Difference between 以外で and 以外に


> 文部科学省は、病気などの理由以外 **で** 、１年に３０日以上学校を休んだ子どもが、２０１６年度に１３万４３９８人いたと発表しました。  
>  The Ministry of Education announced that there were 134398 children in the
> 2016 school year who had more than 30 days of absence for reasons other than
> illness.

The meaning is clear (I think) but the で after 以外 is confusing me. I'm
familiar with two uses of 以外:

  1. A以外のB = B other than A
  2. A以外に... = Besides A ...

What is the function of で in this sentence? How would the meaning change if I
replaced で with に?




> 「文部科学省{もんぶかがくしょう}は、病気{びょうき}などの理由以外{りゆういがい} **で**
> 、１年{ねん}に３０日以上学校{にちいじょう}を休{やす}んだ子{こ}どもが、２０１６年度{ねんど}に１３万{まん}４３９８人{にん}いたと発表{はっぴょう}しました。」

In this particular context, only 「理由以外 **で** 」 would be correct and natural-
sounding.

The sentence states what happened for the reasons other than illness. In other
words, 「病気などの理由以外で」 modifies 「学校を休んだ」. It is of a reason-and-result type of
structure.

If it said 「理由以外 **に** 」 instead, the readers would expect that the
**_enumeration and/or explanation_** of the other reasons would follow, which
obviously is not the case here. Interestingly enough, though, you yourself
stated:

>   2. A以外に... = Besides A ...
>

which is correct. One would expect an enumeration to follow that.




> 「文部科学省{もんぶかがくしょう}は、病気{びょうき}などの理由以外{りゆういがい} **で**
> 、１年{ねん}に３０日以上学校{にちいじょう}を休{やす}んだ子{こ}どもが、２０１６年度{ねんど}に１３万{まん}４３９８人{にん}いたと発表{はっぴょう}しました。」

In this particular context, only 「理由以外 **で** 」 would be correct and natural-
sounding.

The sentence states what happened for the reasons other than illness. In other
words, 「病気などの理由以外で」 modifies 「学校を休んだ」. It is of a reason-and-result type of
structure.

If it said 「理由以外 **に** 」 instead, the readers would expect that the
**_enumeration and/or explanation_** of the other reasons would follow, which
obviously is not the case here. Interestingly enough, though, you yourself
stated:

>   2. A以外に... = Besides A ...
>

which is correct. One would expect an enumeration to follow that.

