The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's board of education has begun studying plans to introduce a German-style work-study program in certain public high schools, board officials said.

At Monday's meeting of the Metropolitan Industrial Education Council, the school board asked the council to study how high schools might adopt such long-term programs. The council said it would draw up concrete measures by September, the officials said.

The German-style program is designed to give students vocational training three or four days a week at firms who agree to take them on, the officials said. The school week alternates between five and six days.

Students will be given classroom instruction on the remaining days, they said.

The number of young people lacking fixed employment or the desire to stay in new jobs has been rising, and education officials hope a German-style program will give participating students an enriched education, technical skills and the ability to think independently as professionals.

Regarding Kuramae Technical High School, which was cited to pilot the program, the officials said the school is expected to send its students to firms two to four days a week starting next fiscal year. The on-the-job training will be translated into academic credits.

The officials said they hope the work experience will further enrich the students' education.