Record number of principals seek demotion

Thursday 05th November, 05:52 AM JST

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9 Comments

NuckinFutz at 08:23 AM JST - 5th November

The only way to cure this system is to introduce MANDATORY hour limitations AND (unlike most Japanese laws) have severe punitive measures for those who order or coerce teachers and staff into working overtime. I'd love to see a survey of all teachers in Japan to see what percentage would (if offered) take a principal or assistant position, knowing they would give up life as they know it!
sparksy at 10:37 AM JST - 5th November

I worked in junior high schools for 5 years in Japan. No surprise reading this news. Most vice-principals and their assistants (kyomu) work massive hours and have enormous pressures. Principals have to get through these lower positions to make it to the top and are generally burnt out when they get promoted finally anyway, operating more as figureheads than anything else in their final years. On the other hand, check the surveys of teachers leaving the profession. That will be even more disturbing. No school on Saturdays was originally looked on as a blessing to school staff when first introduced 6 or so years ago. But that supoosed 'day off' became the avenue for increased sports club activities, etc. The recession that has been entrenched in Japan since the early 90s has led to families requiring two incomes to survive. With both parents working longer hours, who looks after the kids. The teachers do! Any more and more of them are fed up with being surrogate parents.
alohajapan at 01:12 PM JST - 5th November

Instead of having school club activities they should have community club activities where the parents run the activities. Teachers have an important job to do and baby sitting spoiled brats is not part of that job.
dracpoo2 at 01:14 PM JST - 5th November

A ministry official said it is necessary to introduce a system that will curb burdens on teachers in management positions.

Great I hope this means they dont have to go to school during typhoons and make cumpulsory daily visits to kids with the swine flu. Teachers are no doctors.
Yelnats at 02:23 PM JST - 5th November

Why is everything over kill and guilt ridden here? Seems pretty crazy. They need to learn the word manyana
dolphingirl at 02:45 PM JST - 5th November

sparksy: You're right. I worked in junior high schools here as well. It's no wonder that some principals seek lower positions. I would say that almost all of those health problems are stress-related. But the teachers have tons of pressure and work crazy hours too. Holidays aren't even really holidays because they are have to go into the school for one thing or another. Principals and teachers should not have to work more than a 40-hour work week. People in these professions need time to re-charge physically and mentally so they can be giving 110% to their students everyday.

Fewer clubs and fewer activities on weekends would definitely be a help. Of course extra-curricular activities are good for students but having so many just puts unnecessary pressure on everyone.
chewbakayaro at 03:03 PM JST - 5th November

What pressures? You teach your class. You pretend to know how to coach a sports team. Then you're done. Just give them a full weekend and they should be OK.
PepinGalarga at 11:17 PM JST - 5th November

Samurai old-school culture, clashing with younger demographics. It's easy to see people giving up with the changes in attitudes recently.

Kids are the ones calling the shots nowadays. So many home-schooled kids in Japan now. This country is headed for a big meltdown soon.
Ke11iente at 03:00 AM JST - 6th November

No way could you ever get me to be an administrator in a Japanese school. The level of bs they have to deal with could bury Mt.Fuji.