[March 2017]
17 – School Administration – A Year of Local Governments in Japan

In Japan, March is the end of the financial and school years. Graduates have a ceremony upon graduating from their schools and students progressively move up one year higher.

The Japanese school system is six years for elementary (primary) school (Years 1-6), three years for junior high school (Years 7-9), three years for senior high school (Years 10-12) and four years or more for university. Every child who is six as of April 1 must enter elementary school in their district, which starts in April. Elementary and junior high school are compulsory and nearly all students (about 96%) go on to senior high school.

Compulsory school administration is a complex affair. Elementary and junior high schools themselves are founded by each respective municipality. Municipalities must construct school buildings and the necessary facilities with central government grants. Interestingly though, teachers are employed by prefectural governments and some are then sent to municipality’s schools, because many municipalities cannot afford to employ them. Although they are prefectural government employees, a third of their salaries actually come from central government grants (there are over a million public school teachers and they account for 37 per cent of all local government employees in Japan).

From the start of this 2017 financial year, the task of employing school teachers will be entrusted to twenty large cities. This coincides with a transfer of a portion of local residential income tax from prefectures to these cities.

It will make school administration simpler and responsibilities for both infrastructure and teachers will now be merged together in these large cities. It is one of the most significant decentralisation reforms in recent years.

 

 

Katsunori Kamibo

Director

カテゴリー: From the Executive Director

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  •  環境問題への取組を調査するため、7月下旬~8月上旬にかけて滋賀県立彦根工業高等学校の高校生1名および引率者1名がオーストラリアを訪問し、クレアシドニー事務所は、7月29日にはオーストラリアの概要(文化、風習等)についてブリーフィングを実施し、7月31日にはブリスベンの訪問先企業へのアテンド行いました。

    ブリスベンの訪問先においては、カーボンニュートラルの観点から、カギケノリという海藻を用いて畜産動物が排出するメタンガスを減少させる取り組みについての情報を得ることができました。生徒が、将来は自らも環境のための取り組みを実施したいとの思いから、積極的にミーティングに臨んでいる姿が印象的でした。

    当事務所は今回、ブリーフィング及びアテンドのほか、ブリスベンの訪問先企業に対するアポイントメント取得のサポートも行いました。
     クレアシドニー事務所は、今後もオーストラリアでの調査に取り組む日本の自治体の活動を支援していきます。

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.