School Non-attendance Hits Record High: Downward Trend in Age, Longer Absences A Cause for Concern

Editorial

15:25 JST, November 14, 2024

The number of students chronically absent from school is continuing to rise. Many children have irregular living habits and are not motivated to attend school. A thorough analysis is needed to understand what is happening to these children and measures must be taken to deal with the issue.

The number of elementary and junior high school students who were chronically absent from school reached a record high of about 340,000 in the 2023 school year. This is the 11th consecutive year of increase. According to a survey, the most common reason given for absenteeism was “a lack of motivation in school life” at 32%, followed by “anxiety or depression” and “poor life rhythm.”

In some cases, they stay home all day, watching videos on their smartphones or playing games, leading them to stay awake at night and sleep during the day.

With the law on securing educational opportunities coming into effect, allowing students to learn in a variety of ways outside of school, there has been growing awareness in society that children do not have to force themselves to attend school. There was also a series of temporary school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perhaps because of this combination of factors, many children seem to have lost the habit of going to school every day and are still unable to rebuild their lives.

What is worrisome is the trend toward younger children being absent from school and longer absences. The number of first-year elementary school students who have stopped attending school has doubled from two years ago. Chronic school absenteeism is defined as being absent from school for 30 days or more per year, but in recent years, the percentage of those absent for 90 days or more has also remained high, in the 50% range.

The pandemic is said to have caused many children to enter elementary school without having experienced group life in kindergarten or nursery school, and these children cannot get accustomed to school life. Once a child stops going to school, they tend not to attend the following school year either.

It may be inevitable, in some respects, that students are sometimes unable to go to school for whatever reason. However, schools are an important place for them to interact with a diverse range of personalities and develop cooperative skills and a social nature.

It is hoped that if a child has irregular living habits, their family will first restore the rhythm of that routine. Schools also need to create an atmosphere that makes it easy for children who are unfamiliar with group life to attend school.

The government is proceeding with the establishment of in-school educational support centers where children who do not fit in with their classmates can study at a different location within the school. Increasing the number of free schools that serve as alternatives for children who do not attend school will also be an issue to discuss. These measures need to be steadily implemented.

The survey also found that bullying cases and acts of violence in elementary, junior high and high schools were at a record high. “Serious situations,” which indicates serious bullying, were also at a record high. The number of acts of violence was six times that of 10 years ago, especially among elementary school students.

The rise is partly due to schools more actively recognizing bullying and violence. However, if such incidents are handled incorrectly, they could threaten students’ lives. It is important not to miss the signs and to promptly deal with the cases.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 14, 2024)