Japan Press Weekly

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2019 June 19 - 25 [LABOR]

OECD survey finds teachers in Japan work longer than those in any other country

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on June 19 published the results of its survey on teachers’ working conditions in member nations. Teachers in Japan work longer than any other country surveyed.

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey found that teachers in junior-high schools in Japan worked 56.0 hours a week, 1.5 times longer than the OECD average of 38.3 hours. Teachers in elementary schools in Japan worked the longest 54.4 hours a week (the average figure is not available).

Compared to teachers in other countries, Japanese teachers spent more time on such activities as paperwork, preparation for class, and meetings with colleagues. In particular, teachers in junior high schools in Japan worked 7.5 hours a week for supervision of students’ after-class club activities, far longer than the OECD average of 1.9 hours.

A 2016 survey by Japan’s Education Ministry shows that the percentage of public-school teachers who did more than 80 hours of overtime a month was 30% in elementary schools and 60% in junior high schools.

All Japan Teachers and Staffs Union (Zenkyo) Secretary General Danbara Takaya commented on the OECD survey results. He said that the survey again highlighted the severity of teachers’ working conditions and consequently the importance of Zenkyo’s campaign for more teachers.

Danbara said that teachers in Japan do not have time to assess students’ needs. He stressed that it is necessary to improve systems in order to enable teachers to better communicate with their students

Past related articles:
> JCP announces policy to increase school teachers by 90K within 10 years [November 10, 2018]
> Teachers exhausted from excessive workloads and long working hours [June 28, 2017]