TOKYO - The average facility fees paid by families of students entering private high schools in Japan in April nearly doubled from the previous academic year, according to a survey by nongovernmental organization Save the Children Japan.
The survey was conducted among students and their families in May and June after the government expanded subsidies for private high schools to reduce tuition costs.
The survey results released last month showed that average facility fees, including heating, cooling and maintenance charges, rose to approximately 147,000 yen ($932) from around 73,000 yen in the 2025 academic year.
About half of the parents whose children entered private high schools said in the survey that their children "may not be able to continue attending the school for financial reasons."
Among other non-tuition expenses paid upon enrollment, the average enrollment fee was around 173,000 yen, up about 27,000 yen from the previous academic year, while the average cost of uniforms was 108,000 yen, up about 15,000 yen.
The average cost of a computer or tablet was about 99,000 yen, up some 8,000 yen. Only 7.0 percent of private high schools offered public subsidies or grants for their purchase, while over 60 percent of students and parents surveyed said they wanted schools to lease the devices.
Save the Children Japan surveyed students attending public and private middle and high schools and their families who were using the group's grant program about expenses related to entering school. A total of 125 students and 425 parents responded.
Although private high schools became eligible for government tuition subsidies in April, 27 percent of first-year high school students surveyed said they were concerned about expenses other than tuition and therefore "could not consider a private school as an option."
Shoko Fukushima, an associate professor of education at Chiba Institute of Technology who was involved in the survey, said private schools have become a preferred option even for students from families facing financial hardship for various reasons.
Regarding rising school expenses, she said, "While schools should have their reasons, such as to maintain the learning facilities amid rising prices, they need to provide explanations that parents can understand," adding that the national and local governments need to secure funding to subsidize schools for that purpose.
