Public school teacher shortage in Japan

[Buntaro]

Public schools in Japan suffering from record teacher shortage

A teacher in her 50s at a ward-run elementary school in Tokyo heard the school's principal utter something surprising at a staff meeting in early April.

"It has been decided that the new educator we expected to come work with us will not actually come work here," the principal said.

The new teacher would not be sent to the school, which meant another homeroom teacher had to be found.

Public schools are facing shortages of teachers across Japan shortly following the beginning of the new academic year in April.

Fewer permanent teachers, coupled with job seekers' tendencies to shy away from becoming educators due to the long working hours, are believed to have resulted in the current deficit.

(cont.)

Public schools in Japan suffering from record teacher shortage | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[Buntaro]

Many public school teachers in Japan work six days a week. I wouldn't want to do that.

 

[Majestic]

It is one of the most tedious and ridiculously over-tasked and underpaid jobs in Japan. The workload is ridiculous. The above-mentioned six day week doesn't nearly cover all the extra-curricular activities and festivals and culture days and prefectural athletic meets and late-night test-correcting, and teacher training sessions, and weekends spent away chaperoning kids during field trips, etc... Plus the general belief that teachers should be full-time guidance counselors for all aspects of a kid's development makes it very difficult to have any kind of anonymity in your life. Plus the almost soul-crushing hierarchies in most school systems...yikes. It doesn't surprise me at all that there is a shortage of teachers.

In the past (as in, before the 90s) it was seen as kind of a cushy job, because the rest of the country was working just as hard, including weekends, but the teachers at least got some time off in Summer and year end, and it was more or less guaranteed lifetime employment with decent retirement benefits. But now its just drudgery unless you have a deep love for it.

 

[Lothor]

It is one of the most tedious and ridiculously over-tasked and underpaid jobs in Japan. The workload is ridiculous. The above-mentioned six day week doesn't nearly cover all the extra-curricular activities and festivals and culture days and prefectural athletic meets and late-night test-correcting, and teacher training sessions, and weekends spent away chaperoning kids during field trips, etc... Plus the general belief that teachers should be full-time guidance counselors for all aspects of a kid's development makes it very difficult to have any kind of anonymity in your life. Plus the almost soul-crushing hierarchies in most school systems...yikes. It doesn't surprise me at all that there is a shortage of teachers.

In the past (as in, before the 90s) it was seen as kind of a cushy job, because the rest of the country was working just as hard, including weekends, but the teachers at least got some time off in Summer and year end, and it was more or less guaranteed lifetime employment with decent retirement benefits. But now its just drudgery unless you have a deep love for it.

A few things that you missed were standing at the gates greeting people, picking up litter in the school grounds, and a feeling of constantly being scrutinised because elementary school teachers are expected to be absolutely perfect role models. I wasn't at all surprised when I read Buntaro's post.

 

[johnnyG]

Not sure about here, but I've read news, like what is in this article, before for the US--oftentimes worse, depending how you might value one thing or another.

More than 800 Houston ISD teachers say they won't be returning to the classroom next year | FOX 26 Houston

Houston Teacher’s United tweeted that 1 in 12 teachers in Houston Independent School District have given notice that they won’t be returning next year.

www.fox26houston.com

The reaction to that, and other comments:

 

[mdchachi]

At least they don't have to worry about getting gunned down.