The requested demotion of 179 public school principals, vice principals and deputies in 2008 was one of the clearest signs yet of the crisis in Japanese public education. The number of administrators stepping down of their own free choice is the highest ever.
These teachers-turned-administrators should not be seen as giving up, but as expressing their frustration with the difficult demands of running public schools.
The reasons for asking to be relieved of duty are both revealing and concealing. Over 53 percent cited health issues, including psychological ones; 25 percent cited problems with job responsibilities; and 22 percent cited family affairs.