As the number of elementary and junior high school students not attending classes reaches a record high 340,000 nationwide, determining how to evaluate their learning achievements outside of school has become a challenging issue in the education sector.
In August last year, the education ministry revised part of the enforcement regulations of the School Education Act to ensure that learning outcomes achieved outside of school are appropriately evaluated. While some education boards have created guidelines for implementation, there is also a concern that assessing students through grades may run counter to supporting those who cannot go to schools for various reasons.
At Narumi Junior High School in Nagoya, there is a special room called Na-ru-mu where students who have stopped attending regular classes can spend their time freely. Currently, eight students come to the room between one and three times a week, with some studying independently while others spend their time reading or playing board games.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.