National Jul 18, 2017
Saitama teacher tells fourth-grader to jump out window after classroom disturbance
Board of education in city of Tokorozawa considers disciplinary action after homeroom teacher admits to comments, apologizes
National / Social Issues Jun 16, 2017
Sexual orientation remains a taboo subject in schools, leaving students in the dark
by Magdalena Osumi
Whenever Shigeyoshi Suzuki, 39, a public elementary school teacher in Tokyo, sees children voicing anti-gay slurs or taunts, he will always put a stop to it and make them aware of the harms of such discrimination. "If your teacher explains (the issues surrounding the rights ...
National Jun 1, 2017
Education reform panel suggests easing load on public teachers
A government panel urges Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to ease the workload on Japan’s teachers and increase community involvement in schools to prevent overwork.
National May 17, 2017
Education ministry to send advisers to school boards in bid to cut teacher overtime
In a bid to help reduce overtime among teachers, the education ministry will launch a program next month to send advisers to local boards of education. Experts in operational efficiency and officials of local governments — who have been trying out their own ways to ...
Commentary / Japan May 2, 2017
Teachers have fewer rights than students
by Walt Gardner
A recent Tokyo High Court decsion unwittingly affirmed that students possess more free speech rights than teachers.
National / Social Issues Apr 28, 2017
Over half of junior high teachers found working risky levels of overtime
An education ministry survey finds that teachers nationwide are being overworked to the point where their health is deemed at risk.
National / Crime & Legal Apr 26, 2017
High court rejects appeal by teachers refused work for not standing and singing national anthem
by Daisuke Kikuchi
A Tokyo court rejected an appeal by former school teachers who claimed it was unreasonable they were banned from working part time after retirement because they did not sing the national anthem.
Business / Tech Apr 16, 2017
Million-dollar teachers: Cashing in by selling their lessons
Miss Kindergarten is in the million-dollar club. So are Lovin Lit, the Moffatt Girls and about a dozen other teacher-entrepreneurs who are spinning reading, math, science and social studies into gold by selling their lesson plans online to fellow teachers around the world. Despite worries ...
National Mar 9, 2017
Teachers claim dismissals were invalid in suit against Shane English School
by Daisuke Kikuchi
Two British language teachers who worked for Shane English School Japan filed suit Thursday against the school's operator Shane Corporation Ltd., claiming that their dismissals were unfair and invalid. Chris Beardshall, 46, and Adam Cleeve, 44, demanded that Shane pay their monthly salaries until the ...
Editorials Feb 25, 2017
Ambitious curriculum guidelines
The education ministry's proposed curriculum guidelines for elementary and junior high schools may be overly ambitious.
Business Feb 20, 2017
All of Japan's big cities plan bigger budgets for fiscal 2017
All 20 major cities across Japan have drafted budgets bigger than last year due to the transfer of revenue from prefectural governments for teacher pay. The revenue shift is part of power decentralization by the central government. Starting with fiscal 2017, which gets underway April ...
National Feb 13, 2017
Aichi teacher draws blame following student suicide over sports accident
A junior high school in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, announced Monday that one of its students killed himself after the teacher in charge of him "responded inappropriately" to injuries he sustained during a sports event. Azai Junior High School initially explained at a Parent Teacher Association ...