The sociological aspects of non- attendance at school : Guided by NAGAOKA Toshisada's theory on long-term absence at school

Abstract

In Japan, non-attendance at school has traditionally been regarded as children's intra-psychic matter. But according the statistics, it is impossible to deny the sociological aspects of non-attendance at school. This paper aims at describing those aspects using NAGAOKA Toshisada's theory on long-term absence at school. In Japan, non-attendance at school increases especially at the beginning of 1960's (so-called "the high economic growth period") and in the middle of 1970's. According to NAGAOKA, in the former period people began to think it as a matter of course for children to attend school every day. Until that time, it had been regarded as a matter of fact for children to be absent from school when they had to help their parents or attend religious events. In the latter period, the rate of entering high school exceeded 90%. Therefore, non-attendance at school is regarded not as a result of children's personal abnormality, but as a reaction to the social pressure that compels children to go to school. Hence, it would be no use to cope with non-attendance at school by school-counselling, for it is not a matter of psychology but a matter of sociology. We have to admit that a certain number of students are constantly absent from school, and, therefore, give the opportunities for alternative education outside the school.