Photo/Illutration Saitama city board of education officials hold a news conference on Jan. 24 to explain their decision to reinstate a Turkish girl at elementary school. (Shigeru Iwahori)

SAITAMA--City education authorities here reinstated a sixth-grade girl who was expelled last September after her family lost their bid for refugee status and her visa was nullified.

The Saitama city board of education held a news conference on Jan. 24 where it admitted its mistake regarding the girl, who traveled on a Turkish passport.

The central government has advised local governments to allow all foreign children to attend free compulsory education if they wish, regardless of their visa status.

After arriving from Turkey in November 2022, the family applied for refugee status, according to a group providing support.

She was given a “designated activities” visa but that automatically expired when the family’s application for refugee status was rejected in July 2024.

The following month, the Saitama city government revoked her residence registration after it was contacted by the Immigration Services Agency.

The city board of education asked the family to submit the girl’s visa application form, but it was never turned in. That led to a decision on Sept. 6 to expel the girl from elementary school even though she wanted to stay.

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Japan has ratified, specifies that children have the right to education regardless of nationality.

In 2012, the education ministry issued a notice to local governments to allow children to enter school as long as they have a confirmed address.

In its information section for foreign nationals living in the municipality, the Saitama city board of education’s website says that the children can attend school as long as they submit a valid passport and address. The girl had submitted that information.

The board of education has also asked foreigners to submit a document which states their intention to continue to live in Japan. Saitama is the only city that requires the formality.

When the city board consulted with the education ministry on Jan. 24 it was told the latter document was not needed.

That led to the reversal of the earlier decision to expel the girl.

Board officials said they would move to expediently allow the girl to return to school as well as help her catch up with her studies.

Saitama city officials said no similar problems about expelling children had arisen in the past.

(This article was written by Tomonori Asada and Satomi Sugihara.)

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