[HIGHLIGHTS] Approximately 70% of students who do not attend school have mental and physical problems that differ from teachers' perceptions.

The number of elementary and junior high school students who are not attending school will reach a record high of approximately 299,000 in 2022. When asked about the reason in a survey, 70% of the responses from children and students themselves were related to physical and mental illness.

On the other hand, these responses from 1,424 homeroom teachers ranged from 10% to less than 20%. Furthermore, while 26% of students responded that they had been victims of bullying, only 4% of teachers responded.