Overview
- The Ministry of Education released a nationwide survey on Monday that found 84,759 public-school pupils needed Japanese-language instruction as of May 2025, the highest total on record.
- The survey showed 9,699 pupils who need help are not receiving in-school Japanese instruction, and the number of schools with at least one such pupil rose by 1,545 to 12,668, or 39.4% of public schools.
- Most pupils needing support are foreign-national students, with 73,313 recorded as non-Japanese and 11,446 as Japanese nationals, reflecting demographic change in school populations.
- Educational outcomes have inched forward: high-school advancement rose to 91.5% from 90.3% and the dropout rate fell to 6.4% from 7.7%, but officials say better instruction is needed to sustain gains.
- The findings point to immediate policy needs such as recruiting and training Japanese-language instructors, setting up early support hubs and using vetted external specialists, with effects likely on local budgets and on efforts to find children not confirmed to be in school.