Photo/Illutration The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Nearly 350,000 elementary and junior high school students were regarded as truants for missing school for more than 30 days in the year that ended in March 2024.

Despite a decrease of 130,000 in compulsory education school students during the year, the number of absentee children jumped by nearly 50,000.

In some cases, it may be appropriate for students to take a break from school. With an improved understanding of issues concerning truancy among parents and teachers, the increase in number is not solely negative.

However, the sharp rise in truancies following the COVID-19 pandemic has been attributed to inadequate school support for children affected by deteriorating home environments.

A collaborative effort from professionals both within and outside the school system is necessary to ensure all truant students can receive support carefully tailored to their individual needs.

The education ministry, seriously alarmed by the increase in absenteeism, has revised its survey methods to investigate the factors behind the problem.

Previous methods based on teachers’ subjective responses resulted in significant discrepancies between the picture painted by the polled educators and the views of truant students and their parents.

This time, the survey was based on factual instances, such as “requests for consultation were made,” with changes in the questions and allowing for multiple responses.

As a result, the survey revealed some previously undetected trends, including the fact that cases in which consultations related to “anxiety and depression” were requested accounted for 23 percent of the total.

The survey also showed a combination of factors caused many cases. The outcomes represent a step closer to understanding the reality.

Efforts must continue to pay careful and sympathetic attention to the voices of those affected and improve survey methods to ensure the results lead to effective measures to deal with the challenge.

Among truant students, 39 percent, or more than 130,000, still do not receive adequate support from schools or external organizations. A further investigation, however, revealed that 120,000 of these students receive visits or phone calls at least once every week from their teachers and other school staff members for consultations and guidance.

It is crucial for teachers and other school staff members to maintain contact and communication with truant students.

This should lead to students’ access to professional school counselors and guidance from experts, like school nurses, and also from external organizations, such as educational support centers and free schools.

There is also potential to use social media and personal electronic devices distributed to students to encourage their access to professional support.

The biggest concern is the existence of nearly 15,000 children who have no contact with schools at all, including many from families distrustful of the school system or from foreign households.

Schools must first be adequately equipped to build trust with children and parents. This requires an urgent increase in teachers and professionals as well as reforms in their working conditions.

However, schools alone are having a difficult time dealing with the increasing number of cases. Collaboration with local government welfare departments and nonprofit organizations should be promoted to implement optimal support tailored to each child.

Addressing the problem of student truancy requires a multifaceted approach involving various experts from different fields who can bring their specialized knowledge and skills to find the best solutions.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 3

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