Mar 17 (NHK) - Japan's education ministry plans to draw up guidelines to provide educational opportunities for all foreign children living in Japan.
Last September, the ministry surveyed over 124,000 foreign children aged between 6 and 14 who are currently registered in local residence records.
The results showed that nearly 20,000 may not be attending schools of any sort, though they should be attending elementary or junior high schools, which are compulsory in Japan.
A ministry panel of experts, which has been seeking ways to support such children, compiled a draft report on Monday.
The report asks the government to set guidelines that incorporate measures to help foreign children to receive an education.
It calls on local municipalities to make lists that have names, addresses and other information about school-age children, just as is done for Japanese children. It also calls on municipal officials to visit the homes of foreign children to understand their situations.
The panel will complete an official report by the end of this month.
The education ministry plans to draw up guidelines based on the panel's report by the end of next March.
