School boards and administrators demand long working hours from teachers. Teachers accept working long hours. Society wants teachers to work long hours. This resembles a conspiracy of silence. Because these are tightly bound together, teachers work too many hours.
教育委員会や管理職は長時間労働を教職員に要求し、教職員は長時間労働を受け入れ、社会は教職員が長時間労働することを望む。これは沈黙の共謀に似ている。これががっちりと結束して、教員の長時間労働は発生する。
The Japan Federation of Labor Lawyers (JFLL) has issued a statement regarding the need to reconsider the labor regulations, particularly the “Special Measures Law Concerning Salaries, etc. of Educational Staff of Public Elementary and Junior High Schools, etc.” (commonly known as the “Salary Special Law”), which allows for a 4% increase in base salary instead of paying overtime wages, in relation to the issues surrounding the working conditions of teachers.
The issue of excessive overtime among educators has led to problems such as overwork-related deaths, early resignations, a decline in applicants, and a shortage of teachers. This has become a significant societal concern, with apprehensions about the deterioration of the education quality.
Currently, a special subcommittee within the Central Council for Education, an advisory body under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, is actively discussing the salary system and work reform for teachers. They aim to provide a clear direction by the spring of 2024.
On the 18th, the JFLL released a statement emphasizing that this situation is pushing public education to the brink. They are calling for the abolishment or thorough revision of the “Salary Special Law,” which allows public school teachers to receive a 4% increase in base salary in lieu of overtime pay.
The “Salary Special Law” does not consider work performed outside regular hours, except for activities like extracurricular trips, school events, staff meetings, and disaster response, as part of official labor hours. Essential tasks in school education, such as coaching club activities, creating and grading tests, and meeting with parents, are categorized as “voluntary and spontaneous efforts.”
Furthermore, these regulations apply exclusively to public schools and do not extend to national or private institutions.
The statement points out that the structure of the “Salary Special Law” has led to lax management of work hours, resulting in a situation of “unlimited fixed-sum work.” To address this, the statement suggests that providing overtime allowances to teachers would ensure better monitoring of working hours and help curb excessive overtime.
The JFLL clarifies that the objective is not merely salary increment but rather an increased effort towards creating a suitable working environment to avoid the need for extra work allowances.
The statement is set to be submitted to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) soon and will also be distributed to members of the special subcommittee under the Central Council for Education.
The JFLL strongly urges for the establishment of an environment where teachers, who are the most immediate workers in children’s lives, can serve as positive role models for children.
https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&toukei=00400003&tstat=000001016172
The number of teachers leaving the profession due to mental illness reached a record high.
精神的な不調で離職の教員が過去最多になった。
Saitama City will allow people with at least three years of work experience in research, development, or investigation at a company, etc., to take the teacher employment examination without a teaching license. Those who pass the examination will be awarded a special license. In addition, in order to expand the eligibility of teachers in charge of special-needs education to take the examination, the requirements for possession of a special-needs school teacher’s license and work experience will be abolished.
さいたま市は、企業などで研究、開発、調査などに関する勤務経験が3年以上ある人を対象に、教員免許がなくても教員採用試験を受験可能にする。合格者には特別免許状が授与される。また、特別支援教育担当教員の受験資格を拡大するため、特別支援学校教諭免許状の所有や勤務経験の要件を廃止する。
In 2022, the most common causes of suicide among teachers were job fatigue, job failure and depression.
2022年、教員の自殺原因で多いのは、仕事疲れ、仕事の失敗、うつ病の悩みだった。
警察庁 自殺の状況 より（https://www.npa.go.jp/publications/statistics/safetylife/jisatsu.html）
The number of teachers and staff on sick leave and those on sick leave of one month or more with mental illness increased by 15.2% in 2021 compared to 2020. Their share of all teaching staff is 1.19%. In the rest of the industry, the rate is between 0.8% and 1%. This is because the level of commitment and awareness of occupational health and safety for teaching staff is far from the general level.
病気休職者および1か月以上の病気休暇取得者のうち精神疾患の教職員は、2020年度に比べて2021年度には15.2％増加した。全教職員に占める割合は1.19％である。その他の業界は0.8%から1%程度。教職員に対する労働安全衛生への取り組みや意識が、一般水準とはかけ離れた水準であるためだ。
文部科学省の有識者会議は、教員が極端に少ない大規模通信制学校の運営を改善するために、生徒80人あたり教員一人以上の基準を作ることを提言した。
An expert panel of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology recommended that a standard of at least one teacher per 80 students be created to improve the operation of large correspondence schools with extremely low numbers of teachers.
コロナ禍で自殺者数がすごく増えたのは女子だった。上位の理由は、病気・進路・親子関係だった。
The number of suicides among girls increased very much after the new coronavirus epidemic. The top reasons were illness, career paths, and parent-child relationships.
