https://mainichi.jp/articles/20240420/k00/00m/040/026000c

Mainichi Shimbun2024/4/20 08:30 (Last updated 4/21 08:16)1331 characters

A press conference held by Yuji Nishimura (center), a current high school teacher, and others at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology prior to the special subcommittee of the Central Council for Education. April 19, 2024, 3:12 pm in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Nishimoto Photographed by Sahomi

　"If things continue like this, the ship carrying the teachers and children will sink." In order to resolve teacher shortages and long working hours, a special committee of the Central Education Council, an advisory body to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, decided on the 19th to consider expanding the current "teaching adjustment amount" that is paid in place of overtime pay. A draft proposal was presented. In response, current teachers complained at a press conference, ``The problem of being forced to work as much as you want for a fixed amount of money remains unresolved.'' [Sahomi Nishimoto]

　The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's draft proposal presented at the special committee on the same day included raising the adjustment amount for teaching positions from the current 4% of the monthly salary to more than 10%, and there were no major objections from the committee members.

　Before the special subcommittee meeting, the ``Association of Volunteers Thinking About the Future of the Special Payment Act'', an organization made up of current teachers, held a press conference within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

　Yuji Nishimura (45), a teacher at Gifu Prefectural High School who has been working as an active teacher under his real name and face for about five years, said that by the same day he had collected about 83,000 signatures calling for a fundamental review of the special salary law. ``The 4% fixed-pay unlimited work will simply become the 10% fixed-pay unlimited work,'' he said, referring to the fact that overtime pay was not included in the draft plan.

　Mr. Nishimura said, ``The system in which overtime work is considered voluntary volunteer work has caused teachers to suffer and even die (due to overwork, etc.).If you convert it into a monetary amount, it will only increase your take-home pay by 10,000 to 20,000 yen (monthly), which is very difficult. He compared the educational field to a ``ship'' and warned, ``If things continue like this, it will sink.''

　Atsushi Nakahara, a professor at Rikkyo University's College of Business Administration who specializes in human resource development, also complained, saying, ``Raising the adjustment amount to the extent of ``excuse money'' will not stop long working hours.''

At a press conference held at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Yuji Nishimura (center), a current high school teacher, complained, ``Increasing the teaching adjustment amount will not solve the problem of being forced to work as much as you want for a fixed amount.'' (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) Photographed by Sahomi Nishimoto on April 19, 2024 at 2:42 p.m.

　Yusuke Igarashi (40), a head teacher at a public junior high school in Tokyo, who has experienced adjustment problems due to long working hours and divorce in the past, also took to the stage. He complained that the burden has increased due to the introduction of the Tokyo metropolitan government's own head teacher system, saying, ``The normal thing of getting paid for the amount of work you do hasn't happened, so I don't have any hope.''

　Voices were also heard from young people who aspire to become teachers. Tamami Ueno (22), a fourth-year student at Chuo University's Faculty of Law, said that at first, more than 100 students in the faculty were taking classes in the teacher training course, but the number of people who underwent teaching training was reduced to 20, and the number of students who received teaching training was reduced to 20. Only two people said they would take the exam.

　Ms. Ueno said, ``We aim to become teachers not because we want to make money, but because we want to work with each student individually.We have students who have given up on becoming teachers after learning about the reality of long working hours and overtime. I've seen many things. I want your voice to be heard."

　Professor Ryo Uchida (Educational Sociology) of Nagoya University Graduate School conducted an independent survey on the working conditions of public school teachers in 2021 and revealed that over 70% of junior high school teachers were over the ``death from overwork'' line. made a statement.

　Regarding the current state of teachers, he analyzed, ``Due to requests from parents and the educational theory of ``for the children,'' it is difficult to reduce the workload.'' ``The argument that ``public schools are special'' goes without saying, but efforts to reduce operations do not occur because there is not enough money (for personnel expenses).If wages and working hours are linked, it will act as a deterrent to long working hours. "It should be discussed head-on."

　The special session lasted more than two hours. After observing the hearing, Mr. Nishimura ordered, ``I want them to have a greater sense of crisis.If things continue like this, nothing will change.''