On September 6, 2024, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) released the results of the ‘2023 Survey on the Status of Special Needs Education System Development’ and the ‘2022 Survey on the Status of Implemented Instruction in a Resource Room.’
* A resource room is designed for students with mild disabilities to receive targeted instructional support several times a week, allowing them to leave their regular education classrooms to attend the resource room.

The 2023 Survey on the Status of Special Needs Education System Development aims to determine the current state of necessary systems and initiatives for implementing special needs education in each school and to use the findings to inform future strategies for its enhancement. The survey targets national, public, and private kindergartens (including kindergarten-type certified childcare centers), elementary schools, lower secondary schools, schools providing compulsory education, upper secondary schools (excluding correspondence courses and advanced programs for students holding an upper secondary school diploma or its equivalent who seek specialized knowledge), and secondary schools.

• The survey was conducted on May 1, 2023, and the main items surveyed were the following status:
  (1) Setting up of school committees
  (2) Determining the educational status of preschoolers, pupils, and students with disabilities, including developmental disabilities.
  (3) Appointment of coordinators for special needs education
  (4) Creation of individualized support plans
  (5) Creation of individualized education support plans
  (6) Improving teachers’ expertise in special needs education

The primary findings of the survey are as follows.

・In terms of the overall totals for all types of schools (public, private, and national), the achievement rates for all items mentioned below were higher than those in 2022, which were (1) the setting up rate of school committees (combined for national, public, and private schools); (2) the implementation rate of surveys to determine the situation; (3) the appointment rate of special needs education coordinators; (4) the creation status of individualized support plans and individualized education support plans; and (5) the inclusion status of reasonable accommodations in individualized support plans and individualized education support plans, along with information sharing with relevant organizations. In particular, at elementary and lower secondary schools, the achievement rate for all items exceeded 90% (except for the survey results on teachers’ expertise in special needs education). ・It was found that efforts were insufficient in some areas at kindergarten-type certified childcare centers, kindergartens, and upper secondary schools.

Additionally, the results reported in the ‘2022 Survey on the Status of Implemented Instruction in a Resource Room’ include the following

・The number of students in all schools receiving instruction in resource rooms nationwide was 198,343, an increase of 14,464 from the previous year. This accounted for 1.6 % of the total number of students enrolled in elementary, lower, and upper secondary schools. ・The number of students receiving instruction in resource rooms within public elementary schools nationwide was 164,568, an increase of 10,161 from the previous year. This accounted for 2.7% of the total enrollment in public elementary schools. ・The number of students receiving instruction in resource rooms at public lower-secondary schools nationwide was 31,515, an increase of 3,906 from the previous year. This accounted for 1.1% of the total enrollment at public lower-secondary schools. ・The number of students receiving instruction in resource rooms at public upper-secondary schools nationwide was 2,013, an increase of 390 compared to the previous year. This accounted for 0.1% of the total student enrollment at public upper-secondary schools. ・Across the nation, there are 14,792 public elementary schools where students receive instruction in resource rooms, representing 78.6% of all public elementary schools. ・There are 4,656 public lower-secondary schools nationwide (50.2% of all public lower-secondary schools) where students receive instruction in resource rooms. ・There are 372 public upper-secondary schools nationwide (10.7% of all public upper-secondary schools) where students receive instruction in resource rooms.

For more information, please visit the website below.
https://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/houdou/mext_01418.html

Edited and published by the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities.

Published on September 20th, 2024.