KOBE - As summer vacation ends, absenteeism among schoolchildren is on the rise, with the number of cases reaching record levels. The impact extends beyond children, with parents increasingly being forced to leave their jobs to care for them.
In Kobe, elementary schools marked the start of the new term on September 1st, with students sharing stories of summer holidays and new goals. Yet behind the cheerful atmosphere lies a troubling trend: the number of children refusing to attend school has been increasing year by year. In fiscal 2023, the figure surpassed 340,000 for the first time, the highest ever recorded.
At Osaka Prefecture’s education consultation center, calls related to school refusal surge in September. The number of consultations in September last year was double that of other months. Counselors say many children express feelings such as, "I don’t know why, but I don’t want to go to school tomorrow," prompting the center to strengthen its support system.
For parents, a child’s refusal to attend school can jeopardize employment. In a recent survey of guardians, about one in five responded that they had been forced to quit their jobs.
One example is Elina, who runs an English class for children in Osaka. She experienced job loss three years ago when her son, then a first-year middle school student, stopped attending classes. In September of his second year, Elina’s monthly salary dropped to just 14,575 yen because she could only work fewer than three hours a day. She often had to rush to pick up her son when called by the school, gradually depleting the family’s savings.
"I never knew when the school would call, so even if I managed to get to work, I would soon have to leave. I kept apologizing to my son, and he apologized to me. We spent our days saying sorry to each other," she recalled.
Her son also noticed her fatigue. "I was happy she came to pick me up, but I could see she was tired," he said.
Elina later joined “Tokyo Coffee,” a community space for children who refuse to attend school and their parents. The group, which began in Nara and has since grown to over 400 locations nationwide, gave her a sense of relief from isolation. Her son now speaks openly about his future ambitions. Elina herself has become an organizer of activities and listens to the concerns of other parents.
"There are so many things I could have been helped with if I had met these people back then," she said. "Even having one person nearby to talk with makes a difference."
Some companies are also stepping up support. Kyodo Printing, a Tokyo-based printing company, introduced special leave and shortened working hours last year for employees with children who refuse to attend school. With over 30% of staff reportedly affected by such cases, the firm said it recognized the need to act. Employees using the system have said it helped them avoid resigning.
"We realized there weren’t enough programs to support parents after children enter elementary school," said a company representative. "We aim to create seamless support measures without gaps."
As school absenteeism continues to rise, experts stress the need to prevent both children and parents from becoming isolated. Teachers and parents are encouraged to pay attention to changes in physical and emotional well-being, such as poor appetite, irritability, or sleeplessness, which may signal distress.
Behind a child’s words of "I don’t want to go to school" may lie stress, anxiety, or other serious issues. Parents are urged not to dismiss such signs, while also distinguishing between temporary reluctance and more serious cases. Support systems, combined with attentive monitoring by parents, are seen as vital to addressing the growing challenge of school refusal.
Source: KTV NEWS
