EDITORIAL: Teaching the teachers

The government of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has started discussing ways to revamp the teacher-training system, one of the administration's key education policy initiatives. It is trying to determine how to improve the quality of teachers and find the best fit for Japanese schools.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is considering the introduction of a six-year teacher-training program, which would require a mandatory master's degree. Those who aspire to teach at elementary, junior high or senior high schools would have to finish the course. The new program would also include one year of practice teaching.

At the end of the next academic year, the government plans to abolish the license renewal system for teachers, which was introduced this spring under the previous coalition government led by the Liberal Democratic Party.

Teachers today must deal with increasingly complicated problems. This means they need to acquire highly specialized knowledge and skills. We support the idea of increasing the number of teachers with a master's degree who have both specialist knowledge and practical skills. But there are many problems that argue against immediately making completion of a master's course a requirement for obtaining a teacher's license.

First of all, requiring six years of training could result in a drop in the number of people who want to become teachers. There would be no certainty about employment for students who have completed a master's course in the teacher-training program. School fees would be a heavy burden.

Six years of learning theories and methods of education don't necessarily translate into practical teaching skills. Spending one year as a practice teacher would undoubtedly be an ideal way for aspiring teachers to acquire the necessary skills. But that would impose a tremendous burden on schools which accept these teachers in the making.

A more realistic and effective system would provide opportunities to take a postgraduate course for young teachers who have taught at school for several years after obtaining a teacher's license after graduation from university.

Last year, a new postgraduate program was introduced to train teachers who can demonstrate leadership in lesson planning and school management. Learning at 24 teachers' graduate schools across the nation are new university graduates and teachers taking leave from work to take the course. There are still only less than 1,300 students at these schools. Expanding this program would be a good starting point for reforming the teacher-training system. Local boards of education should take care of such issues as employment and treatment of those who have completed the course and the admission of teachers into the graduate schools. The government should also consider offering a scholarship for the program.

At schools, teachers in their 20s are expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to their job, and those in their 30s are expected to show the ability to take action. Teachers in their 40s and 50s are expected to shine when it comes to planning and coordination abilities. The challenges for teachers change as they accumulate experience. Debate on the teacher-training program should also address issues concerning the current systems for hiring and training teachers.

The government should take steps to attract people with diverse professional backgrounds and abilities. It is also important to figure out ways to improve the working conditions for teachers. Many teachers are complaining that they are preoccupied with daily chores. The heavy workload is probably one of the factors behind the decline in teachers' skills.

The license renewal system was created as a means to eliminate unqualified teachers. But measures to tighten discipline among teachers alone won't necessarily result in an improvement in the quality of education.

Reform of the teacher-training system should be designed to motivate bright young people with a passion for teaching to take up the profession. It should also improve the environment for teachers to learn and teach.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 27(IHT/Asahi: October 28,2009)