High School Education for Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities in Japan: Toward Inclusion
TAKEMURA Fumikolast: update: 20251017
◆だいやまーくTAKEMURA Fumiko 2025年10月25日-26 "High School Education for Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities in Japan: Toward Inclusion", 障害学国際セミナー2025, 於:京都(日本)
◇障害学国際セミナー2025 ◇障害学国際セミナー
◇障害学
*作成:中井 良平
◇障害学国際セミナー2025 ◇障害学国際セミナー
◇障害学
TAKEMURA Fumiko 2025年10月25日-26 "High School Education for Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities in Japan: Toward Inclusion"
TAKEMURA Fumiko
Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University
1.Introduction
Since 1992, over 95% of students in Japan have progressed from lower secondary to upper secondary education*. In 2022, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reviewed Japan’s education system and recommended ending segregated education. Following this recommendation, the ministry of Education, began investigating cases of students who were rejected despite available spots in public high schools. These cases included not only students who had insufficient internal evaluations due to prolonged absenteeism or school refusal, but also those with severe physical and intellectual disabilities. This study explores the barriers to high school admission faced by students with severe intellectual disabilities who are unable to achieve scores on entrance exams.2. Research Subjects and Methods
The analysis is based on qualitative data extracted from published testimonies and discussions in Fukushi Rōdō, a journal that provides insights into inclusive education, disability activism, and social integration.3. The 1980s–1990s
After the 1979 mandate requiring attendance at special schools, some children with disabilities continued to attend local elementary and junior high schools. As they approached the end of junior high school , they began expressing their desire to go to high school like their peers. In Tokyo, through measures such as submitting special application forms and efforts to prevent rejections despite available seats, students began to gain admission. Across Japan, students with disabilities repeatedly attempted high school entrance examinations over the course of several years(Kitamura 1993).4. The Early 2000s Period (2000-2006)
During this period of educational reform, schools began implementing their own entrance examinations, and part-time high schools were consolidated. Despite a declining population of high school-aged students, the number of special education high school departments continued to increase nationwide. Even in part-time high schools, students were rejected despite available seats. The reasons for rejection were often cited as "comprehensive judgment" or "based on entrance guidelines." In 2006, revisions to the School Education Act and related legislation marked the beginning of special needs education in Japan.5. From 2006 to the Present
In 2006, Osaka institutionalized programs such as the Independent Support Course for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Inclusive Promotion Classrooms to enable students with intellectual disabilities to study at public high schools. The rejection of applicants with intellectual disabilities—who are unable to achieve test scores—within the designated enrollment capacity remains ongoing.6.Conclusion
More than 40 years after efforts began in the late 1980s, students with severe intellectual disabilities still face major barriers to high school admission—especially outside Tokyo and Osaka. This study has revealed that children with intellectual disabilities continue to be excluded from high school education, which approximately 95% of students in Japan advance to.Within educational settings, the medical model of disability remains deeply entrenched. When children with intellectual disabilities express a desire not to be separated and wish to learn alongside their peers, it is imperative to continuously examine how inclusive practices can be realized and sustained.引用文献・資料
- 「表9-3 性別高等学校・大学への進学率:1950〜2003年」,国立社会保障・人口問題研究所ホームページ,(2025年10月13日取得).
- 北村小夜, 1993, 『障害児の高校進学・ガイド――「うちらも行くんよ!」14都道府県の取り組み』,現代書館.
- 『福祉労働』現代書館.