When and where will the petition be submitted?

It will be submitted at Morioka City Hall on Friday, May 22, 2026, starting at 11:00 AM.

Who are the submitters of the petition?

A joint group of free schools and related organizations in Morioka City (including NPO Future Seeds and Certified NPO Morioka Youth Center) along with volunteer guardians.

To whom is the petition addressed?

The Mayor of Morioka and the Chairperson of the Morioka City Assembly.

What challenges are families and operators of free schools currently facing?

Families bear the full cost of monthly fees (tens of thousands of yen), while rising inflation directly impacts operation costs. Additionally, the surge in truancy has forced about 1 in 4 guardians to leave or suspend work.

What are the specific requests detailed in the petition?

The four items requested are: (1) Creation of a tuition subsidy system for free school users, (2) Partial subsidies for free school operating costs, (3) Establishing a sustainable funding system utilizing corporate hometown tax and bequest donations, and (4) Continuous system improvements based on feedback from the affected parties.

Morioka NPOs Submit Petition Requesting Subsidies for Free School Students

Published May 21, 2026 7:29 PM ・ Updated Jun 14, 2026 4:17 AM ・ 2 min read ・ Source: PR TIMES

On May 22, 2026, Future Seeds and other Morioka groups will submit a petition to the mayor and council chair to establish subsidies for free school users and operators to support students not attending school.

On May 22, 2026, representatives from seven free school organizations in Morioka, including NPO Future Seeds and NPO Morioka Youth Center, along with parent volunteers, will submit a petition to the Mayor of Morioka and the City Council Chairperson. The petition requests a comprehensive subsidy system for families using free schools.

Free school fees cost tens of thousands of yen monthly and are fully borne by families, while inflation impacts both operators and households. In Morioka, the number of students not attending school reached 594 in FY2023. Nationally, it reached 353,970 in FY2024. A survey also indicates that about 25% of parents had to resign or take leave.

The petition includes four key requests: 1. Establish tuition subsidies for free school users. 2. Subsidize a portion of operating expenses. 3. Secure sustainable funding via corporate hometown tax and legacy donations. 4. Set up continuous dialogue with stakeholders.

This initiative follows a subsidy launched in Miyako City in July 2025, the first in Iwate Prefecture.

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Source: PR TIMES
Category: business

Morioka NPOs Submit Petition Requesting Subsidies for Free School Students

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