The Asahi Shimbun reported on its front page that 353,970 Japanese elementary and middle school students were considered truant in the fiscal year 2024, having missed more than 30 days of school per year, an increase of 7,488 people (2.2%) from the previous year, setting a new record high. This was revealed in the results of the "Problem Behavior and Truancy Survey" released by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on the 29th. This is the 12th consecutive year of growth. Of these, 135,724 students (about 40%) did not receive specialized counseling or guidance, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will work with external organizations to implement countermeasures.
The number of truants reached a record high. This survey is conducted annually for public and private schools at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. Truancy refers to missing more than 30 days of school per year due to reasons other than illness or economic factors. In the 24th fiscal year, there were 137,704 elementary school students who were truant (an increase of 7,334 from the previous year), and 216,266 junior high school students (an increase of 154 from the previous year).
Since the 21st fiscal year, the truancy rate has risen rapidly, increasing by about 15-25% compared to the previous year, but the increase fell below 10% for the first time in four years. Additionally, the number of new truants decreased compared to the previous year for the first time in nine years. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology believes that efforts to identify and address students' concerns and anxieties early have been successful in preventing truancy.
On the other hand, 135,724 truants (38.3%) did not receive professional counseling or guidance from school teachers, counselors, or private organizations and medical institutions, including free schools outside the school, an increase of 1,356 people from the previous year.
If certain requirements are met, professional counseling and guidance outside the school can be considered as attendance at the discretion of the principal. However, among the 121,375 people who received these treatments, 42,978 were considered as attending classes. It is calculated that more than 60% of students did not receive recognition as attending classes from the principal after receiving counseling and guidance.
Additionally, the efforts of 81,467 students who did not attend school at home or outside the school were reflected in their academic assessments. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology clarified through a revision of the ministerial order that the results of out-of-school learning could be reflected in the academic assessment starting in August 2024, and this was statistically recorded for the first time.
Regarding the facts of students who did not attend school known to teachers, the most common consultation was "Consultation on Lack of School Life Motivation," accounting for 30.1%, followed by "Consultation on Disrupted Daily Routines," accounting for 25.0%, and "Consultation on Anxiety and Depression," accounting for 24.3%, which remained almost the same as the previous year. 7.5% of respondents requested or consulted for special support due to their disability, and 6.4% requested or consulted for individual consideration due to their foreign origin.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1847404877662220/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.