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Becoming a public school teacher in Japan is theoretically easier than ever, as the number of applicants has fallen to a historic low and the labor shortage in this field is becoming increasingly severe. 

On Dec. 25, the education ministry announced statistics on the teacher recruitment exam for public schools held in fiscal 2024.

The exam marked a record low competition rate of 2.9 times, down from 3.2 the previous year. Competition rates for elementary, junior high and high school teaching positions also fell to all-time lows.

The number of new hires nationwide was 37,375, an increase of 954 from the previous year.

A trend of large-scale hiring has persisted since fiscal 2000 to counter the mass retirement of veteran teachers.

The number of examinees decreased by 7,059 from the previous year to a total of 109,123 in fiscal 2024.

By school type, the competition rate was 2 times for elementary schools, down from 2.2 the previous year. This rate for special needs schools also recorded 2 times, down from 2.2 and marking the lowest rate in the past 30 years.

For junior high schools it was 3.6 times, down from 4 times the previous year, and 3.8 times for high schools, a dip from 4.4 times. 

In terms of examinees, 34,434 tested for public elementary schools, a decrease of 2,025.

Junior high school test takers came to 36,621, a 2,652 decrease, while examinees for high schools totaled 19,705, a 1,717 drop.

The number of examinees significantly decreased among those who had already graduated from university.

Education ministry officials believe this is because, thanks to large-scale hiring, many who were working as temporary teachers while repeatedly taking the exam have since been hired.

To increase the number of applicants, the ministry two years ago introduced a guideline that urged boards of education to move up the exam schedule. Efforts such as offering multiple exam dates are becoming more widespread.

However, there remain strong concerns that people are avoiding the profession because of its harsh working conditions, such as long work hours and potential difficulties when dealing with parents.

A legal amendment was passed in June to raise salaries, and the law now also specifies measures such as increasing the number of teachers, setting targets to reduce overtime work and providing support for handling parents.

“It is important to create a work environment that is both comfortable and rewarding in order to make the teaching profession more attractive,” an education ministry official said.

SECURE ENOUGH TEACHERS

Local boards of education are continuing to experiment with different approaches.

“We want about three times the number of applicants to secure candidates who meet a certain standard. This is exactly what we aimed for,” said a Kochi prefectural government official where the competition rate for elementary schools was the highest at 4.8.

The Kochi prefectural government began holding the exam in Osaka Prefecture in 2016 and moved the schedule forward to June starting in 2017.

Although it secured many examinees, about 70 percent of the 280 candidates who passed the June iteration of the 2024 exam declined offers.

Still, the official accepted the situation, saying, “Dual applications with other prefectures are a given,” and took it in stride.

Regarding this year's exam, about 60 percent of the 260 successful candidates for the prefecture declined the offer, so a second exam date was scheduled. The prefecture also introduced a new exam for third-year students in addition to fourth-year university students.

“We want to secure candidates through various methods so we don’t fall behind other prefectures,” the official from the prefecture said.

In Akita Prefecture, where the competition rate for elementary schools was the lowest at 1.1, the number of applicants has nearly halved over the past decade. Starting with this year’s exam, the prefecture set up a testing site in Tokyo and began first-round selections for third-year university students.