Editorial

15:17 JST, October 24, 2025

While the working hours of teachers in Japan are being shortened, the situation in which they work the longest hours in the world has not changed.

To advance work style reform at schools, support from local boards of education and communities is essential, such as through the streamlining of teachers’ administrative tasks.

According to the Teaching and Learning International Survey conducted last year by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Japanese elementary and junior high school teachers had the longest working hours among the countries and regions covered by the survey. Elementary school teachers worked an average of 52.1 hours per week, while junior high school teachers worked 55.1 hours per week.

Working hours for both elementary and junior high school teachers decreased by an average of four hours compared to the previous survey in 2018. While it is........

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