Abstract
The declining birthrate has become a social issue in Japan. As a result, high schools, especially in rural areas, are facing the challenge of decreasing the number of applicants for admission. As the number of applicants declines, schools are forced to reduce the number of classes they offer due to the reallocation of resources, which leads to a negative cycle of further decline in the number of applicants due to the acceleration of students' avoidance of applying for entrance examinations. However, it is often difficult for schools in rural areas, whose mission is to accept a diverse range of students, to aim to increase the number of applicants by distinguishing themselves in terms of extracurricular activities such as sports and university admission results. Therefore, in this study, we clarified the factors that influence the number of applicants and the relationship between these factors, and developed a framework for increasing the number of applicants. As a result, the number of applicants increased by 76% from 33 in 2020 to 58 in 2021 at Hokkaido Shikaoi High School.
