The Special Truancy Zone is a venue providing alternative education to students outside of the normal school system. This district has a moderate amount of flexibility to modify curricula and attendance requirements in order to implement alternative education concepts and fit local needs. It is intended to function not only as a solution for students with high rates of absenteeism in the normal school system but also as a policy to drive educational reform at the local level. However, the Japanese government has not formulated any subsequent measures to define and regulate special truancy zones, with the result that it has not yet been possible to extend the effectiveness of this zone to the rest of Japan.
The curriculum instituted in the special truancy zone could serve as a valuable reference when considering ways of reducing truancy rates. It helps us realize that multiple learning channels to fit varied student demands are an important part of the solution, and getting students back to school is not the sole answer. The experience and example of the Special Truancy Zone clearly indicate that an effective fusion of educational policy modification and alternative educational practice can deliver significant effects in educational reform.
