Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2015 November 4 - 10 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Educational bodies voice opposition to reducing public school teachers

Education-related organizations are raising their voices one after another in protest against the Finance Ministry’s proposal to reduce the numbers of teachers at public schools.

The ministry on October 26 proposed a policy to decrease the number of teaching staff at public elementary and junior high schools across the country by about 37,000 (5%) between 2016 and 2024. They explain that this is a measure responding to the declining birthrate.

On October 28, the Central Council for Education, an advisory organ to the education minister, issued an emergency statement opposing the reduction policy. It is very unusual for a governmental advisory body to issue a statement of this kind.

The national council of PTAs published a written request on October 29, pointing out that the planned cutback in the number of teachers will make it impossible to teach children in small-sized classes and to provide proper support to disabled children. It goes on to criticize the Abe administration for turning a blind eye to various complicated problems confronting public schools.

The Japan Federation of Primary School Principals Association also issued a written demand on November 2, condemning the ministry’s policy as “armchair theory” which was formulated only from a financial viewpoint. “The need now is to improve the country’s educational conditions, including an increase in the number of public school personnel,” it stresses.

Past related article:
> Teachers taking sick leave due to mental fatigue on the rise [January 31, 2015]