Japanese Kids from Low-Income Families Take Less Enrichment Lesson
Tokyo, May 15 (Jiji Press)--Some 70 pct of children from Japanese households with an annual income of less than 3 million yen take no enrichment lesson outside school education, according to a survey by a nonprofit organization.
Gaps are also seen in ways children spend after-school hours at home between low-income and other households.
"Disparities in after-school experiences may give broad impacts on children's learning and upbringing," said an official at the organization, Houkago NPO Afterschool.
The survey was conducted online on Jan. 17-18, targeting 1,200 guardians of elementary school children at dual-income and single-parent households.
Of all respondents, 61.6 pct said their children take enrichment lessons. The proportion of children who take lessons and the frequency of doing so is higher as household income increases, according to the survey.
The proportion of households with children taking no enrichment lesson came to 38.7 pct at households with an annual income of 3 million or more and below 6 million yen, at 34.1 pct with an income of 6 million yen or more and below 10 million yen, and at 27.8 pct with an income of 10 million yen or more.
As high as 69.2 pct of households with an income of below 3 million do not let their children take enrichment lessons.
The survey found that children from 27.1 pct of households attend cram schools but that the proportion was as small as 13.8 pct for households with an income of below 3 million yen.
In addition to financial reasons, the lack of availability of parents taking children to and from cram schools due to their jobs may be a factor, according to the organization.
Of all respondents, 35.8 pct said their children have no opportunity to play with friends after school. For households with an income of below 3 million yen, the proportion was 52.3 pct.
Asked about ways their children spend after-school hours at home, no one from households with an income of below 3 million yen doing sports or music, compared with 10-30 pct at other households.
"Taking enrichment lessons and playing with friends provide significant opportunities. Improving the environment will be needed to help all children to acquire various experiences," the Houkago NPO Afterschool official said.
END
