Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERMENT POLICICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1994 > PART II Chapter 5 Section 2 2

Prefectural governments provide subsidies for the current expenditures of private upper secondary schools, lower secondary schools, elementary schools, kindergartens, and special education schools. The central government provides financial resources to prefectural governments through the local allocation tax. The central government also provides national subsidies to prefectural governments in order to raise the levels of subsidies provided by prefectural governments and to correct imbalances in the levels of subsidies provided by different prefectures. The aims of this policy are to ensure nationwide equality of educational opportunity and to maintain and raise the standards of private primary and secondary education. To encourage active efforts by prefectural governments, national subsidies are allocated according to the level of prefectural subsidies (unit amount per schoolchild).

An extremely difficult fiscal situation forced the central government to reduce national subsidies in fiscal 1994. Provision for subsidies amounted to 63.5 billion yen, a reduction of 21.2 billion yen from the previous fiscal year. Funds disbursed through the local allocation tax were increased by 51.5 billion yen, to 446.9 billion yen, however. As a result, the amount of funding, including subsidies and the local allocation tax, increased by 30.3 billion yen, to 510.4 billion yen ( Figure II.5.3 ). This does not mean that national subsidies are being abolished.

The central government is enhancing its special subsidies as part of the increased emphasis on educational reform, which has become an urgent policy priority. Improvements include the addition of new categories, such as the promotion of internationalization, to the list of categories eligible for subsidies.

Prefectural governments encourage active management efforts, such as the promotion of upper secondary education reform, by weighting the allocation of subsidies for current expenditures according to such factors as progress in improving educational conditions and by providing special subsidies.

Figure II.5.3 Trends in Current Expenditures of and Subsidies to Private Upper Secondary Schools

In fiscal 1994 special subsidies for promotion of internationalization were added to the categories eligible for subsidies to private upper secondary schools for current expenditures for the improvement of educational equipment and facilities. The central government is also responding actively to hardware needs, and the subsidy program for educational computers has been expanded to cover expenditures on language laboratory equipment. Provision for subsidies in this area was increased to 1,027 million yen in fiscal 1994, 567 million yen more than the previous fiscal year.

The central government subsidizes the efforts of the Education Institute for Private Schools in Japan to enhance educational activities in private schools. Partial subsidies are provided for expenditures on research programs and facilities and for expenditures on the institute's induction training for beginning teachers in private upper secondary schools, lower secondary schools, and elementary schools. In fiscal 1994, 90.51 million yen was provided for this purpose.