外国人看護師―「人の開国」を大胆に

2011/09/07
--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 6
EDITORIAL: Japan needs to open its doors wider for foreign workers.
外国人看護師―「人の開国」を大胆に

With its population aging rapidly, Japan will see an increased need for more nursing and health care professionals in the years ahead.
　高齢化が進む日本社会では看護や介護の人材が一層必要になる。

Japan could find itself in serious trouble if it erects barriers too high for foreign workers wishing to work here.
外国人受け入れに高すぎる壁を設けては、むしろ日本が困ることにならないだろうか。

Japan and Vietnam are now holding talks to establish a system that will allow young Vietnamese to work as nurses and nursing care workers in Japan.
　ベトナムの若者が日本で看護師や介護福祉士になる枠組みを作る交渉が本格化している。

The negotiations are based on a bilateral economic partnership agreement.
日越間の経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）に基づくものだ。

Japan already has programs to accept such health care workers from Indonesia and the Philippines under bilateral economic partnership agreements with these countries.
But these programs have turned out to be riddled with problems.
　先例となるインドネシア、フィリピンとのＥＰＡ協定で多くの問題点が浮き彫りになった。

These problems need to be fixed if Japan is to establish a better program with Vietnam.
ベトナムとの枠組み作りではそこの是正がかかせない。

Under existing programs, trainees receive about half a year of training before coming to Japan and then work for three years at Japanese hospitals as they prepare for state examinations to qualify as a health care professional. 　半年程度の入国前研修の後、看護師候補として３年間、各地の病院で働きながら国家資格の取得をめざす――。

Nearly 600 candidates from Indonesia and the Philippines have taken part in the programs since fiscal 2008.
こうした制度の下で０８年度以降、インドネシアとフィリピン両国から６００人近くが来日した。

Of the 254 foreign trainees who took the nursing license exam last year, however, only three were successful.
　ところが、昨年の看護師国家試験の受験者２５４人のうち合格したのは３人だけ。

The number of successful applicants for the exam held in March this year was larger at 16, but the pass rate was still as low as 4 percent.
今年３月の試験の合格者は１６人に増えたが合格率は４％だった。

In order to prevent the unsuccessful candidates from returning home en masse, the government decided to allow the first group of Indonesian trainees to stay in Japan for one more year.
But many of the young Indonesians who failed to qualify have given up on working in Japan and have returned home.
　試験に落ちた若者の大量帰国を避けようと政府は、第一陣で来たインドネシア人候補者の滞在期限を１年延長したが、多くの若者が日本に見切りをつけて帰ってしまった。

The government should not allow a similar situation where the young Vietnamese who come to Japan with hopes of working here return home disappointed.
　ベトナムから夢を抱いて来日する若者を、同じように失意のまま帰国させるようなことにしてはならない。

The biggest factor behind the low ratios of successful applicants is clearly the language barrier.
　合格率が低い一番の理由は日本語の壁だ。

It is apparently an overwhelming challenge for these trainees to learn enough Japanese while working.
働きながらの勉強には限界がある。

In addition, the need to learn many technical terms further increases the difficulty of passing the license examination. As a result, trainees whose work was rated highly by the hospitals did not necessarily pass the exam.
しかも専門用語が出る国家試験のハードルは高く、病院から高い評価を受けた人材が必ずしも合格しない結果となっている。

In its current state, the system appears as if it was designed to reject rather than accept foreign nationals wishing to work as health care professionals in Japan.
　これでは、職業人として日本に残るのを拒む制度と受け止められても仕方あるまい。

It is necessary to give the trainees one year or so of Japanese language training so that they can acquire at least sufficient skills for everyday conversation.
　来日前の日本語研修を１年程度行い、少なくとも日常会話に困らない程度の能力をつけて来てもらうことが必要だ。

The state license exam also needs to be improved.
国家試験の改善もさらに図りたい。

Under the economic partnership agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines, two or three years of experience in the profession are required to be eligible for the programs. But it is doubtful whether such lengthy experience is really necessary.
　これまでのＥＰＡ協定では本国で２、３年の実務経験を条件にしたが、それほどの年数が必要だろうか。

Some Japanese experts say it is easier for younger trainees to get acclimated to the working practices and conditions at Japanese medical institutions.
日本の医療慣行に慣れてもらうためにはより若い方がいいという声も聞く。

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, many Indonesian and Philippine trainees remained at hospitals and facilities in affected areas to help victims. The ways they contributed to disaster relief efforts were reported and much talked about back in their home countries.
　東日本大震災では、被災地の病院や施設に残って救援を続けたインドネシア人やフィリピン人の姿が母国で報じられ、話題となった。

We should value young foreigners who have come to have affection for Japan.
日本に愛着を持つようになった外国人の若者の存在は貴重だ。

Competition for human resources in Asia is getting stronger.
　アジアの人材獲得競争は激しさを増している。

Japan needs to create an open and attractive system to get more qualified and talented foreign workers.
優れた人材を確保するために開放的で魅力ある仕組みを作る必要がある。

The new administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda should reconsider the government's policy of accepting foreign workers so as to open the nation's door wider to human resources from around the world.
　野田政権は外国人受け入れ政策を見直し、人の開国を大胆に進めるべきだ。