A topic of the greatest concern for the generation now raising children is likely to be whether the environment for childcare services has been prepared properly.
In the upcoming House of Councillors election, each political party calls for eliminating waiting lists of children for day-care facilities, but it is hard to say they have presented effective measures.
As of April last year, the number of children who were unable to secure spots in day-care facilities amounted to nearly 20,000. Although local governments have increased slots to accept more children by facilitating the establishment of new nursery facilities, many parents still met with rejection when they applied to enroll their children in nursery schools this spring.
Starting in October, preschool education and childcare services will be made free of charge. Fees for nursery schools and related facilities will be covered for all households with children aged 3 to 5. For families who are exempt from residential tax, the services will be free from infancy to age 2. There is concern that such a free program will spur new demand for nursery schools and intensify competition further.
To create more slots for day-care facilities, securing nursery teachers is essential. However, the current situation is extremely serious.
Compared with other types of jobs, the salary level for nursery teachers is low. Some local governments have begun launching their own subsidy programs, such as by helping nursery teachers repay student loans. Local governments now face a situation in which they are competing fiercely to secure nursery teachers by offering favorable deals.
Ease burden on teachers
Daily work for nursery teachers, each of whom looks after multiple children, is demanding. In addition to low pay, many nursery teachers leave their jobs due to excessive work.
Many parties call for improving the treatment of nursery teachers, but they should come up with concrete measures to review not only the teachers' pay but also their working environment.
Housewives and elderly people who have received certain training will be asked to handle such tasks as serving meals and cleaning at nursery schools. Students seeking to become nursery teachers will also be utilized. Such efforts might enable nursery teachers to concentrate on taking care of children.
It is also important to establish a system that will make it easier for certified people who have been away from work for a while, for reasons such as raising their own children, to return to work.
A phenomenon called the "first-grade wall," in which finding places to leave children after school becomes difficult when they enter elementary schools, remains a headache for working parents.
Across the nation, there are about 25,000 after-school children's clubs, which provide childcare at children's halls and other facilities. Last year, however, about 17,000 children seeking care at such facilities were unable to secure spots.
In cooperation with the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, which has jurisdiction over after-school childcare, has promoted a program to actively utilize unused classrooms at schools. School facilities, which have a safe learning environment in place, can also provide places for children to feel secure after school hours.
Careful consideration is needed, such as for setting the time to take care of children based on the circumstances of working parents.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 13, 2019)
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