2022 Volume 19 Pages 51-70
Since the 2010s, guaranteeing learning opportunities for long-term absentee
children has become an urgent issue in the field of sociology from the viewpoint
of children’s well-being or agency. However, while previous studies have focused
on initiatives within the school system such as school attendance assistance
and learning support, they have overlooked the significance and diversity
of learning outside existing school systems. Specifically, such studies have highlighted
the increase in management of children who do not or cannot attend
regular schools since the enactment of the Educational Opportunity Law in
2016. However, the difficulties faced by out-of-school learning spaces in their
day-to-day operations have not been clarified.
Therefore, this paper takes a capability approach （CA） to examine: （1） how
support for long-term absentee children has been developed at the compulsory
education level in Japan since enactment of the Educational Opportunity Law,
and（ 2） what kind of conflicts have been faced by unauthorised free school activities
under current policy trends.
The results show that, since enactment of the law, consideration has begun to
be given to the expansion of various learning opportunities （allocation of educational
resources） for out-of-school children both inside and outside the school
system including the need for financial support and respite （although these
have been inadequately addressed）. On the other hand, free schools have been
viewed as ‘support facilities’ with a specific purpose instead of the traditional
multi-purpose ‘places to be （ibasho）.’ It has become clear that a system for
‘sorting out the difficulties of children’s daily lives’ is emerging. Accordingly, it
is important to design systems that substantively guarantee children’s freedom,
including their freedom to ‘do nothing.’
