Coronavirus Impacting Orphaned Youths In Japan
A survey by an aid group shows that some young people in Japan are giving up on higher education due to financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The survey was carried out in October and November by Ashinaga, a group that provides educational and emotional support to orphaned students worldwide.
It says 6,241 people responded to the survey. The respondents include high-school and university students who lost parents as well as people who take care of the students.
The organization disclosed the findings at a news conference on Monday.
Of the people who take care of such students, 37 percent said that their incomes dropped because of the pandemic.
Asked what household expenses they have cut, 57 percent listed food and utility expenses, and 17 percent listed education expenses.
Forty-two percent of the 1,674 high school students said they feel accumulated fatigue, 30 percent said they feel depressed more often than before, and 18 percent said they have had to cut back on their personal spending. More than 100 students said they have changed their future plans, such as giving up higher education.
Of the 1,690 university students who responded to the survey, about 50 percent said their part-time incomes have been reduced or lost.
Thirty-one percent said they have thought about quitting or taking time off school. Of these students, 11.5 percent said they find it hard to maintain motivation, while 6.2 percent said they cannot pay school fees due to household financial difficulty. Two percent said they need to work to support their household budget.
Ashinaga says it will provide 200,000 yen, or nearly 2,000 dollars, of emergency aid to about 7,600 students who are receiving financial support from the organization.
