A nonprofit organization based in Hyogo Prefecture is distributing education vouchers worth 250,000 yen ($3,220) each to 150 children whose lives were disrupted by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
A nonprofit organization based in Hyogo Prefecture is distributing education vouchers worth 250,000 yen ($3,220) each to 150 children whose lives were disrupted by the Great East Japan Earthquake.The vouchers, for use at cram schools and for other learning activities, are designed to prevent the children from falling behind others who were not directly affected by the March quake and tsunami.A ceremony was held Nov. 27 in Sendai to present vouchers to some of the children.One recipient, Kana Ishii, 15, a third-year student in junior high school, attended the ceremony from Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture."Because I am studying for high school entrance exams, I asked my parents to allow me to attend a cram school despite the difficulties we were facing," she said. "I want to do my best in my studies to be an obedient child."After the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Ishii and her family evacuated from their home in Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture. Her mother lost her job as a nurse.The education vouchers are being distributed by Chance for Children Inc. It was established in June by members of BrainHumanity, another nonprofit organization in Hyogo Prefecture that provides educational support to children in the Kansai region who do not want to attend regular schools.The vouchers are being distributed to children mainly in the three worst-hit prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. Children from third-graders in elementary school to those in their third year in senior high school are eligible.Applications were received through local governments and recipients were selected based on the extent of damage from the disasters and whether the child was in a grade level preparing for entrance to the next higher school.The value of the vouchers was based on the average annual amount a typical household spent on each child for educational activities outside of school as determined by an education ministry study in fiscal 2008. The vouchers will be valid until March 2013.Any cram school or other institution that receives the voucher from a child can receive cash from Chance for Children by turning in the vouchers to the organization.Vouchers were used rather than cash so the funds would be used only for educational purposes.The vouchers can only be used at about 900 schools and other entities that Chance for Children members have checked for program contents and fees.If children who receive the voucher ask to use the coupons at a school not on the list, the organization will add that school to those now eligible.Satoshi Okuno, an executive with Chance for Children, said, "There are few programs that provide support to children attending cram school or for other learning activities. There is the fear of educational disparity if children abandon opportunities to study outside of school due to financial reasons arising from the natural disasters."When Shinzo Abe was prime minister, his administration pushed for the introduction of school vouchers to encourage competition among schools.However, debate about the issue dropped off after Abe resigned as prime minister.An education ministry official said, "We have not heard of another program in Japan where vouchers have been distributed to more than 100 children."Donations are the chief support for Chance for Children. The funds for the voucher program came from about 60 million yen in donations, mainly from the Nippon Foundation.Although applications were received from 1,701 students, Chance for Children only had enough funds to distribute vouchers to 150 children. The organization wants to give vouchers to an additional 150 children by spring 2012 and is seeking donations from companies.