えて日本で働き続けることができない。保健師や助産師にも４年までの制限がある。
Many foreigners with such qualifications desire to continue working in Japan beyond the set limits. Their aspirations are rightful in view of the fact that they have passed national exams and conquered the Japanese language barrier.
日本で働き続けたいと希望する外国人は多い。日本語能力のハンデを乗り越えて試験に合格したのだから、正当な要望だろう。
The limits on working years for non-Japanese were mostly probably introduced out of concern that Japanese might be deprived of working opportunities. The restrictions have been criticized as excessive for years. The time limit for foreign doctors was dropped four years ago.
就労年数制限は、日本人の雇用に影響を及ぼすことを懸念して設けられた側面が強い。以前から過剰な規制との批判があり、医師については４年前に撤廃された。
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Speed up ordinances' review
The ministry plans to revise relevant ordinances to abolish time restrictions on all remaining medical professions, including nurses. This is a necessary corrective step. We want the ministry to accelerate its work on revising these ordinances.
法務省は省令を改正し、看護師など残る職種すべての制限を撤廃するという。必要な是正である。改正作業を急いでほしい。
The ministry's fourth basic immigration control plan incorporates a policy to study accepting foreigners in the nursing care field on condition they graduate from universities in Japan and pass state exams.
基本計画は、日本国内の大学卒業と国家試験の合格を条件に、介護分野でも外国人の受け入れを検討することを盛り込んだ。
The population of elderly people requiring nursing care is growing at an ever-quickening pace. The nation has about 1.24 million nursing care workers today; estimates suggest the nation will need almost double that number in 2025.
介護を受ける高齢者は加速度的に増加する。約１２４万人の介護職員は、２０２５年にはほぼ２倍必要になると推計されている。
Meanwhile, many Japanese who have earned qualifications as care workers then opt to work in another field. The physical and emotional demands of a career in nursing care, combined with the low pay, often are too much to bear.
一方、介護福祉士の資格を持ちながら働いていない日本人が数多くいる。心身ともに大変な仕事であるのに報酬が低いためだ。
To alleviate the manpower shortage in nursing care, the first step is to improve the working environment for Japanese. However, there is a limit to just how quickly the ranks of Japanese nursing care workers can be increased. Because of this, opening the door to foreign nursing care givers is the right decision.
人手不足解消のためには、まず日本人の労働環境の改善に努めるべきだが、日本人職員を急激に増やすのは限界がある。介護分野でも外国人の受け入れに道を開くのは、妥当な判断といえる。
Remove language barrier
More help also should be extended to the people from Indonesia and the Philippines whom Japan has been accepting as candidates to work as certified nurses and care workers based on economic partnership agreements with the two countries.
インドネシア、フィリピンとの経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）に基づいて受け入れている看護師・介護福祉士希望者への対応も必要だ。
National exams for nurses and nursing care workers are dotted with difficult kanji. Last month, 254 foreigners took the exam for nurses, but only three passed.
試験問題に難解な漢字が頻出することもあり、先月の看護師試験でも、受験した２５４人のうち合格者は３人にとどまった。
Indonesian and Philippine examinees have acquired licenses and expertise as nurses and nursing care workers in their home countries. Considering that the pass rate for Japanese examinees stands at nearly 90 percent, the extremely low success rate for foreign examinees can be most probably be attributed to the kanji barrier.
彼らは母国で資格を取り、看護や介護に必要な知識を身につけている人たちだ。日本人の合格者が９割近いことを考えると、合格率が極端に低いのは漢字が障壁となっているのは間違いあるまい。
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is reexamining the content of national tests. The revisions include replacing difficult terms with easier ones, such as "jokuso" with "tokozure" to mean bedsores.
厚生労働省も試験の見直しに着手し、「褥瘡(じょくそう)」は「床ずれ」という具合に、平易な表現に言い換えることを検討している。
We welcome this move. But the ministry should go a step further and print kana readings alongside kanji and allow examinees to use dictionaries in their exams.
歓迎できる動きだ。漢字にルビを振ることや、辞書の持ち込みを認めるなどさらに工夫を図ってほしい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun,April 26, 2010)
（2010年4月26日01時23分 読売新聞）
Foreign nurses deserve helping hand
医療の人手不足 外国人の就労制限撤廃は当然（4月26日付・読売社説）
Given the serious shortage of medical and nursing care workers and nurses, lifting certain restrictions so qualified foreigners in these fields can apply their skills in this country is an obvious solution.
医療や介護の人手不足は深刻だ。資格を持つ外国人の就労制限をなくすのは当然と言えよう。
In its fourth basic immigration control policy plan compiled late last month, the Justice Ministry stated it would reexamine the mandatory limit on the length of time foreign nurses and dentists can work in Japan when they hold residential status.
