Jun 20 (NHK) - An OECD survey shows that teachers in Japan are the busiest in the world, mainly due to time spent on extracurricular activities.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development conducts an international study on teachers and school leaders every five years.
Forty eight countries and regions were surveyed last year. About 7,000 elementary and junior high school teachers in Japan took part.
The results show that Japanese junior high school teachers had the most weekly working hours at 56, against an average of 38.3.
Japanese teachers spent around as much time teaching as those of other countries and regions, at 18 hours.
But they spent 7.5 hours, or four times the average, on extracurricular activities. Japanese teachers also spent twice the average time on paperwork.
Kentaro Sugiura of Japan's National Institute for Educational Policy Research says Japanese teachers tend to spend a lot of time on work other than teaching.
He says the range of teachers' responsibilities vary by country, and that some teachers abroad are well assisted by supporting staff.
Sugiura suggests that Japan promote work-style reforms and help teachers gain confidence in their teaching.
