Special Needs Education and Inclusive Education

Which combination correctly lists the disability categories that Article 72 of the School Education Act (学校教育法) names as the target of special needs schools?

1. Persons with visual impairments, hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and health impairments (including the physically weak)
2. Persons with visual impairments, hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities, autism, and learning disabilities
3. Persons with intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbances, speech and language impairments, physical disabilities, and health impairments
4. Persons with visual impairments, hearing impairments, physical disabilities, ADHD, and health impairments

Which disability category is expressly listed in the items of Article 81(2) of the School Education Act (学校教育法) as a target of special needs classes?

1. Persons with learning disabilities
2. Persons who are hard of hearing
3. Persons with ADHD
4. Persons with speech and language impairments

Which of the following is NOT listed in the items of Article 140 of the Enforcement Regulations for the School Education Act (学校教育法施行規則) as eligible for resource-room instruction (通級による指導)?

1. Persons with autism
2. Persons with emotional disturbances
3. Persons with intellectual disabilities
4. Persons with learning disabilities

Which statement about the standard number of class hours for resource-room instruction (通級による指導) is correct?

1. 10 to 280 unit hours a year regardless of the type of disability
2. 35 to 140 unit hours a year; at least 70 unit hours a year for learning disabilities and ADHD
3. At least half of the weekly class hours as a guide, with no upper limit
4. 35 to 280 unit hours a year; 10 to 280 unit hours a year for learning disabilities and ADHD

Which statement about students enrolled in special needs classes and resource-room instruction (通級による指導) is correct?

1. Students in special needs classes must receive resource-room instruction if their parents request it
2. Article 140 of the Enforcement Regulations excludes students in special needs classes, so they are not eligible for resource-room instruction
3. Students in special needs classes must receive resource-room instruction for at least half of the week
4. Students in special needs classes may receive resource-room instruction only at another school

A child receives resource-room instruction at an elementary school other than the one in which the child is enrolled. Which statement is correct?

1. Classes taken at the other school can never be counted toward the home school's class hours
2. A child who receives instruction at another school must transfer to that school
3. Classes at the other school are not counted as absences only when the municipal board of education approves
4. The principal may treat the classes taken at the other school as classes of the home school's special curriculum

Under Article 3(2) of the Act on the Standards for Class Formation and Fixed Number of School Personnel of Public Compulsory Education Schools (義務標準法), what is the standard number of students per special needs class in public elementary and lower secondary schools?

1. 8 for both elementary and lower secondary schools
2. 8 for elementary and 6 for lower secondary schools
3. 12 for both elementary and lower secondary schools
4. 6 for elementary and 8 for lower secondary schools

According to the General Provisions of the Elementary and Lower Secondary School Courses of Study (学習指導要領), which statement about the special curriculum of special needs classes is correct?

1. It must be the same as the regular class curriculum, and subject goals and content cannot be replaced
2. Independence activities belong only to special needs schools, so they are not part of special needs classes
3. It incorporates independence activities and may replace subject goals and content with those of a lower grade
4. As an exception, subject goals and content may only be replaced with those of a higher grade

Which statement about the individualized education support plan (個別の教育支援計画) and the individualized teaching plan (個別の指導計画) matches the General Provisions of the Elementary and Lower Secondary School Courses of Study?

1. The individualized education support plan is prepared only at special needs schools, not at elementary or lower secondary schools
2. For every child with a disability in a regular class, the law requires both plans to be prepared
3. For children in special needs classes and children receiving resource-room instruction, both plans are prepared and used
4. The individualized teaching plan is prepared by parents and submitted to the school at the start of the year

Which statement matches the April 2022 MEXT notice "On the Appropriate Operation of Special Needs Classes and Resource-Room Instruction" (特別支援学級及び通級による指導の適切な運用について)?

1. Students in special needs classes should, in principle, be taught in the special needs class for at least half of the weekly class hours as a guide
2. Students in special needs classes should spend at least half of the weekly class hours in regular classes to emphasize exchange
3. Where resource-room instruction is hard to arrange, it is desirable to open a special needs class instead
4. It is desirable not to set aside time for independence activities in special needs classes

Which role does Article 74 of the School Education Act (学校教育法) give to special needs schools?

