In order to reduce the burden on families amid the continued rise in prices, the prefectural assembly passed a supplementary budget to provide 1,1 yen per person to elementary, junior high, and high school students in the prefecture.
At the extraordinary meeting of the Chiba Prefectural Assembly held on the 16th, a supplementary budget totaling more than 209.1 billion yen was unanimously passed.
This includes a uniform payment of 1,1 yen per person to all elementary and junior high school students in the prefecture, as well as first-year high school students.
As prices continue to rise, Chiba Prefecture wants to reduce the burden of purchasing lessons and hands-on activities for elementary and junior high school students and uniforms and teaching materials for first-year high school students, and a total of about 1,53 people are eligible for benefits.
There was no income limit for parents.
This is the first time that Chiba Prefecture has provided a uniform cash transfer to child-rearing households.
Governor Kumagai of Chiba Prefecture told reporters, "If learning opportunities are lost due to soaring prices, it will ultimately have a significant impact on the vitality of the prefecture.
On the other hand, in Chiba Prefecture, Narashino City has decided to provide 1,<> yen to preschool children who are not eligible for prefectural benefits, and Chiba City and Shiroi City are also considering providing cash benefits to children who are not eligible for prefectural benefits.
Parents' response: "I appreciate the benefits"
We asked parents about the 1,1 yen stipend provided by Chiba Prefecture for elementary, junior high, and high school first-year students.
A woman in her 4s who lives in Chiba City, who has a daughter who is in the fourth grade of elementary school and a son who is in the third grade of elementary school, said, "I feel that the biggest burden is the rising electricity bill.
A woman in her 3s who lives in Shirako, who has daughters in the sixth grade and fourth grade, said, "It still costs money for various things, but as I go on to junior high school and high school, I need more money, so it would be helpful if it was a one-time benefit."
On the other hand, a woman in her 20s in Chiba City, who has an older daughter and a two-year-old son from a kindergarten who is not eligible for the prefectural benefit, said, "It's unfortunate that I couldn't be eligible for the benefit because of the difference of one grade.
A man in his 6s in Chiba City, who has an older daughter in kindergarten and a two-year-old son, said, "We are not eligible, but I think this kind of initiative by the prefecture is a good thing, and I hope that they will consider continuing to receive benefits in the future."