Japan plans to add 20,000 school teachers

Updated on: Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Japanese education ministry plans to boost the number of teachers at public elementary and junior high schools by 20,000 on a net basis over eight years from next April, ministry sources have said.

According to the plan, the number of students in each class at elementary and middle schools is to be gradually reduced to 35 over the first six years. The class size for first and second graders at elementary schools is to be cut to 30 during the remaining two years.

The proposal may meet with resistance from the Finance Ministry amid the nation's acute fiscal situation, however, as it will likely cost several tens of billions of yen in
taxpayer money to implement.

The class size reduction will be the first since fiscal 1980, when the maximum size was slashed to 40 from 45.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology aims to allocate necessary costs in its budget request for the next fiscal year, while amending the relevant law during the regular Diet session next year, the sources said yesterday.

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan pledged to promote class-size-reduction in its manifesto for the House of Councillors election this summer.

Japan plans to add 20,000 school teachers

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