<New Enrollment for Junior High and High School> Survey on Education Cost Burden for Economically Disadvantaged Parenting Households: Households Finding It Difficult to Prepare "Uniform Costs" Reach Record High of Over 80%, "Cutting Other Living Expenses" Also Increases by Approximately 10 Points from Previous Year

Save the Children Japan, a public interest incorporated foundation and an international NGO specializing in child support (Chairman: Junichiro Ida, Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as Save the Children), provides "Child Benefit ~New Enrollment Support~" which partially covers the costs associated with junior high and high school enrollment for households facing economic or living difficulties. We recently conducted the "Survey on the Burden of Junior High and High School Entrance Expenses for Economically Disadvantaged Parenting Households" (hereinafter referred to as the Survey) targeting 1,800 parents of children scheduled to enter junior high or high school in April 2026, who applied for the aforementioned program. The objective was to understand the financial burden of entrance expenses and awareness regarding the upcoming "high school tuition exemption" program, which begins in April. The survey results were announced today, April 3rd. The survey found that **over 80% of households reported difficulty in preparing "uniform costs," the highest percentage since the survey began in 2022.** Furthermore, over 70% of households responded that they are "cutting other living expenses" to fund graduation and entrance costs. This highlighted the increasingly strained financial situation of households, exacerbated by the costs of school supplies for junior high and high school entrance, compounded by the impact of rising prices. Regarding "high school tuition exemption," while over half responded that "it's helpful to have increased financial support for education," over 40% of parents of new first-year high school students stated, "We wished for increased support for educational expenses other than tuition, rather than tuition support." This revealed that the effects of the policy change are perceived as limited for economically disadvantaged parenting households. Based on the survey results, Save the Children will advocate to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, relevant ministries, and local governments, summarizing proposals such as "urgent operational improvements regarding school supplies" and "creation of a new system for preparation for high school entrance and similar," to guarantee the right to education for children, especially those in severe economic circumstances, and to achieve true educational cost exemption. *The number of valid responses is 1,800 parents (including responses from the same parent in cases of sibling applications) from 47 prefectures nationwide who applied for "Child Benefit ~New Enrollment Support 2026~," conducted in January 2026, and whose responses were confirmed. See page 4 for survey details. ■ Survey Report Here: https://www.savechildren.or.jp/news/publications/download/report-shinnyugaku_shinsei2026.pdf ■ Survey Result Highlights 1. Households Finding It Difficult to Prepare "Uniform Costs" Reach Record High (Graph 1) Regarding expenses related to graduation and enrollment, the percentage of households reporting difficulty in preparing "uniform costs" was 84.4% for new junior high first-year students and 82.3% for new high school first-year students, the highest rate since the survey began in 2022. 2. Over 70% of Households Respond "Cutting Other Living Expenses" to Fund Graduation/Entrance Costs (Graph 2) When asked about how they are funding graduation and entrance expenses, over 70% of parents responded "cutting other living expenses," an increase of approximately 10 percentage points from the 2025 survey. Specifically, a high percentage cited "reducing their own food intake" (79.4%) and "trying not to use heating/cooling excessively" (67.4%), revealing that various living expenses are being cut to meet these costs. 3. Approximately One-Third of Households Resort to Borrowing to Fund Graduation/Entrance Expenses (Graph 2) Approximately 30% of households chose to borrow money to fund graduation and entrance expenses. Among parents of new first-year high school students planning to borrow, about 40% indicated the borrowed amount would be 190,000 yen or more. 4. Over 70% Face Financial Burden, and Approximately 60% Face Emotional Burden Regarding Graduation/Enrollment (Graph 3) When asked about concerns regarding graduation and enrollment, over 70% of parents cited financial burdens such as high-priced designated school supplies and price increases due to inflation. Additionally, nearly 60% of parents reported emotional burdens, such as feeling an economic disparity compared to others at this time, or making their children endure hardships. 5. "High School Tuition Exemption" Viewed Positively by Over Half, but Over 40% of Parents of New High School First-Years Desire Support Beyond Tuition (Graph 4) Regarding the "high school tuition exemption" (revision of the High School Support Grant System) effective April 2026, over half of respondents viewed it positively, stating, "It's helpful to have increased financial support for education." However, over 40% of parents of new first-year high school students responded, "We wished for increased support for educational expenses other than tuition, rather than tuition support." Q. Please tell us about any specific concerns or requests to the government regarding school life expenses, including junior high and high school entrance fees (tuition, uniforms, transportation, textbooks, school-specific supplies, field trip fees, club activities, etc.). (Free response) *1 - We would appreciate more substantial support for school supplies such as uniforms and athletic wear, which have become more expensive due to inflation, as there is no room for choice with designated items. We also wish for them to be selectable rather than designated. (Father of new junior high 1st grader, two-parent household, Mie Prefecture) *2 - I feel anxious about the situation where children might be choosing schools not based on where they want to go, but on factors like "not requiring commuting costs" to reduce expenses. Even for junior high, they chose club activities with fewer expenses for equipment and uniforms. (Mother of new high school 1st grader, single-parent household, Ishikawa Prefecture) Based on the survey results, Save the Children will advocate the following four points to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, relevant ministries, and local governments to guarantee the right to education for children facing severe economic hardship and to achieve true educational cost exemption: 1. Urgent operational improvements regarding school supplies – review of necessity, school provision, selection system, and clear indication of required amounts. 2. Grasping the current cost burden in diverse learning environments and considering expansion of financial support. 3. Further expansion of existing support systems for reducing enrollment costs and nationwide dissemination of unique systems. 4. Creation of a new system for enrollment preparation for high school and similar levels. "Survey on the Burden of Junior High and High School Entrance Expenses for Economically Disadvantaged Parenting Households" Overview [Survey Target] Parents who applied for "Child Benefit ~New Enrollment Support 2026~" conducted by Save the Children. [Survey Method] Online questionnaire conducted at the time of benefit application; all responses were mandatory (some paper responses and proxy responses by supporters were also accepted). [Collection Period] January 8 - January 23, 2026 [Number of Valid Responses] 1,800 people (Parents responded for each child's application. Includes responses from the same parent in cases of sibling applications.) About Save the Children's Child Support Program "Child Benefit ~New Enrollment Support~" We provide partial support for costs related to junior high and high school enrollment to households facing specific living difficulties and economic hardship, who meet our application criteria (30,000 yen for junior high enrollment and 50,000 yen for high school enrollment per child). No repayment is required. The program began in 2016 for educational support in the Tohoku region and was expanded nationwide from 2022. To date, a total of 6,246 individuals have utilized this benefit. [2016-2021]: 2,606 people *Targeted Tohoku region: Yamada Town, Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture; Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture [2022]: 631 people (574 households) *Expanded nationwide from this year. [2023]: 979 people (882 households) [2024]: 995 people (899 households) [2025]: 1,035 people (950 households) [2026]: Benefits will be provided sequentially from early March 2026 after screening based on eligibility criteria. [Detailed URL]: https://www.savechildren.or.jp/lp/kodomosupport2026/ (Details on application criteria, etc.)