Record Low Teacher Appointment Competition Rate for 4 Consecutive Years
Government and Local Authorities Struggle to Devise Measures
In Japan, the competition rate for public school teacher employment exams dropped to as low as 1.3 to 1 in some regions last year. The preference for teaching as a profession has significantly declined to the point where almost everyone who takes the employment exam passes. Despite various measures, the situation has not improved, with factors such as demanding parents and frequent overtime cited as causes, causing the Japanese government to repeatedly deliberate on the issue.
On the 26th, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that the competition rate for public elementary school teacher recruitment exams in Akita Prefecture and Oita Prefecture in 2022 fell to 1.3 to 1. The national competition rate was 2.3 to 1, marking the lowest level for four consecutive years. Moreover, 20 local governments, including Chiba Prefecture and Chiba City, which conducted joint exams, had competition rates below 2 to 1, accounting for 29% of the total.
The competition rate for junior high school teacher employment dropped from 4.7 to 1 in 2021 to 4.3 to 1, and for high school teachers, it fell from 5.3 to 1 to 4.9 to 1 during the same period.
Nikkei analyzed that this teacher avoidance phenomenon is due to poor working conditions. According to a survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) last year, 60-70% of teachers responded that they work more than 45 hours of overtime per month. Nikkei pointed out, "This proves that the reforms in teachers' working styles being implemented by MEXT and local governments have not yet shown sufficient effects."
Additionally, the problem of "monster parents," referring to abusive or demanding parents, is worsening. According to the Mainichi Shimbun, monster parents have made various requests, ranging from "My child catches colds easily, so please ensure they do not have to sleep by the window or on the floor during school trips" to "The new homeroom teacher does not get along well with my child; please change the homeroom teacher."
In fact, due to these influences, the number of public school teachers taking leave for mental health reasons is rapidly increasing. According to the "Public School Staff Personnel Administration Status Survey" released by MEXT last year, 5,897 teachers took leave due to mental illness in 2021, the highest number ever recorded since the survey began.
For now, MEXT and local governments recognize the urgent need to secure talent and are focusing on preparing various measures. First, the timing of next year's teacher employment exams will be moved forward from July to June. The strategy is to secure the number of applicants by aligning with the general corporate recruitment season starting in June.
Some local governments have started conducting certain screening processes while candidates are still enrolled in university. For example, Ibaraki Prefecture conducted the "Teacher Training Specialized" subject exam for elementary school teacher employment on the 17th for third-year university students. Those who pass the benchmark can be exempted from this subject in next year's employment exam. A representative from the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education told Nikkei, "The purpose is to increase opportunities and secure as many applicants as possible."
Furthermore, a policy to promote reemployment of general workers as teachers is scheduled to be implemented from next year. MEXT plans to collaborate with companies and universities to promote the appeal and fulfillment of being a teacher and recruit teachers from various fields such as retirees and athletes. Temporary licenses and special licenses will also be issued to allow individuals to teach without a license. MEXT has allocated funds for pre-training costs for workers interested in teaching in this year's supplementary budget, and from next year, local boards of education will conduct these training sessions.
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