1.
schoolchild; school-age child
A child of elementary school age, roughly 6 to 12 years old. Often used in official or institutional contexts rather than casual conversation.
学童保育に申し込む。
To apply for after-school childcare.
学童の通学路を安全にする。
To make the route that schoolchildren take to school safe.
共働きの家庭にとって、学童クラブは大きな助けになっている。
For dual-income households, after-school clubs are a great help.
Refers to children of elementary school age (roughly 6–12). While the literal meaning is simply 'school-age child,' in modern usage 学童 is strongly associated with 学童保育 — the after-school childcare programs that look after children while parents are at work.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 学童保育: after-school childcare (for elementary school children)
- 学童クラブ: after-school club
- 学童疎開: wartime evacuation of schoolchildren (historical)
- 学童の列: line of schoolchildren
USAGE:
In everyday conversation, people usually say 小学生 (elementary school student) rather than 学童. The term 学童 appears primarily in official contexts, policy discussions, and as shorthand for after-school care programs.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 小学生: elementary school student (the everyday term)
- 児童: child (legal/official term, used in laws and regulations)