~Addressing the growing 'difficulty attending school' in the new school year with new learning options~ 3rd Session Confirmed for 'Working Free School,' a Workplace Experience Program for Truant Students
NPO HELLOlife will hold the 3rd 'Working Free School' in Osaka this June, offering workplace experience programs for truant elementary and junior high students to foster social connection and career development.
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- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 13, 2026 at 16:35
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 20:28 (147h 52m after Collected)
NPO HELLOlife (Nishi-ku, Osaka) will conduct the "Working Free School," a workplace experience program for truant students, at Abeno Q's Mall and Morinomiya Q's Mall BASE for one month starting Tuesday, June 16, with the cooperation of Tokyu Land SC Management (Abeno Q's Mall, Morinomiya Q's Mall BASE) and a grant from The Nippon Foundation.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) states in its guidelines for supporting truant students that "it is important to provide support that expands their career options toward social independence" and that "it is necessary for students to grasp their own career paths proactively and aim for social independence." (*1) Additionally, Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the Basic Act on Education specifies that the purpose of compulsory education is to "cultivate the foundation for living independently in society." Under these circumstances, with approximately 300,000 students reported as truant nationwide in FY2022 (*2), guaranteeing diverse learning and choices connected to the future for all children has become increasingly important.
*1) "On the Ideal Support for Truant Students (Notice)" (2019) / Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
*2) Overview of the Survey Results on Various Issues Surrounding Student Guidance such as Problem Behavior and Truancy of Students in FY2022 / Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Based on this policy, the "Working Free School" is a program aimed at supporting the early stages of career development by helping children from 4th grade elementary to 3rd grade junior high who are truant or tending toward truancy connect with society through the experience of "working," thereby fostering self-efficacy and clarifying interests and concerns. By realistically experiencing "working" on the stage of actual companies and stores, this program serves as a "new learning option" outside of school and an "educational approach contributing to career formation," boosting children's recovery of confidence and reconnection with society and education.
MEXT's Curriculum Guidelines also highlight the significance of workplace experience as "understanding the significance of learning and working, and making them realize the preciousness of living" and "cultivating a desirable view of work and occupation," emphasizing it as an opportunity to learn the mechanisms of the real world.
NPO HELLOlife, the organizer of this project, has a track record of employment support primarily targeting youth. This program is designed and implemented so that students can proactively grasp their future career paths and achieve career development toward occupational independence, utilizing the expertise of career consultants, certified public psychologists, and peer counselors with experience supporting truant students in public elementary and junior high schools. Through engagement with real workplace environments, children experience practical learning opportunities that foster self-efficacy and social skills by interacting with society. This contributes to cultivating the foundation for self-determination and occupational independence, nurturing the ability and confidence to proactively engage with society when the time for career selection arrives in the near future.
Surveys by MEXT and others point out a tendency for consultations regarding truancy to increase during periods of significant changes in living environments, such as after long holidays or at the start of a new term, when children easily feel anxiety or "difficulty going" to school. We kindly ask media professionals to cooperate in covering and publishing articles to deliver the existence of this project to many people as an option during such times.
Overview of "Working Free School"
Content
[1-Month Course: Capacity 25 students per class × 4 classes]
- 3 school sessions of 2 hours each (once a week) + Workplace experience (Scheduled for about 3 hours between 10:00 and 18:00 during the 3rd week at participating tenants in Abeno Q's Mall and Morinomiya Q's Mall BASE)
- A combined course of a career school—where students can simulate the process during work experience and leading up to getting a job, and learn the mechanisms of the real world and the relationship between work and money, including shared and cooperative experiences with peers, understanding industries and occupations, selecting suitable jobs, and preparation for problem-solving—and the actual work experience.
[1-Day Course: Capacity approx. 20 students]
- Workplace experience only. Held concurrently with the workplace experience in the 3rd week of the 1-Month Course.
Target Audience
Students from 4th grade elementary to 3rd grade junior high who are truant or tending toward truancy.
