The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has started working to set up a new agency to deal with overall children’s affairs, Children’s Agency. Its real intention, however, lies in attracting voters’ attention in the coming general elections to be held before October this year. What children want is not to create a new office, but to solve their problems.
SOLVING PROBLEMS IS ACUTE, NOT SETTING UP NEW OFFICE
Following a digital affairs agency, the government and the LDP have involved in creating a new agency on children’s affairs since they are made crisis-ridden by the increasing dissatisfactions of people across the country. The ruling group attempts to use the plan as a tool to win in the general election. People are fed up with the administration’s incompetency as well as absence of responsibility in battling the coronavirus havoc.
To attract attention of voters
A workshop of the government, called a headquarters for creating the brilliant future to children and the youth, held its first meeting recently. It is directly put under the guidance of LDP’s president Suga Yoshihide and chaired by Nikai Toshihiro, General Secretary of the party. The latter is fervently says it is the LDP that fulfills responsibility for the future of all children.
Prime Minister Suga mentions, too, that it is a role of politics that pursues policies in favor of children who are treasure of the nation. But his real focus lies in a belief that policies on children are easily welcomed by voters.
The government explains the children’s agency will serve as a driving organ to engage in affairs surrounding young citizens, but already has started turmoil among the ministries on the new office. It is because, currently, schools and kindergartens are under control of the Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, nursery schools are managed by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the certified pre-schools are, by the Cabinet Office.
The Suga government emphasizes a break-through in the vertical divisions of administrative works, but it has not yet finalized arrangements. Guidelines on economic and financial management will be released in June, and therefore, discussions on the new agency will be hastily made as concrete descriptions should be made in the policy document.
Parent’s poverty is the real problem
Problems surrounding children do not emerge abruptly today. A small number of childbirths, poverty and abuses, children waiting for entering a nursery school and bullying – these are not issues to be solved by a new administrative office.
The New Socialist Party held recently its 26th Congress, whose agenda included the theme; poverty of children and education is found under the column No. 6. It says poverty of children stems from poverty of parents. We have requested the government to take dedicated steps to support parents, too, but the coalition administration of the LDP and the Komeito has not implemented any sincere ones.
It is over five years since the cry of an angry, young mother, who shouted ‘a death to Japan! My child failed in being accepted by a nursery school’. Solutions remain far away from today’s realities.
A poverty rate among children has been kept high. Laws are enacted, but they do not work effectively. A poverty rate of single-parent families is the highest of the 34 industrially-developed nations.
Furthermore, the coronavirus chaos has produced tragedies. More women and children have committed suicides. That is a reflection of a fact that women (mothers) face obstacles in leading her life.
A job loss and termination of employment – many cases of the incidents are attributed to women. Mothers are forced to reduce in spending, and, in addition, they look after children for 24 hours a day due to closure of schools.
Problems surrounding children are not simply problems of children. They are not solved by a government office. The children’s agency is unnecessary.
