Editorial

15:14 JST, November 5, 2025

The number of students chronically absent from school has increased for 12 consecutive years. It is crucial to prevent these children, who are distancing themselves from school, from becoming isolated and to create an environment in which they can return at any time.

In the 2024 school year, a record high of 353,970 elementary and junior high school students were chronically absent from school for 30 or more days per year, not including those who were not present due to illness or for financial reasons. This represents 3.9% of all students, or nearly one in every 26 children.

Common reasons cited were “a lack of motivation for school life” and “poor life rhythm.” One contributing factor is the law on securing educational opportunities, which came into effect in 2017, allowing students to learn in a variety of ways outside of school. This led to heightened awareness........

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