A record 299,048 students at elementary and junior high schools across Japan were absent for 30 days or more in the 2022 academic year, marking an increase for the 10th consecutive year, an education ministry survey showed Wednesday.

The figure for the year ended March 2023 represents a 22.1 percent rise from the previous school year, marking a jump of over 20 percent for two straight years, according to the survey.

The top reason schools gave for students refusing to attend was "a sense of lethargy or anxiety," accounting for 51.8 percent of answers.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said that public perceptions toward school are changing and more people now feel going to school every day is no longer necessary.

The ministry said the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many to live a more socially isolated lifestyle, has had a significant impact on students' daily school life and behavior.

The number of absent students stood at 105,112 at elementary schools, 193,936 at junior high schools and 60,575 at high schools.

Meanwhile, the survey found cases of bullying at schools, including in high schools, rose 10.8 percent to 681,948, with 923 cases recognized as "serious situations" involving physical and mental damage, up 217, both record highs.

There were 551,944 cases of bullying at elementary schools, 111,404 at junior high schools, 15,568 at high schools and 3,032 cases at special needs education schools. They occurred at a total of 29,842 schools, or 82.1 percent of all schools.

The number of suicides among elementary, junior high and high school students totaled 411, the second highest on record.