Less People Apply to Teacher

Schools in Japan cannot fill their slots for teachers these years. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology found that the ratio of new teacher against demand marked a new record low in FY2025. Although the ministry has been taking measures to increase application for teachers, including improvement of working environment, this tendency has been accelerated every year.

The research was made on education boards of all 47 prefectures and 20 major cities designated by ordinance of national government. Those local governments employ new teachers for FY2025 through the selection in FY2024.

 

According to the research, 37,375 teachers were recruited by elementary schools, mid-schools, high schools and special needs schools for handicapped students. It was the greatest number after FY1986, with increase of 954 from the previous year. The increase from previous fiscal year was seen in 43 education boards out of 65. However, the applications declined to 109,123, reduced by 7,059 from the previous year.

 

Applications for elementary schools in FY2024 were 34,434, dropped by 2,025 from the previous year. Those who applied for mid-schools were 36,621, which was 2.652 less than FY2024, and applications for high school teacher were 19,705, declining by 1,717 from the previous year.

 

With mass retirement of teachers for students who were the children of post-World War II baby boomers, the schools needed a large number of new teachers. But the schools did not reduce their posts for teachers. Therefore, there has been a tendency in which applications against recruitment was declining.

 

In FY2025, applications for elementary schools were 2.0 times higher than quorum, while it had been 2.2 times in the previous fiscal year. It indicated that less people applied to elementary school teacher, causing deterioration of quality of new teachers. It was the same about mid-school teachers with 3.6 times, dropping from 4.0 times, about high school teachers with 3.8 times, dropping from 4.4 times, and in special needs schools with 2.0 times, dropping from 2.2 times.

 

The ministry recommended local education boards to have early examination to secure necessary applicants to maintain quality of teachers. It is preferable for local education boards to have as much applicants as they can. Some education boards had multiple examinations for a year.

 

Nevertheless, the applicants have not increased, defying hard work in schools. The teachers are required prolonged working for not only teaching in classrooms, but having communication with parents or students’ club activities after studying. Although the national government has decided raising salary for the teachers, a large number of successful applicants dismissed taking job as teachers. Making the job of teacher attractive is the biggest requirement imposed on national government.

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