A record 208,380 elementary school and junior high school students throughout the country were absent from school for 30 days or more in fiscal 1996, the Education Ministry said in a survey released August 8.

The number represented an increase of 20,555, or 11 percent, over the previous year, the survey showed. Of those students, the number of elementary school children who were absent due to psychological reasons, including a "dislike for school," rose by 2,919, to 19,488, from the year before. The corresponding number for junior high school students increased by 9,735, to 74,757, according to the ministry.

The survey also showed that the total number of elementary and junior high students hit a record low of 12.3 million, down 296,000 from the previous year, in line with a trend that has continued for the past 10 consecutive years. The number of elementary and junior high school truants has been on a steady rise since the ministry started its surveys in fiscal 1991.

The survey indicated that one in every 416 elementary school children and one in every 60 junior high school students were absent from school last year because of a "dislike for school." Officials said that students' reasons for disliking school are growing more diverse and that they regard the situation as "very serious."

Officials, however, were pleased to report that more females entered four-year universities last year than in any other year.