A government survey has found that more than 8,000 foreign children living in Japan may not receiving compulsory education.

Japan's education ministry has been conducting an annual survey of municipal boards of education about school-age foreign children for the last four years.

The latest survey shows that as of May last year, 136,923 foreign children of elementary or junior high school age were registered as residents.

Of them, 8,183 were not attending school, or their education status could not be confirmed. The figure is down about 1,800 from the previous survey, but it still accounts for six percent of the total.

Some local governments have begun addressing the issue. They produce multi-lingual leaflets about health checks for preschool children.

In some cases, officials who visit daycare centers discover families who need support for their children's education, and connect them with schools.

The ministry says local authorities are getting a clearer picture of the situation facing foreign children, and says they take seriously the fact that many children are not receiving an education.

The ministry also says some foreign residents do not know that children can attend school free of charge. It urges local officials to make sure that the information is provided to non-Japanese residents.