Japan's school absences hit record high as experts call for changes

from In-depth News Features | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News · host NHK WORLD-JAPAN

School absences in Japan have hit a record high. An education ministry survey released on October 29 showed that over 350,000 elementary and junior high students were chronically absent during the 2024 academic year. The figure has been increasing for 12 straight years. NHK World's Katsumata Chieko explains why concerned experts are calling for systemic educational changes.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Oct 31, 2025

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Japan's school absences hit record high as experts call for changes

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