A record high 953 teachers at public schools left jobs for mental health reasons in the 2021 academic year, up 171 from the previous survey in 2018, a recent poll by the education ministry showed.
Ministry officials say long working hours is one of the factors behind the rise in the number of teachers quitting jobs at public elementary schools, junior high schools and senior high schools.
The officials said they need to "tackle the mental health of teachers as an urgent issue."