Survey Results Released: How Students from Special Support Classes Are Treated in Regular Classrooms

One of the most challenging and variable topics in school settings is how to position students enrolled in special support classes as members of regular classrooms during their interactions.

This treatment is shaped not only by institutional frameworks but also by on-site practices and considerations, leading to various differences among schools and municipalities—such as whether these students are listed on rosters (included or not, and if included, their order), and whether desks or lockers are provided for them in regular classrooms.

We conducted a survey to understand the actual practices regarding the treatment of students from special support classes in regular classrooms among educators nationwide.

Survey Overview

■ Target: School staff working at general schools (一条校) nationwide that serve children from elementary to high school age

■ Period: January 16, 2026 (Fri) to March 23, 2026 (Mon)

■ Method: Online survey (survey questions available here)

■ Responses: 59

Survey Results

Q1. In your school, are students enrolled in special support classes listed on the following rosters of regular classes?

Attendance Roster

Overall, 51% responded "not listed," 10% "listed (at the end of the roster)," and 39% "listed (same as other students)."

By school type, elementary schools showed a majority (62%) responding "not listed," whereas junior high schools showed a majority (52%) responding "listed (same as other students)," indicating differences between school levels.

Furthermore, "not listed" was the majority response only for the attendance roster among the three types of rosters.

Health Observation Roster

25% responded "not listed," 14% "listed (at the end)," and 61% "listed (same as other students)."

Both elementary and junior high schools showed over 60% listing students the same as others, with less variation than in attendance rosters.

Class Roster

68% responded "listed (same as other students)," 17% "listed (at the end)," and 15% "not listed," making this the highest inclusion rate among the three roster types.

Similar to the health observation roster, both elementary and junior high schools showed over 70% listing students the same as others, with minimal differences.

Q2. In your school, are there desks or lockers in regular classrooms for students enrolled in special support classes?

Regarding desks, over 90% of schools reported having desks for special support students in regular classrooms. In contrast, about 80% of schools reported having lockers, indicating fewer schools provide lockers than desks.

Although the number of responses is limited, this result implies that one in 14 schools lacks desks, and one in five schools lacks lockers for special support students in regular classrooms. Locker availability may also be affected by school infrastructure.

Q3. Please share your opinion on the roster and equipment treatment of students from special support classes.

Debate on Differential Treatment

Should Be Treated the Same

In elementary schools in my municipality, students spend more time in regular classes than in support classes, so it seems illogical not to treat them the same as other students. [Elementary School, Teacher]

It is only natural that students from support classes are included in regular class rosters and equipment. Not including them amounts not to distinction but to discrimination. [Elementary School, Teacher]

Differences Are Unavoidable in Practice

Since participation in regular classes varies by subject for special support students, and grades and student records are managed separately, it is more practical for administrative purposes to list them at the end of rosters. [Elementary School, Teacher]

Students from support classes are officially registered in support classes, so their names are listed at the end. If they were placed in the middle, the roll numbers of regular class students would change. For official record management, having multiple roll numbers for one student increases risk, so they are currently listed at the end. [Elementary School, Teacher]

Since official records such as student records and attendance rosters require separate documentation and storage for regular and support classes, it is unavoidable that support class students are listed at the end of regular class rosters. [Elementary School, Teacher]

Others

Since the special support class is the home class, it is not particularly problematic if students are not listed on regular class rosters or attendance sheets. [Elementary School, Teacher]

Only desks are absolutely necessary in regular classrooms. Other arrangements can be handled individually based on actual conditions. [Elementary School, Teacher]

Gaps in Awareness and Systems

Variation Within Schools

While rosters, shoe lockers, and bag racks treat support class students the same, some homeroom teachers refuse to treat them as their own class members. While systems are important, I hope all staff understand the principles of inclusive education. [Elementary School, Teacher]

There are differences in how teachers respond, so we handle it on a case-by-case basis. [Elementary School, Teacher]

At my current school, practices vary slightly by grade level, which is confusing. I hope for more unified approaches. [Junior High School, Teacher]

Gap Between On-Site Practice and Institutional Systems

In the area where I previously worked, the support class was the base, and students only came to regular classes when possible. Rosters were not integrated. In my current area, regular classes are the base, and students say "I'm off" when going to support classes. It's unusual to leave backpacks in support classes. However, since the prefecture considers the former model standard, we have to arrange support classes as if following it during audits. I personally believe the latter model better reflects inclusive education. [Elementary School, Teacher]

We list support class students in all regular class rosters and materials, which feels more natural and promotes interaction. However, the city's adopted system for grade processing and student record management treats support class students separately by default, making it very difficult to use. [Junior High School, Teacher]

Handwritten attendance sheets (health observation forms) include them, but electronic attendance systems only display students officially enrolled in the class. [Elementary School, Teacher]

Current Practices and Challenges

Administrative Burden Due to Inconsistent Rosters

The health observation roster includes support class students, but the attendance roster only includes those in interaction classes, leading to frequent errors and time consumption. Since report cards and student records treat support classes separately, homeroom teachers of interaction classes must re-enter data for eight students after receiving it from support class teachers. [Elementary School, Teacher]

The attendance roster and rosters visible to students do not match those not visible to students (for grading), meaning the roll numbers students know differ from official record numbers, causing confusion. [Junior High School, Teacher]

Different Practices by Roster Type or Context

For materials visible to students, we use rosters that include support class students in sequence. For official records like student records, since enrollment is in separate classes, entries are kept separate. [Elementary School, Teacher]

Both regular class and special support students receive support to make school life easier, so separation should only occur in administrative documents. In documents visible to students, mixed listing is preferable.