The high school fee

I'm glad to hear that from next school year the high school fee become free. At that time, my second eldest son would have graduated,but third eldest son would reap the benefit from second grade through third grade.
The other day my third eldest son's friends of junior high school days came to see him. One of the boys goes to Rinko, the other boy goes to Yanagigaura high school. The latter boy asked to my son,"How many students have dropped out since you've entered?" He replied,"Well, no students have dropped out." "Wow ,great! In my school about fifty students have dropped out. I guess they had entered unwillingly."
I supposed those students' parents had wished their sons or daughters to go to high school, thus they had been paying the fee.
I think we adults must tell young people the reason why the high school fee become free is all of us hope them to learn minimum knowledge.
Also I wish my son to be aware of cost benefit balance. My son doesn't pay the school expenses by himself,so he isn't aware of cost effectiveness. On the contrary he feels studying obligation.
His teachers give him lots of handouts --mini test,reconfirm test,point collection--, and supplementary books. To consider how long his teachers spent to make those or how much the parents paid for the teaching material, if he doesn't memorize those it is waste of time and money. Even now he is like this, I would be more anxious after the school fee became free.
A part of high level private high schools won't lose its popularity, but some of the others will get more reluctant students.
Of course just graduated high school, one can't get professional skills. The expenses to go to college or career college after finished high school is a burden for children themselves and parents.

高校の授業料が来年度から無料になると聞いてうれしいです。その頃には2番目の倅は卒業していますが、3番目の倅は2年生から3年生まで恩恵を受けることになります。
　この間3番目の倅の中学時代の友達が遊びにきました。一人は林工、一人は柳ヶ浦高校に行っています。後者の子が倅に聞きました。「入学してからもう何人辞めた？」倅が答えて「えー、まだ誰も辞めてないよ」　「いいなあ。おれんとこ、もう50人くらい辞めたぜ。もともとやる気なくて来たんだろうな」　
　私は辞めた生徒の親御さんは子どもに高校に行ってほしいと願って授業料も払っていたのだろうと思いました。
　私たち大人は若者に、授業料が無料になるのはわれわれみんなが若者に最低限のことは学んでほしいと願っているからだということを伝えないといけないと思います。
　それと、私は倅にコスト感覚をもってほしいと思います。倅は自分で授業料を払ってはいません。それで、コスト意識がありません。それどころか、勉強は義務だと感じているようです。
　先生方は、たくさんのプリントを渡します　--小テスト、確認テスト、要点まとめ--それと、副読本も。先生がそれを作るのにかけた時間や親が払っている教材費を考えたら、それらは覚えないと時間とお金がもったいないと思います。　今でもこんな風では授業料がただになったらもっと心配です。
　一部のレベルの高い私立高校は人気は落ちないでしょうが、それ以外は不本意入学者が増えるかもしれません。
　もちろん、高校を出ただけで職業スキルは得られません。高校を卒業した後、大学や専門学校に進学するための費用は子ども本人にとっても親にとっても負担です。

Oct. 24 2009