原田英語の英検二次面接 ぜんぶ攻略くん
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英検1級 二次 予想トピック 37 ・ 🏘️ 社会・地域・高齢化 ・ A or B

Raising young people's wages or expanding child benefits: which would do more to address the falling birthrate?

若者の賃金を上げることと、児童手当などの子育て支援を広げること。少子化対策としてより効果があるのはどちらか。

このトピックを選ぶべき人

少子化の原因を「結婚する前」と「子どもが生まれた後」に分けて話せる人向け。

骨組み理由3つ（どちらの立場でも話せる）

賛成（Yes）で話すなら

I believe that raising young people's wages would do more to address the falling birthrate.

  1. marriage firstIn Japan, most children are born to married couples, so the key is helping young people feel secure enough to marry. Many single people say they hesitate to marry because their income is low or unstable.
  2. long-term securityA higher wage lasts for a whole career, while benefits only help for a limited number of years. A couple deciding whether to have a second child, for example, thinks about the next twenty years, not just next year's payment.
  3. wider supportBetter wages help everyone, including people who do not plan to have children, so the policy is easier to support. In contrast, generous benefits only for parents can create a sense of unfairness among other taxpayers.

反対（No）で話すなら

I believe that expanding child benefits would do more, because the government can control them directly and target them at families.

  1. direct controlThe government cannot simply order private companies to raise wages, but it can decide the size of child benefits. For example, Japan recently removed the income limit on its child allowance through a change in the law.
  2. targeted supportBenefits go straight to the people who are actually raising children. A wage increase, by contrast, may be spent on anything, including things unrelated to family life.
  3. cost of childrenFor many parents, the biggest worry is the high cost of education and housing. Support such as cheaper university education could encourage couples to have the second or third child they want.

想定質疑面接委員はこう突っ込んでくる

QEven countries with generous child benefits have seen their birthrates fall. Doesn't that prove money doesn't work?

That's true, and in a way, it supports my view. Money given after a child is born cannot help people who never marry or start a family in the first place. So I still believe that improving young people's income is a more fundamental solution.

Q：子育て支援が手厚い国でも出生率は下がっています。お金では効果がないということでは？
A：その通りで、ある意味で私の考えを裏づけています。子どもが生まれた後に渡すお金は、そもそも結婚や家族を持つことに踏み出せない人には届きません。ですから、やはり若者の収入を上げる方が根本的な解決策だと考えます。

QHow can the government raise wages in the private sector?

It's true that the government cannot set wages directly. However, it can raise the minimum wage, cut taxes for companies that raise pay, and require fair treatment of non-regular workers. Together, these steps would gradually lift the incomes of young people.

Q：政府はどうやって民間の賃金を上げるのですか。
A：確かに政府が賃金を直接決めることはできません。しかし、最低賃金を上げる、賃上げした企業の税を減らす、非正規で働く人の公正な待遇を義務づける、といったことはできます。これらを組み合わせれば、若者の収入は少しずつ上がっていくはずです。

QAre there factors other than money that affect the birthrate?

Yes, definitely. Long working hours and the heavy burden of childcare on women are major factors. Changing workplace culture so that both parents can share childcare is just as important as financial support.

Q：お金以外に出生率に影響する要因はありますか。
A：はい、もちろんあります。長時間労働や、子育ての負担が女性に偏っていることは大きな要因です。両親がともに子育てを分担できるよう職場の文化を変えることは、経済的な支援と同じくらい大切です。

語彙このトピックで使える表現