Around 20,000 foreign nationals living in Japan did not finish junior high school and only graduated elementary school, according to findings in the latest national census, prompting the government to call on municipalities to reinforce measures promoting night school.

According to the census released in late May, a total of 804,293 people in Japan age 15 and over had only graduated from elementary school or had dropped out of junior high as of October 2020. Of that number, 19,731 〞 or 2.5% 〞 are foreign nationals.

About 90% of the overall number are now in their 80s or older 〞 likely the result of an outdated education system and the chaos following the end of World War II. The census data also revealed that foreign nationals comprised around 57% of those under 50 who had only graduated from elementary school.

※The findings show that night schools are expected to play a greater role§ for people who were not able to attend school for various reasons and foreign nationals, enabling them to go back to school to study, the education ministry said in a statement.

A lack of basic education can significantly limit future job opportunities for those who don＊t finish their education, which can lead to poverty later in life.

At present, there are 40 night schools that teach the junior high curriculum in 15 prefectures. To address the issue of unfinished schooling, the education ministry has urged each prefectural board of education to further promote night schools, establishing at least one that teaches the junior high curriculum in each prefecture by 2026.

The latest findings support previous reports showing that a portion of children without Japanese citizenship may be left out of the educational system, given that they are not subject to compulsory education in the country.

Some of the reasons why foreign nationals might not receive a basic education include insufficient Japanese language abilities 〞 by the child, their parents or both 〞 as well as insufficient municipal support systems to help children enroll.

A separate survey conducted by the education ministry also showed that a total of 10,046 foreign children eligible for an elementary or junior high school education in Japan were not or may not have been enrolled as of May last year. The result, released in March, showed that such children accounted for 7.5% of the total 133,310 eligible foreign children living in Japan.