1. To appoint and assign the homeroom teachers of special needs classes in local schools
2. To make the final decision on school placement for children with disabilities in local schools
3. To prepare the individualized teaching plans of local schools on their behalf
4. To endeavor to give necessary advice or assistance at the request of elementary and lower secondary schools, among others

Under Article 80 of the School Education Act (学校教育法), which body is required to establish special needs schools?

1. Municipalities
2. Prefectures
3. The national government
4. School corporations

Which statement about the content of resource-room instruction (通級による指導) is correct?

1. It is given as remedial lessons to make up for delays in subjects
2. It repeats the same content as the regular class once more in a small group
3. It does not refer to independence activities and follows only subject goals
4. It corresponds to independence activities and should not become mere remedial teaching of subjects

Which statement about Japan and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (障害者の権利に関する条約) is correct?

1. Japan signed and ratified it at the same time in 2006
2. Japan signed it but had not ratified it as of October 2026
3. Japan signed it in September 2007 and ratified it in January 2014
4. Japan ratified it in April 2016 and enforced the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities at the same time

Which description matches "reasonable accommodation" (合理的配慮) in schools as defined in the July 2012 report of the Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the Central Council for Education?

1. A nationally uniform list of accommodations set by the government that schools must carry out as written
2. Changes and adjustments the school founder and school make for what a child individually needs, within limits that impose no undue burden
3. Support that parents of a child with a disability pay for and arrange in place of the school
4. Advance improvements of the environment for an unspecified number of children, such as making facilities barrier-free

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between "basic environmental improvements" (基礎的環境整備) and "reasonable accommodation" (合理的配慮)?

1. Basic environmental improvements are the foundation, and reasonable accommodation is provided individually in light of them
2. Schools need not provide reasonable accommodation until all basic environmental improvements are completed
3. Basic environmental improvements respond to individual requests, while reasonable accommodation is made without waiting for them
4. The two terms mean the same thing and are simply called differently depending on the situation

Which statement about the enforcement and amendment of the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (障害者差別解消法) is correct?

1. It took effect on April 1, 2016; a 2021 amendment made reasonable accommodation by businesses mandatory, effective April 1, 2024
2. It took effect on April 1, 2013, and reasonable accommodation was mandatory for everyone, including businesses, from the start
3. It took effect on April 1, 2016, and from April 1, 2024 reasonable accommodation by government bodies became only an effort obligation
4. It took effect on April 1, 2021, and reasonable accommodation by businesses was still only an effort obligation as of October 2026

Under the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (障害者差別解消法) as of October 2026, which statement about public and private schools is correct?

1. Only public schools are covered; even the ban on unjust discriminatory treatment does not apply to private schools
2. Public schools must provide reasonable accommodation, but private schools still have only an effort obligation
3. Public schools are "government bodies" and private schools are "businesses"; both must provide reasonable accommodation
4. Private schools must provide reasonable accommodation, but public schools still have only an effort obligation

A public lower secondary school student with a learning disability asks for test questions to be read aloud and for extra time in regular exams. Which response fits the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (障害者差別解消法) and MEXT's guidelines?

1. Refuse across the board for fairness, because conditions would differ from other students
2. Do not consider anything at all until a doctor's certificate is submitted
3. Say it will be considered next year because there is no precedent, and refuse this time
4. Hold a constructive dialogue with the student and parents and consider feasible methods

Which of the following is listed in MEXT's guidelines as a factor in judging whether a reasonable accommodation imposes an "undue burden"?

1. Whether other parents in the class agree
2. The degree of cost and burden
3. Whether there is a precedent
4. How many years of experience the teacher in charge has

Since the September 2013 amendment of the Enforcement Order of the School Education Act (学校教育法施行令), how is school placement decided for children with disabilities?

1. A child whose disability meets the degree in Article 22-3 of the Order attends a special needs school in principle
2. Needs and the opinions of parents and experts are weighed comprehensively, and the municipal board of education makes the final decision
3. The child always attends the school the parents choose, and the board of education plays no part in the decision
4. The principal of the expected elementary school decides alone, without hearing the parents

Which statement matches Article 16 of the Basic Act for Persons with Disabilities (障害者基本法)?