「コロナ対策の無策と解決能力の無さに高まる街中の不満に危機感を感じた政府・自民党は、「デジタル庁」に続く衆院選の目玉政策として「こども庁」創設に動き始めた。
初会合を開いた「『こども・若者』輝く未来創造本部」は菅義偉総裁直属の機関だ。本部長は二階俊博幹事長で、「全ての子どもの未来に責任を持つのが自民党」と意気込む。
菅首相も、「国の宝である子ども達の政策を進めることが政治の役割」とするが、本音は「子ども政策は有権者の受けがいい」といったところだろう。
「こども庁」は子ども政策の司令塔をめざすというが、子ども行政は学校・幼稚園を文科省、保育園を厚労省、認定こども園は内閣府がそれぞれ所管。新組織の主導権争いが早くも始まっている。
菅政権は「縦割り行政打破」を掲げるが、具体的施策は未定で６月頃に策定する経済財政運営の指針「骨太の方針」明記をめざした性急な検討となりそうだ。
そもそも子どもを巡る諸問題は、今になって急浮上してきたわけではない。また少子化、貧困や虐待、待機児童、いじめ等、器作りで解決する問題でもない。
新社会党２６回定期大会方針「６こどもの貧困、教育」で述べている通り、「子どもの貧困とは親の貧困であり」、「親のサポー卜も含めた抜本的な対策」が求められてきた。だが、自公政権は抜本的な対策は一切しない。「保育園落ちた日本死ね！！」という母親の怒りの叫びから５年も経っているのに解決はほど遠い。
子どもの貧困率は高止まりを続け、「子どもの貧困対策法」を制定しても実効性が伴わず、ひとり親世帯の貧困率は先進３４カ国でワースト1位だ。
その上、コロナ災害が追い打ちをかけ、女性と子どもの自殺者を数多く生み出してしまった。女性（母親）の生きづらさが子どもにも影響を与えたのだ。
コロナ解雇・雇い止めの多くは女性であり、生活の切り詰めを余儀なくされた。その上、学校休業で子どもの面倒も２４時間見なければならなくなった。
子どもを巡る問題は子どもだけの問題ではないし、器の問題でもない。「こども庁」は不要だ。
英訳版↓
No. 1209 Children’s Agency for Election Purpose
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has started working to set up a new agency to deal with overall children’s affairs, Children’s Agency. Its real intention, however, lies in attracting voters’ attention in the coming general elections to be held before October this year. What children want is not to create a new office, but to solve their problems.
SOLVING PROBLEMS IS ACUTE, NOT SETTING UP NEW OFFICE
Following a digital affairs agency, the government and the LDP have involved in creating a new agency on children’s affairs since they are made crisis-ridden by the increasing dissatisfactions of people across the country. The ruling group attempts to use the plan as a tool to win in the general election. People are fed up with the administration’s incompetency as well as absence of responsibility in battling the coronavirus havoc.
To attract attention of voters
A workshop of the government, called a headquarters for creating the brilliant future to children and the youth, held its first meeting recently. It is directly put under the guidance of LDP’s president Suga Yoshihide and chaired by Nikai Toshihiro, General Secretary of the party. The latter is fervently says it is the LDP that fulfills responsibility for the future of all children.
Prime Minister Suga mentions, too, that it is a role of politics that pursues policies in favor of children who are treasure of the nation. But his real focus lies in a belief that policies on children are easily welcomed by voters.
The government explains the children’s agency will serve as a driving organ to engage in affairs surrounding young citizens, but already has started turmoil among the ministries on the new office. It is because, currently, schools and kindergartens are under control of the Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, nursery schools are managed by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the certified pre-schools are, by the Cabinet Office.
The Suga government emphasizes a break-through in the vertical divisions of administrative works, but it has not yet finalized arrangements. Guidelines on economic and financial management will be released in June, and therefore, discussions on the new agency will be hastily made as concrete descriptions should be made in the policy document.
Parent’s poverty is the real problem
Problems surrounding children do not emerge abruptly today. A small number of childbirths, poverty and abuses, children waiting for entering a nursery school and bullying – these are not issues to be solved by a new administrative office.
The New Socialist Party held recently its 26th Congress, whose agenda included the theme; poverty of children and education is found under the column No. 6. It says poverty of children stems from poverty of parents. We have requested the government to take dedicated steps to support parents, too, but the coalition administration of the LDP and the Komeito has not implemented any sincere ones.
It is over five years since the cry of an angry, young mother, who shouted ‘a death to Japan! My child failed in being accepted by a nursery school’. Solutions remain far away from today’s realities.
A poverty rate among children has been kept high. Laws are enacted, but they do not work effectively. A poverty rate of single-parent families is the highest of the 34 industrially-developed nations.
Furthermore, the coronavirus chaos has produced tragedies. More women and children have committed suicides. That is a reflection of a fact that women (mothers) face obstacles in leading her life.
A job loss and termination of employment – many cases of the incidents are attributed to women. Mothers are forced to reduce in spending, and, in addition, they look after children for 24 hours a day due to closure of schools.
Problems surrounding children are not simply problems of children. They are not solved by a government office. The children’s agency is unnecessary.
May 11, 2021