Record number of Japanese teachers take leave or quit over mental illness
Japanese schools recorded a record number of teacher leave applications for mental illness, with 7,119 teachers taking time off in the 2023-2024 period. This marks the third consecutive year of rising mental health-related absences, prompting government action to improve working conditions.
- Asia
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 09:49 | 02 January 2025
- Modified Date: 09:51 | 02 January 2025
Japanese schools logged record number of leave applications by teachers over mental illness, government data showed Thursday.
As many as 7,119 teachers took off between April 2023 and March last year which is record high for the third straight year, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.
The figure accounts for 0.77% of all teachers at elementary, junior high and high schools as well as special needs schools or one in every 130 teachers, according to the country's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
This period also saw record 788 teachers quitting within a year due to mental illness.
The data also showed that the country of around 125 million logged record 320 cases among teachers facing disciplinary action over sexual crimes.
The government is mulling measures to improve conditions for teachers by increasing staff and reducing workload in the wake of rising mental illness cases.
It is also working to initiate measures to block from services the convicted sex offenders.