Issues associated with school refusal
According to Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), there are now a record-high 340,000 elementary and junior high school students refusing to attend school in the country. Around 40% of these students are not receiving any kind of support, and as a result, they’re missing out on vital learning opportunities. Economic pressure is a major factor. As educational service options such as counseling, free schools, and online programs increase, so do the related costs, which can be a heavy burden on parents. That burden could be keeping some children away from learning opportunities.
Why create this product
My personal experience of seeing many absent children when I went on a school visit made me realize just how serious the issue has become. For many children, refusing to go to school is an act of self-protection, and it can happen to anyone. But the same children suffer the most, as they lose learning opportunities that affect their future. We developed this insurance to ease the psychological and financial burden on these students and their families.
Recognizing the growing demand for educational options beyond traditional schooling, we developed a product that removes financial barriers. This expands learning opportunities for children especially from economically disadvantaged families. We are also working closely with municipalities and school support programs to offer comprehensive assistance.
In developing this product, we sought input from boards of education, MEXT, school refusal support providers, and parents of affected children. We found that parents often feel isolated and face financial hardship, with few places to seek advice, particularly on financial matters.
With this in mind, we set the Return-to-School Support Payment at a fixed amount of 100,000 yen to help cover initial expenses in securing diverse learning options. Every child’s situation is different, including the time spent away from school and the kind of learning support they need, so this amount may not meet all needs. But by offering it at an early stage, we hope it will help families to explore a wider range of options and take the first steps toward returning to school with confidence.
How our insurance works
The Return-to-School Support Payment Insurance provides comprehensive support for children not attending school by linking financial assistance with a range of local government initiatives to ensure continued learning opportunities.
- Local governments, schools, and PTAs sign up: These organizations become the policyholders and establish their own support programs for parents of children refusing school. When a child stops attending school, the family receives the money via the contracted policyholder. Sompo Japan then reimburses the organization through the insurance.
- 100,000 yen to support learning: This sum can go toward counseling, free school enrollment, or digital learning options – whatever the child needs.
- Working together with public systems: Local municipalities are required to have support measures in place for students refusing school as a condition for providing the insurance benefits. Through collaboration with government initiatives, we aim to expand children’s potential by providing diverse opportunities for learning.
Opening the door to future success for children
Since the product’s release, many municipalities and PTAs have reached out, and we continue to introduce the insurance to a broad audience. Beyond offering insurance as a business, I want to help solve urgent challenges in education by working with public school support programs to establish a stronger foundation for children’s futures. Our goal is to contribute to the healthy growth and learning of children across Japan, giving them a fair opportunity to achieve their dreams. Through innovation in insurance, we aim to provide new value in both the insurance and education sectors and improve people’s wellbeing across society.
