In a bid to help out foreign children in financially struggling families, a nonprofit organization in Japan has helped set up a scholarship to enable the children to attend high school.

The scholarship is being set up through efforts by the Kobe Foreigners Friendship Center. The scholarship will begin operating this spring, with the aim of helping new long-term foreign residents such as Latin American people of Japanese descent and Vietnamese refugee families.

It is common for children in foreign families facing financial difficulties to drop out of high school or not go altogether. These students can apply for general scholarships, but restrictions have made receiving scholarships difficult. The move by the nonprofit organization aims to rectify this situation, and the scholarship is likely to become a model for future financial assistance.

Statistics from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology show that as of May 1, 2006, there were about 71,000 foreign students enrolled in public schools across Japan. Ninety percent of these students are at elementary or junior high schools, and it is expected that the number of students wanting to proceed on to high school will surge in the future.

At present, however, the percentage of children who proceed on to full-time high school is low. A survey conducted on foreign junior high school students in Hyogo Prefecture found that with the exception of Koreans in Japan, only about 50 percent of the students proceed on to full-time high school.

Financial issues play a major role in deciding whether children will attend high school. To improve the situation, the Kobe Foreigners Friendship Center spearheaded the creation of an executive committee and decided to establish the scholarship.

"In Japanese society today, job choices are limited for people who don't attend high school," said Yoshiko Shiki, a center member who played a central role in the move.

The executive committee is formed by researchers and nonprofit organizations in Hyogo Prefecture. It will gather funds for the scholarships through support parties and donations. Children who receive the scholarships will be entitled to a payment of 15,000 yen a month until graduation. The financial status of applicants is taken into consideration when granting the scholarships. People who receive the scholarships will be required to participate in certain events sponsored by the executive committee and in report meetings.

Plans have initially been made to support about three students, but officials will consider expanding the program depending on the amount of funds received.

"We wanted to let these children get the most basic level of education in Japanese society and enable them to make dreams for their future," said Shiho Nozaki, an associate professor at Konan Women's University who is serving as head of the executive committee.

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