Last updated: March 10, 2017
Sunday, January 22, 2017
| No. | Contents of question | Mayor's answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What are the advantages and disadvantages of privatizing nursery schools and after-school clubs? | First of all, the advantage of privatizing after-school clubs is that they can be flexible, such as by extending childcare hours and increasing the number of services provided. I don't think there are any particular disadvantages. Some school children are located inside the school building, and the school has security management issues with allowing outsiders to come and go openly, so the newly opened second elementary school club is located in a separate building on the school grounds. Built. The privatization of after-school facilities is proceeding in stages, starting with facilities that can be used independently. Next, regarding nursery schools, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th nursery schools, as well as the public and privately run 6th nursery school, are currently operated as public nursery schools. Regarding these facilities, consideration will be given to whether to privatize them by rebuilding them or keep them under public management, based on a comprehensive judgment of the local situation and the aging of the buildings, but no decisions have been made at this time. |
| 2 | Regarding the children's medical expenses subsidy system, Inagi City has an income limit for the ``Maruko'' program, which targets children enrolled in compulsory education, but some of the 23 wards have no income limit and can receive subsidies up to their third year of junior high school. What do you think about this disparity? | This system is an additional service on top of the medical insurance system, and Marunyu and Maruko are added on independently by local governments, not the national government. Tokyo's Marunyuu/Maruko (with income restrictions) is added to medical insurance, and the city also subsidizes Marunyuu/Maruko at the city's expense. The city covers about half of the costs involved. We fully understand everyone's request for the removal of income restrictions, but any subsidies that exceed income restrictions are borne entirely by the city, and this system cannot be sustained unless permanent financial resources are secured. Amid the difficult financial situation, the city has set its priorities and is currently focusing on measures to support child-rearing, such as opening daycare centers and dealing with childcare waiting lists. Furthermore, as a systemic issue, subsidizing children's medical expenses results in a cut in National Health Insurance funding from the national government to the city. It is strange that subsidies for medical expenses differ depending on the financial resources of municipalities, and we are requesting the national government and the Tokyo metropolitan government to implement this as a national system. |
| 3 | I am concerned about the so-called ``elementary school wall problem.'' Will all after-school clubs be privatized in the future? Also, how much time can be extended if privatized? | There are 15 afterschool clubs, including elementary schools (excluding three elementary schools), parts of cultural centers, and an apartment, which is more than the number of elementary schools (12 schools). In the case of public management, working hours etc. are rigid, so privatization will allow us to respond more flexibly to the needs of users, and we would like to continue moving forward. Currently, private facilities are open until 7 p.m., and city-operated facilities are open until 6 p.m. Establishing new after-school clubs is extremely difficult due to cost considerations. The city also runs after-school classes for children. All children who wish to have a place to stay after school are accepted, and we believe that this is having a certain effect in reducing the number of children who do not have a place to stay. |
| 4 | I am currently looking for a new job, but when I applied for a daycare center, I was told that priority was given to people who were working. If they cannot leave their children with them, they will not be able to look for a job, which poses a dilemma. | This will be a way of thinking about responding to the needs of nursery schools. Elementary and junior high schools are compulsory education, and local governments must proactively prepare systems to accept students. On the other hand, daycare centers are not compulsory, so it is necessary to establish a system while assessing actual needs, and in urban areas, including the Tokyo metropolitan area, demand always exceeds supply. We receive a variety of opinions regarding the admission criteria, and we make necessary revisions every year. We would like to continue to consider measures to increase the number of children we can accept while assessing needs for childcare. |
| 5 | Is the electronic maternal and child health handbook a substitute for paper? Will the data still exist 10 or 20 years from now? | The law stipulates that medical checkup results at hospitals must be handwritten by doctors, and paper maternal and child health handbooks will not be abolished, but will be used in conjunction with them. The electronic maternal and child health handbook can be used in place of anything other than medical records, and has a function to schedule vaccinations and receive notifications from the city. The data is stored on your smartphone and remains there forever, although there are issues such as changing models. |
| 6 | The public nursery school is aging and there are concerns about its earthquake resistance. | Earthquake resistance diagnosis has been completed for all public facilities and it has been confirmed that there are no problems. Please rest assured on that point. Earthquake resistance and aging are different issues, but we are aware of aging. Although we cannot blindly renovate, we are taking necessary maintenance and repair measures. At this time, there are no plans for large-scale renovations or rebuilding. |
| 7 | Concerned about child poverty. Is Inagi okay? | First, I believe that the definition of poverty is ambiguous, and that the term has taken on a life of its own in the media. Today, ``poverty'' refers to relative poverty, people whose income is less than the average income, and there are probably only a limited number of people who live in ``absolute poverty,'' who are unable to live the minimum standard of living necessary for sustaining life. I also think that poverty is being addressed as long as the welfare system is functioning as a system to help people who cannot live a basic standard of living. On the other hand, I have heard stories of children wearing the same clothes every day and not taking baths.In these cases, we should suspect neglect, such as child abandonment, or child abuse, rather than child poverty. Two children's cafeterias are being operated in Inagi, but according to the organizers, they are not trying to combat poverty, but rather want to provide the warmth of home in the community. If necessary, the government would like to provide support. |
| 8 | The children's center events on the Children's and Family Support Center's website are organized by district, making it difficult to see. I also want open data. | Consider. |
Inagi City General Affairs Department Secretary Public Relations Division Phone: 042-378-2111