"Sakata" Set up "Branch" for Students "Working" in Tokyo

In recent years, many Japanese short-term universities have got their eyes on foreign students so as to "replenish" their student resources and keep up school running. However, their practice did bring about many problems.

Sources from Nanao Training University in Nanao of Isogawa show that there are already 14 Chinese students found missing from April to October last year. Authorities of the university believed that these students possibly are "working" in other places.

Meanwhile, another piece of "shocking news" was heard from Sakata Training University in Sakata of Yamagata. Most of the Chinese students that account for 90 percent of the university's student body have moved to Tokyo for making a living or work.

The university "suddenly hit upon a way out of its predicament". They borrowed a room in a building in Kanda of Tokyo and set up a temporary teaching center for their students in Tokyo.

Japanese Entry Management Bureau of Sendai and Tokyo also responded to the news immediately. They started to investigate on these Chinese students.

Once any of these students is proved working in Japan without study, he or she shall be punished for violating "Entry Management Law". Any enrollee involved in a serious case will have to be repatriated.

1200 Chinese Enrollees Rejected, "Branch" in Tokyo Shut Down New Program Rejected

Latest news from Entry Management Bureau of Fukuoka and Sendai show that the bureau had rejected the plan of Kanda Training University to recruit another over 200 Chinese students. The bureau thought the school violated the regulation of the proportion of overseas students which is published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

After receiving censures from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and Entry Management Bureau, Sakata Training University swiftly declared to shut down its "branch school" in Tokyo and posted a notice to their 198 Chinese students in Tokyo.

All of them were required to "return to Sakata before January 7". Any one who should fail to return on time will be severely punished and will even be deprived of their students' status.

During such a series of incidents, the Chinese students already in Japan or waiting for entrance at home in China became genuine victims. They readily placed trust in the propaganda of Japanese universities and their brokers. They paid out a great amount of money, only finding out that they are up against mountains of difficulties in Japan. Many of them "missed" or "escaped". Quite a few had to look for a job for eking out a living.

Actually the situation is quite popular for Chinese students in Japan.

Over ten years ago, some undesirable Japanese schools closed down which made a large number of Chinese students become illegal in registered permanent residence. Ten years passed, but the situation is quite similar.

In fact, the Japanese government, Entry Management Bureau and educational departments know clearly that it is almost impossible for the Chinese students to live in Japan without borrowing money or taking a job. However, related departments failed to provide practical and effective solution. The Chinese students are always the ones to be censured afterwards.

A Chinese educationist who is working in Japan pointed out that the Ministry of Education of Japan and Entry Management Bureau should not be blamed for their setting about to investigate and settle the problem of Sakata Training University. However, he hopes that related authorities can pay more attention on the fate of Chinese students in the near future, effectively protect their rights of study and survival so as to help them learn more useful knowledge to serve their motherland after they return to China.

(People's Daily January 14, 2002)