Robots will also ensure the participation of truant pupils in school life and communication with colleagues.

The education board of a district school in Kumamoto, a city in southwestern Japan, has decided to allow some pupils to attend classes via mobile robots.

The machines will ensure the active presence of truant children in classroom and their direct communication with teachers and colleagues, remotely, of course, according to the Japanese newspaper The Mainichi. 

The decision comes as a solution to the growing anxiety and absenteeism phenomenon at local schools. As many as 2,760 students at elementary and junior high classes within the city failed to attend the lectures in the 2022 academic year, the fourth straight year of increases since 1,283 absentees were counted in the 2018 school year, the report quoted local officials as saying.

In early September, the authorities earmarked the equivalent of some 10,550 US dollars as supplementary expenses for the fiscal year 2023 in order to deliver two self-propelling robots around 1 meter in height as early as this November.

The rolling robots feature a wheeled base, attached to a long stem with a tablet. Students will operate the robot's movements from home, interfacing with teachers and other students via video chat. They are equipped with microphones, speakers and cameras to allow for two-way communication, the Kumamoto Municipal Board of Education announced.

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The report does not specify which company manufactures the robots, how long the batteries last, or whether there will be any rental costs. NewsCafe could not obtain a picture of the model.

The results of the initiative will be evaluated next March. The authorities hope that the initiative will encourage children to return to their classes, though some fear the effect will be contrary and more pupils will seek to employ robotic attendants.

By the way, feedback from students shows that they simply love the project.