Jan 31 (Japan Times) - State-run schools in Japan were short of 2,558 teachers at the start of the current school year in April 2021, a survey by the education ministry showed Monday.
There was still a shortage of 2,065 teachers as of May 1. As a result, vice principals and other administrative school staff had to substitute as homeroom teachers at some elementary schools, while some junior and senior high schools could not give necessary lessons.
The ministry conducted such a survey for the first time, counting the number of teachers that schools are short of compared with the number of teachers that local governments planned to assign to schools.
At the start of the school year, elementary schools were short of 1,218 teachers, junior high schools 868 teachers, and senior high schools 217 teachers.
Such shortages were confirmed at 4.9% of elementary schools, 7.0% of junior high schools and 4.8% of senior high schools.
Source: 日テレNEWS