法務省が先月末に策定した第４次出入国管理基本計画に、医療分野の在留資格で看護師や歯科医師として働く外国人に課している就労年数制限の見直しが明記された。
Even if non-Japanese qualify to work as a nurse or dentist after passing state exams, they are not permitted to work here for more than seven years and six years, respectively. A four-year limit is imposed on public health nurses and midwives.
外国人の場合、日本の国家試験に合格して免許を取得しても、看護師は７年、歯科医師は６年を超えて日本で働き続けることができない。保健師や助産師にも４年までの制限がある。
Many foreigners with such qualifications desire to continue working in Japan beyond the set limits. Their aspirations are rightful in view of the fact that they have passed national exams and conquered the Japanese language barrier.
日本で働き続けたいと希望する外国人は多い。日本語能力のハンデを乗り越えて試験に合格したのだから、正当な要望だろう。
The limits on working years for non-Japanese were mostly probably introduced out of concern that Japanese might be deprived of working opportunities. The restrictions have been criticized as excessive for years. The time limit for foreign doctors was dropped four years ago.
就労年数制限は、日本人の雇用に影響を及ぼすことを懸念して設けられた側面が強い。以前から過剰な規制との批判があり、医師については４年前に撤廃された。
===
Speed up ordinances' review
The ministry plans to revise relevant ordinances to abolish time restrictions on all remaining medical professions, including nurses. This is a necessary corrective step. We want the ministry to accelerate its work on revising these ordinances.
法務省は省令を改正し、看護師など残る職種すべての制限を撤廃するという。必要な是正である。改正作業を急いでほしい。
The ministry's fourth basic immigration control plan incorporates a policy to study accepting foreigners in the nursing care field on condition they graduate from universities in Japan and pass state exams.
基本計画は、日本国内の大学卒業と国家試験の合格を条件に、介護分野でも外国人の受け入れを検討することを盛り込んだ。
The population of elderly people requiring nursing care is growing at an ever-quickening pace. The nation has about 1.24 million nursing care workers today; estimates suggest the nation will need almost double that number in 2025.
介護を受ける高齢者は加速度的に増加する。約１２４万人の介護職員は、２０２５年にはほぼ２倍必要になると推計されている。
Meanwhile, many Japanese who have earned qualifications as care workers then opt to work in another field. The physical and emotional demands of a career in nursing care, combined with the low pay, often are too much to bear.
一方、介護福祉士の資格を持ちながら働いていない日本人が数多くいる。心身ともに大変な仕事であるのに報酬が低いためだ。
To alleviate the manpower shortage in nursing care, the first step is to improve the working environment for Japanese. However, there is a limit to just how quickly the ranks of Japanese nursing care workers can be increased. Because of this, opening the door to foreign nursing care givers is the right decision.
人手不足解消のためには、まず日本人の労働環境の改善に努めるべきだが、日本人職員を急激に増やすのは限界がある。介護分野でも外国人の受け入れに道を開くのは、妥当な判断といえる。
Remove language barrier
More help also should be extended to the people from Indonesia and the Philippines whom Japan has been accepting as candidates to work as certified nurses and care workers based on economic partnership agreements with the two countries.
インドネシア、フィリピンとの経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）に基づいて受け入れている看護師・介護福祉士希望者への対応も必要だ。
National exams for nurses and nursing care workers are dotted with difficult kanji. Last month, 254 foreigners took the exam for nurses, but only three passed.
試験問題に難解な漢字が頻出することもあり、先月の看護師試験でも、受験した２５４人のうち合格者は３人にとどまった。
Indonesian and Philippine examinees have acquired licenses and expertise as nurses and nursing care workers in their home countries. Considering that the pass rate for Japanese examinees stands at nearly 90 percent, the extremely low success rate for foreign examinees can be most probably be attributed to the kanji barrier.
彼らは母国で資格を取り、看護や介護に必要な知識を身につけている人たちだ。日本人の合格者が９割近いことを考えると、合格率が極端に低いのは漢字が障壁となっているのは間違いあるまい。
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is reexamining the content of national tests. The revisions include replacing difficult terms with easier ones, such as "jokuso" with "tokozure" to mean bedsores.
厚生労働省も試験の見直しに着手し、「褥瘡(じょくそう)」は「床ずれ」という具合に、平易な表現に言い換えることを検討している。
We welcome this move. But the ministry should go a step further and print kana readings alongside kanji and allow examinees to use dictionaries in their exams.
歓迎できる動きだ。漢字にルビを振ることや、辞書の持ち込みを認めるなどさらに工夫を図ってほしい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun,April 26, 2010)
（2010年4月26日01時23分 読売新聞）
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