Overview
- MEXT counted 353,970 elementary and junior-high students not attending school in fiscal 2024, rising to 421,752 when high schools are included.
- Recognized bullying cases reached 769,022 across all school types, the fourth straight record, with 1,405 incidents classified as causing major harm.
- Schools logged a record 128,859 violent incidents, and 413 students died by suicide, with many cases lacking confirmed background circumstances.
- The ministry cited greater acceptance of rest for children after COVID and more proactive recognition, including digital health check-ins, as contributing factors.
- Oita Prefecture reported a third yearly decline in overall recognized bullying to 7,771, yet serious cases increased to 11, and non-attendance shifted by level, with officials suggesting smartphone use may be disrupting routines.