The negative effects of a school-dependent society where “schools are responsible for all troubles such as smartphone billing and holiday clothing”
(Photo: Afro)
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- Teachers’ popularity is declining due to overwork. The teacher hiring ratio for public schools in 2022 was 3.4 times, the lowest on record for the second consecutive year.
- The reason behind the lack of qualified teachers is the perception of parents and local communities, which can be called a “school-dependent society,” that “schools should take full responsibility for children’s growth.”
- There are also concerns that the quality of human resources is deteriorating due to a shortage of teachers. Part 2 of an interview with Professor Ryo Uchida of Nagoya University Graduate School, who is knowledgeable about how teachers work.
(Daiki Yuasa: Freelance journalist)
What is the essence of teacher shortage?
──In the previous article, Mr. Uchida explained that it is urgently necessary to break away from a “school-dependent society.” The labor shortage is serious.
Ryo Uchida, Professor, Nagoya University Graduate School (titles omitted below): As mentioned earlier, teachers are being cornered by the “fixed-pay all-you-can-work” system that does not lead to higher wages no matter how much overtime they work, and the popularity of teachers who are forced to work long hours is declining.
Ryo Uchida, Professor, Graduate School of Developmental Sciences, Nagoya University
Born in 1976. Specializes in educational sociology. Born in Fukui Prefecture. She researches the safety and security of children and teachers, including sports accidents such as gymnastics and judo under school management, educational issues such as bullying and refusal to attend school, and the burden of extracurricular activity advisors. In her book “the disease of education” (Kobunsha Shinsho) and others.
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In the first place, the reason for the shortage of teachers is the result of intentionally reducing the number of regular teachers hired. As the number of children is decreasing, local governments have reduced the number of regular employees who are subject to dismissal regulations. The reduced number of regular employees will be filled by “non-regular hires,” that is, part-time instructors and reappointed short-time employees.
The essence of the current shortage of teachers is that the number of “non-regular employees” who are the adjustment valve for employment is decreasing. They were convenient for local governments because their salaries were lower than those of regular employees, and their employment could be adjusted. Depending on local government policies, the proportion of non-regular teachers in elementary and junior high schools nationwide is 10-20%. In the past, people who failed the regular recruitment exams worked as part-time instructors, but now the number of people taking the regular recruitment exams is decreasing. In a situation where the majority of test takers pass, the number of registered non-regular instructors will inevitably decline, leading to a worsening of the labor shortage.
──In the past, school teachers were considered “clerics” and were respected.
Uchida:It’s hard to say, but let’s tell the media the reality. In recent years, people in charge of municipal boards of education across the country that accept newly graduated regular teachers have confessed to me, “People who should not have been accepted are becoming teachers.”
Recruitment exams are conducted at the prefectural level, but the people in charge of accepting applicants at the municipal level are easy to talk to.
–Does that mean that people who lack enthusiasm become teachers?
2023-12-27 21:00:00
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