The Japanese government has asked schools not to penalize students if they were late or missed classes because they were filing a police report after getting groped on their commute.
The notice was sent to educational boards nationwide as Japanese schools begin a new term this month and more students return to classrooms after disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
18-year-old Masami, a student in greater Tokyo who was groped last year on her way to her high school, welcomes the proposal.
She told her teacher about the attack the next day, but the school nevertheless put a black mark on her attendance record.
Eliminating public groping is one of several goals the government looks to achieve in order to attain gender equality.
In addition to asking schools to not penalize students if they’re tardy or miss classes when reporting groping crimes, the ministry has also requested that make-up classes be held as necessary.
This can allow students to catch up on any missed assignments or lessons, it stated. »
