Record High 69,123 Students Need Japanese Language Help; Increase Comes from Growing Foreign Population, Japanese Children Living Oversea

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, August 10, 2024

The number of students found to need Japanese language instruction in public elementary, junior high and high schools reached a record high of 69,123 in fiscal 2023, according to a survey revealed by the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry. The number rose by 10,816 students from the previous survey in fiscal 2021, and it has doubled over the past decade. The rise is attributed to the growing number of foreign families moving to Japan, driven by an increasing acceptance of overseas workers due to labor shortages caused by population decline.

The survey covered all-Japan’s 1,788 municipalities nationwide and inquired about the situation as of May 1 of last year. Among students determined by their schools to require Japanese language instruction due to insufficient conversational skills, 57,718 were of foreign nationality, an increase of 10,099 from the previous survey, while 11,405 were of Japanese nationality, an increase of 717. Even some Japanese nationals, having lived abroad for extended periods, lacked sufficient Japanese language skills.

The rate of advancement to high school among junior high school students needing Japanese instruction was 90.3%, nearly 9 percentage points lower than the 99% rate for all junior high students. The dropout rate among these high school students was 8.5%, significantly higher than the 1.1% overall dropout rate for high school students.

In Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture, where many Japanese Brazilians work in manufacturing plants, there has been an increase in residents from countries such as the Philippines, Nepal and Vietnam in recent years. According to the town’s board of education, 649 foreign students were enrolled in elementary and junior high schools as of May 1 this year, accounting for 20% of the total student population. Although schools are using automatic translation devices and hiring interpreters, they are still struggling to meet the demand.

The education ministry is providing financial support for the placement of personnel to assist students needing Japanese instruction, but the town’s board of education has requested that the national and prefectural governments give consideration to additional staffing and further budget expansion.

8,601 foreign children potentially ‘not in school’

The ministry announced Thursday that 8,601 foreign children residing in Japan as of May last year were possibly not attending school. This marks an increase of 418 children compared to the previous survey in the fiscal 2022.

As of May last year, there were 150,695 foreign children registered under the Basic Resident Registration System, which covers children of elementary and junior high school age. Of these, 970 were confirmed to not be attending school.

Additionally, 7,199 children were unreachable, and 432 children, though registered under the Basic Resident Registration System, were not accounted for by local