Japan Press Weekly

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2021 October 27 - November 2 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Japan ranks lowest in female teacher percentage among OECD nations

Japan is at the lowest level internationally in terms of women’s share in tertiary teaching staff. This was shown in the latest OECD survey results.

According to the OECD 2019 data, in Japan, the ratio of women to the total teaching staff at tertiary institutions stood at 28%, far below the OECD average of 44% and the lowest among 34 nations surveyed. The second lowest rate was 35% marked by Switzerland, Luxemburg, and South Korea.

The Japan Association of National Universities recently published the results of its survey regarding gender equality in which women made up 17.7% of all teaching staff at national universities. The percentage of women who teach science and engineering and those who assume executive positions such as president stood at 10.8% and 9.4%, respectively.

A key to increasing the number of female teachers in science and engineering is to raise the enrollment of women students in these faculties. However, the OECD data shows that Japan has the lowest share of women in tertiary enrollment among the 34 nations. The percentage of women who enrolled in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics majors in Japanese universities was at 27 % (the OECD average 52%) and that of those who enrolled in engineering, manufacturing, and construction was at 16% (the OECD average 26%).

Furthermore, according to the 2018 OECD data, in Japan, the share of women principals at junior high schools was only 7%, far behind the OECD average of 47.3%. One of major factors for this figure is difficulties associated with balancing work life and family responsibilities. This was indicated in data that the National Women's Education Center, an independent external body of the Education Ministry, released in 2018.