Osaka Education University (OEU) in Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture, has commenced discussions on the potential restructuring of its affiliated junior and senior high schools. The university is considering consolidating its schools located in the Tennoji and Hirano wards of Osaka City to create a new integrated junior and senior high school by the 2026 academic year. This initiative comes as a response to the declining number of applicants, a trend that has been noted particularly in its high school programs. OEU stated that the restructuring will take into account the implications of the declining birthrate and changes in application trends. Recent statistics reveal that OEU's affiliated junior and senior high schools have experienced a reduction in applicants in recent years. Notably, the high school at the Hirano campus faced under-enrollment for the current academic year's entrance exams, highlighting significant disparities across their schools. In March of last year, OEU announced plans to reduce the enrollment capacities for both junior and senior high schools starting from the 2026 academic year: junior high from 144 to 108 and senior high from 160 to 120 by the 2029 academic year. The decrease in applicants can be attributed not only to the decline in birth rates but also to the impact of the Osaka Prefectural government's initiative to provide free high school tuition, which is being gradually implemented starting from the 2024 academic year. By 2026, all first to third-year high school students will benefit from this initiative. Additionally, a survey by the Osaka Prefectural Association of Public Secondary School Principals indicated that the proportion of students choosing private schools as their first preference has increased significantly, indicating a stronger shift towards private institutions, which could further affect OEU’s enrollment numbers in the coming years.