Implementation Period
June - July 2026
[1-Month Course]
- Class W: June 16, 23, July 7 (Tue) 13:00-15:00 + work experience in the 3rd week
- Class O: June 16, 23, July 7 (Tue) 16:00-18:00 + work experience in the 3rd week
- Class R: June 17, 24, July 8 (Wed) 10:15-12:15 + work experience in the 3rd week
- Class K: June 17, 24, ...
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) states in its guidelines for supporting truant students that "it is important to provide support that expands their career options toward social independence" and that "it is necessary for students to grasp their own career paths proactively and aim for social independence." (*1) Additionally, Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the Basic Act on Education specifies that the purpose of compulsory education is to "cultivate the foundation for living independently in society." Under these circumstances, with approximately 300,000 students reported as truant nationwide in FY2022 (*2), guaranteeing diverse learning and choices connected to the future for all children has become increasingly important.
*1) "On the Ideal Support for Truant Students (Notice)" (2019) / Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
*2) Overview of the Survey Results on Various Issues Surrounding Student Guidance such as Problem Behavior and Truancy of Students in FY2022 / Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Based on this policy, the "Working Free School" is a program aimed at supporting the early stages of career development by helping children from 4th grade elementary to 3rd grade junior high who are truant or tending toward truancy connect with society through the experience of "working," thereby fostering self-efficacy and clarifying interests and concerns. By realistically experiencing "working" on the stage of actual companies and stores, this program serves as a "new learning option" outside of school and an "educational approach contributing to career formation," boosting children's recovery of confidence and reconnection with society and education.
MEXT's Curriculum Guidelines also highlight the significance of workplace experience as "understanding the significance of learning and working, and making them realize the preciousness of living" and "cultivating a desirable view of work and occupation," emphasizing it as an opportunity to learn the mechanisms of the real world.
NPO HELLOlife, the organizer of this project, has a track record of employment support primarily targeting youth. This program is designed and implemented so that students can proactively grasp their future career paths and achieve career development toward occupational independence, utilizing the expertise of career consultants, certified public psychologists, and peer counselors with experience supporting truant students in public elementary and junior high schools. Through engagement with real workplace environments, children experience practical learning opportunities that foster self-efficacy and social skills by interacting with society. This contributes to cultivating the foundation for self-determination and occupational independence, nurturing the ability and confidence to proactively engage with society when the time for career selection arrives in the near future.
Surveys by MEXT and others point out a tendency for consultations regarding truancy to increase during periods of significant changes in living environments, such as after long holidays or at the start of a new term, when children easily feel anxiety or "difficulty going" to school. We kindly ask media professionals to cooperate in covering and publishing articles to deliver the existence of this project to many people as an option during such times.
Overview of "Working Free School"
Content
[1-Month Course: Capacity 25 students per class × 4 classes]
- 3 school sessions of 2 hours each (once a week) + Workplace experience (Scheduled for about 3 hours between 10:00 and 18:00 during the 3rd week at participating tenants in Abeno Q's Mall and Morinomiya Q's Mall BASE)
- A combined course of a career school—where students can simulate the process during work experience and leading up to getting a job, and learn the mechanisms of the real world and the relationship between work and money, including shared and cooperative experiences with peers, understanding industries and occupations, selecting suitable jobs, and preparation for problem-solving—and the actual work experience.
[1-Day Course: Capacity approx. 20 students]
- Workplace experience only. Held concurrently with the workplace experience in the 3rd week of the 1-Month Course.
Target Audience
Students from 4th grade elementary to 3rd grade junior high who are truant or tending toward truancy.
Implementation Period
June - July 2026
[1-Month Course]
- Class W: June 16, 23, July 7 (Tue) 13:00-15:00 + work experience in the 3rd week
- Class O: June 16, 23, July 7 (Tue) 16:00-18:00 + work experience in the 3rd week
- Class R: June 17, 24, July 8 (Wed) 10:15-12:15 + work experience in the 3rd week
- Class K: June 17, 24, ...