OFFICIALS CONSIDER REFORMS
Officials in Japan have acknowledged the need to tackle the issue urgently, by promoting reforms such as outsourcing and digitalising some tasks as well as increasing support staff.
Some schools, like Ms Kurayama’s, are taking the initiative to cut working hours too.
Shimoda Elementary School principal Kazuhiro Nakamura said they have stopped holding classes on Wednesday afternoons, while all classes now end after lunch.
“Teachers can focus on (other) duties in the afternoon. We encourage them to take a break and go home. That way, they can feel motivated to face the remaining days of the week,” he added.
Despite the school’s efforts, Ms Kurayama has found herself bogged down by meetings and unable to leave work earlier.
This has prompted Mr Nakamura to mull other changes, including playing to the teachers’ strengths, so that those who are good at counselling students, for instance, support those who are not.
He noted: “Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. If teachers can help one another, then each teacher can take on the role that suits them best, and the working environment will probably be better.”
SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER
But such adjustments remain rare in Japan, primarily because public schools must first seek and receive approval from their local ward’s education committee.
With changes slow to happen, some teachers are taking matters into their own hands to find a way to soldier on.
Mr Takashi Koshimizu, an educator of 18 years, started an education forum where schoolteachers gather to share their concerns and learn from one another.
Teachers from various schools take turns to host it on their day off, with some joining online.
They take turns giving lectures in an unconventional manner, such as by playing rock, paper and scissors. Many find its creative approach and sharing sessions more useful than the usual teacher training courses.
Ms Kurayama said: “Here, everyone breaks out of their shells. We become the children and we learn a lot.
“The way I speak to the children, the way I have a conversation, I learnt everything here.”
The teachers share similar issues among themselves, especially the burden of having to deal with a laundry list of tasks.
Mr Koshimizu called the current situation “abnormal”, stressing the importance of dividing roles among teachers and preventing people from hitting their limit.
“We are producers, we do the sales, planning, customer service, handle complaints, process them. These are handled by one person,” he added.
ROTATION TAKES A TOLL
Mr Koshimizu was transferred to another school last year, as Tokyo public school teachers are rotated to different schools every six years.
This can take a toll on morale and welfare, as in the case of his mentee, Ms Kumi Sugaya.
The 26-year-old was left floundering without anyone to guide her. Her mental health took a nosedive, but she could not take time off because she was the only homeroom teacher.
She ended up resigning in March after four years of being a public school teacher.
