A RECORD 1,319 public school teachers in Japan resigned in the 2024 fiscal year due to mental health issues, according to preliminary findings from an Education Ministry survey.
The figure has continued to rise since mental health was included as a reason for leaving the profession in the survey in the 2009 fiscal year. The latest figure represents a 39% increase compared with the previous survey conducted in the 2021 fiscal year.
The Education Ministry said the rise reflected growing pressure on teachers as schools deal with increasing numbers of students requiring special educational support and Japanese-language assistance, while continuing to face a shortage of educators.
AFP reported on Friday that the survey, conducted every three years, showed that the increase in teachers leaving due to mental health reasons was the highest recorded since the survey began.
In the 2024 fiscal year, a total of 15,540 teachers resigned for reasons unrelated to retirement.
Changing jobs, including transfers to education boards, was the most common reason, accounting for 5,080 departures — an increase of 26% from the previous survey.
Family-related reasons accounted for 3,569 departures, rising 23%.
Mental health concerns were cited by 801 elementary school teachers, 365 junior high school teachers and 153 high school teachers as the reason for leaving their positions.
The ministry said the growing number of students requiring additional educational support had contributed to increased workloads for teachers.
Public elementary, junior high and high schools, as well as public special needs schools across Japan, faced a shortage of 4,317 teachers as of April 2025, with 8.8% of teaching positions remaining unfilled.
The continuing shortage has further increased the workload carried by existing teachers, officials said.
"Mental health is an issue that must be urgently addressed," a senior official from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said.
The ministry plans to strengthen early detection systems for mental health problems through stress assessments and other measures, while expanding access to counselling services for teachers.
Officials said efforts would focus on creating a healthier working environment for educators as schools face increasingly complex responsibilities. - July 24, 2026
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