1. Ensure, as far as possible, that children can learn together, and actively promote exchange and joint learning
2. Children with disabilities are, in principle, to be educated at special needs schools
3. Exchange and joint learning must not be held without the consent of all parents
4. The content of education is decided by the board of education alone, regardless of the wishes of the child and parents

Under Article 7(1) of the Act on the Standards for Class Formation and Fixed Number of School Personnel of Public Compulsory Education Schools (義務標準法), which pair of numbers is used to calculate teacher allocations in public elementary and lower secondary schools?

1. One teacher per 18 students for disability-related instruction and one per 13 for Japanese-language instruction
2. One teacher per 8 students for both disability-related and Japanese-language instruction
3. One teacher per 13 students for disability-related instruction and one per 18 for Japanese-language instruction
4. One teacher per 35 students for both disability-related and Japanese-language instruction

Which statement about Japanese-language instruction under the "special curriculum" (特別の教育課程) is correct?

1. It is set up only for lower secondary schools and cannot be used in elementary schools
2. The standard is 35 to 280 unit hours a year, the same as resource-room instruction for disabilities
3. It is limited to the Japanese language itself and cannot deal with subject content
4. Article 56-2 of the Enforcement Regulations also applies to lower secondary schools, and the standard is 10 to 280 unit hours a year

Which statement matches the January 2014 MEXT notice on Japanese-language instruction under the "special curriculum" (特別の教育課程)?

1. Only foreign national students are eligible; Japanese nationals are not
2. The instruction must always take place at another school and cannot be given at the home school
3. Returnees and Japanese nationals can also be eligible, and the principal decides eligibility
4. The instruction is to be given only by local volunteers without teaching licenses

Which statement matches the results of MEXT's Survey on the Acceptance of Students Requiring Japanese-Language Instruction (日本語指導が必要な児童生徒の受入状況等に関する調査) for FY2025 (as of May 1, 2025)?

1. The number fell from the previous survey to below 50,000 in total
2. All such students were foreign nationals; there were no Japanese nationals
3. Among foreign nationals, English was the most common language, followed by Spanish
4. 84,759 students, an increase from the previous survey; Chinese was the most common language among foreign nationals

Which statement matches MEXT's guidelines on the school attendance of foreign children (revised August 2026)?

1. Parents have no duty under the School Education Act to send the child to school, but they must be informed that the child can enter a public compulsory education school
2. Parents of foreign children have the same duty under the School Education Act as Japanese parents
3. Foreign children cannot enter public elementary or lower secondary schools and are to attend foreign schools
4. Municipalities must not check the school attendance of foreign children, to protect personal information

Which statement matches what the August 2026 MEXT notice "On Promoting School Enrollment of Foreign Students" (外国人児童生徒等の就学の促進について) says about people past school age?

1. The notice says they are prohibited by law from entering public lower secondary schools
2. They can be accepted at public lower secondary schools, and care should be taken to inform them about night junior high schools
3. The notice says they must always start again from the first grade of elementary school
4. Night junior high schools accept only Japanese nationals, so foreigners are not informed about them

Which statement matches Section 4-2(2) of Chapter 1 (General Provisions) of the Elementary and Lower Secondary School Courses of Study (学習指導要領)?

1. For returnees, schools help them adapt to school life and give guidance that makes use of their experience abroad
2. For returnees, schools avoid their experience abroad and guide them to fit Japanese life quickly
3. Resource-room Japanese instruction is given by the teacher in charge alone, with no call to cooperate with the homeroom teacher
4. It is enough to prepare one teaching plan for the whole class for children who have difficulty acquiring Japanese

Which statement matches what the Student Guidance Manual (生徒指導提要, December 2022) says about foreign students and others?

1. "Foreign students and others" means only foreign nationals and excludes returnees and children of international marriages
2. Language differences resolve themselves over time, so schools need not consider special support
3. Complex difficulties can lead to school refusal and similar problems, and schools should identify needs and connect children to support
4. Interpreting for parents is a family matter, so schools are not to get involved