[Kodansha Ltd.] Over 340,000 students are refusing to go to school… Following the words of a counselor who has worked with 4,000 parent-child pairs, “Opening up a new life from school refusal” conveys “How to face the reality of school refusal”
Kodansha Ltd. Press Release: September 5, 2025 More than 340,000 children are refusing to go to school… Following the words of a counselor who has worked with 4,000 parent-child pairs, “How to face the reality of school refusal” as conveyed in “Opening up a new life from school refusal” A publication commemorative talk event will also be held on September 23rd Image
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1719/7633/1719-7633-506bdeb46baa208e5eaa97257dfbe5b2-1012×1015.png [September 1st Question] What can adults do when their child says, “I don’t want to go to school?” September 1st, the day after summer vacation, is said to be the day with the highest number of suicides among children under the age of 18 of the year. According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of suicides on September 1st is roughly twice as high as on other days, and the government is taking measures to address this so-called “September 1st problem.” The underlying reason for this is the reality of school absenteeism, which continues to increase year by year. According to a survey released by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in October 2024, the number of elementary and junior high school students who were absent from school in the 2023 academic year was 346,482. This is the 11th consecutive year of increase, setting a new record high. Amidst this, the FRaU web series “For those dealing with their child’s school refusal – Waiting time is a time for parents and children to understand each other,” which began in September 2024, received a great response. The series has been revised and compiled into a book, The book features Motoi Ikezoe, a counselor who has supported over 4,000 parent-child pairs for over 40 years. After working as a Kyoto City employee in the Rehabilitation Division of the Child Welfare Center, he and his colleagues founded a child support facility. Journalist Shimazawa Yuko has followed Ikezoe for about 20 years, covering his rich practice and many of his most inspiring words, all of which are backed by his high level of expertise. He has been reporting on the lives of children and their families who are refusing to go to school. The series has garnered a great deal of sympathy, and Ikezoe has received inquiries from all over Japan and even overseas. Mr. Ikezoe’s words that touch the heart Author Shimazawa is one of those who faced her son’s school refusal. This book, a significant expansion and revision of the serial series that Shimazawa carefully researched and drew on while drawing on her own experiences, brings together real voices from a variety of
perspectives. School refusal in children with developmental disorders and those in the gray zone. Parents who suffer from the constant hustle of those around them who say, “Normally, you’d go to school, right?” We also hear from school teachers and pediatricians who support children, as well as the children themselves. Ikezoe’s words, which he has continued to provide close support to in the field, reach the reader’s heart. “It’s okay if you don’t go to school. It’s a time to recharge.” “The reason my child can’t go to school is because he has no energy left. If I wait until he’s full of energy, he’ll start moving on his own.” “I want my child to think that it’s a wonderful thing that he was able to tell his parents that he didn’t want to go to school.” “Make it a habit to first say ‘Yes, I understand’ when your child asks for something. Saying ‘Yes, I understand’ is the first step in building a trusting relationship with your child.” Ikezoe’s words are not just advice; they give parents the courage to let go of their anxiety and impatience and to really face their children. Going to school isn’t the only answer. This book gives parents and children the opportunity to think together about what truly makes a child happy.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1719/7633/1719-7633-74cc1e63149f401eef0edd8031fbf1c4-850×553.jpg Masato, who stopped attending school in the second grade of elementary school
【Tuesday, September 23rd (National Holiday)】Yuko Shimazawa x Motoi Ikezoe A talk show and autograph session have also been announced. To commemorate the publication of this book, a talk event and autograph session featuring Yuko Shimazawa and Motoi Ikezoe will be held on Tuesday, September 23rd (national holiday). “How should I respond when my child says they don’t want to go to school?” “What does ‘trust and wait’ actually mean?” “What perspective do parents need to keep from getting anxious?” This will be a time of honesty and hope, delivered to everyone struggling with child-rearing and education. We hope you’ll come to the venue and hear their voices directly.
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https://x.gd/SNTf7 Seven Net here
https://7net.omni7.jp/detail/1107627730 Also available at other brick-and-mortar bookstores.
Click here for an excerpt from the series “For those dealing with their child’s school refusal – Waiting time is a time for parents and children to understand each other.” Part 1: A teacher’s father faces his son’s school refusal…Why he decided it was okay for his son not to go to school https://gendai.media/articles/-/154016 Part 2: The “true voices of children” that cannot be heard by leaving it up to the homeroom teacher. What a teacher with a school-refusing son wants to tell parents https://gendai.media/articles/-/154017 Part 1: My son, who had been refusing to go to kindergarten since age 3, suddenly started going back to school in the first grade of elementary school…A father explains what he learned about the “sudden changes in children” behind the scenes https://gendai.media/articles/-/154656 Part 2: Is it true that “if you do this, you can go to school”? The conclusion reached by a father struggling with his school refusal business https://gendai.media/articles/-/154657