Tokyo to help teachers repay student loans

Tokyo (Jiji Press)–The Tokyo metropolitan government will establish a program to support the repayment of student loans for those who will start working as teachers or technical civil servants in Tokyo in April or later, Governor Yuriko Koike said Sunday.

The metropolitan government will repay half of the loan amount, up to 1.5 million yen, on behalf of the debtor.

“We hope that the support program will help to ensure a stable supply of human resources essential for Tokyo’s future,” Koike told reporters.

The program will cover teachers at public and private kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools in Tokyo and technical civil servants in civil engineering, construction and other fields hired by the Tokyo metropolitan government and municipalities in the Japanese capital. Up to 150,000 yen per year will be repaid by proxy from the second year of employment to the 11th year.

As the shortages of teachers and technical staff have become serious in Tokyo, the metropolitan government hopes that the loan repayment support program will lead to the recruitment of the necessary human resources.

Also, the metropolitan government plans to start providing financial assistance to students who study abroad. The program will cover students of universities and technical colleges in Japan whose parents live in Tokyo. Up to 3.15 million yen per student will be provided to cover travel expenses, tuition and other costs.