LDP, Komeito, Nippon Ishin Agree to Discuss Free Education

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)--The policy chiefs of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner, Komeito, and opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) on Thursday agreed to start discussions on free education, which is Nippon Ishin's flagship policy.

According to their agreement, working-level officials of the three parties will launch talks on the designing of a system of free education by the end of the year.

The policy chiefs also agreed that they will continue to discuss policies as a whole.

In light of the agreements, Nippon Ishin decided at a meeting of its lawmakers of both parliamentary chambers to vote in favor of the Japanese government's draft supplementary budget for fiscal 2024.

The three parties' discussions on the system design will include talks on a proposal to make high school education completely free, with no income limit imposed for the measure. Nippon Ishin is eager to submit a related bill to next year's ordinary parliamentary session to be convened in January.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]