A record high number of children used tuition assistance to support school lunch fees and school supplies in Okinawa. The system is aimed at children of low-income families,

According to prefecture officials, the number of elementary and middle school students who get support from the system reached a record high of 29,175 in fiscal 2014.

The highest rate of students receiving the assistance is in Yonaguni where 34.96 percent of the students are recipients.

The Okinawa Prefecture Education Support Division has made an analysis of the system and says the reason for the record high number is owing to the fact of Okinawa’s economic downturn. According to the analysis, 20 percent of low-income families who do not use the assistance don’t know the existence of the system, and about 10 percent don’t use the system because they worry about the social stigma it may cause.

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