Government to seek students’ opinions for sexual abuse prevention

The Children and Families Agency will hold an in-person session next month to hear the opinions of junior high and high school students on a planned system for checking whether teachers have sexual crime records.

Over the so-called Japanese version of Britain’s Disclosure and Barring Service, the government set up a panel of experts in April to discuss its details, and plans to draw up related ordinances and guidelines later this year and implement them on Dec. 25, 2026.

Around 12 students will be selected by lottery from volunteers to participate in the upcoming hearing session at the agency.

Their opinions will be used to develop manuals and training materials for school teachers and others.

The agency will also seek their ideas about the design of a mark for certified private operators, such as private tutoring schools and sports clubs, under the new system. The design is expected to be finalized within this year or later.