文部科学省に質問送ってみました

小学校、中学校でお世話になった先生達、元気にされているでしょうか。

昨日は、持続可能な開発目標の中から、主要政党がどのような政策や理念を持っているのか質問メールを送ってみました（まだ、どの政党からも回答は届いていません)。

今日は、その延長で、日本の公立中学の教育問題に関して、文部科学省に質問を送ってみました。

以下、質問メールの内容です。

私の娘は来年中学校に上がる歳なのですが、小学校や中学校の先生は、自分の親以外に接する初めての大人で、私自身も子供のころにとても影響されました。

小学校や中学校の先生の仕事って、子供の可能性を伸ばし、やる気を引き出すとても大切な仕事だと心から思いますが、年々教職をとる人が減っていると聞きます。

一つの理由は、質問メールの内容の通り、労働条件に改善の機会があるのではないかと思っています。

私自身、自分が子供のころにお世話になった先生や救ってもらった先生が少なからずいます。もっと多くの若く有能な人材が先生という職業を選び、教育者であることを誇りに思ってくれるようになれば、もっと日本の教育もよくなるのではないでしょうか。

(English)

Yesterday, I sent an email asking what policies and philosophies the major political parties have from the Sustainable Development Goals (I have not yet received a response from any of the parties).

Today, as an extension of that, I sent a question to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) regarding the issue of education in public junior high schools in Japan.

Here is the content of the emailed question

According to a recent OECD survey, Japanese public junior high school teachers work an average of about 60 hours a week, which is much longer than in other countries, but the amount of time spent in class (including preparation) is lower than the average in other countries. The website of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) introduces measures to reduce the working hours of teachers, but have there been any concrete results or improvements? In particular, I would like to know how much non-classroom work (e.g., club activities and clerical work) has been specifically reduced, and how much the number of clerical workers and full-time club activity instructors who support the above work has increased.

My daughter is old enough to go to junior high school next year, and teachers at elementary and junior high schools are the first adults she comes in contact with other than her own parents, and I myself was very much influenced by them as a child.

I truly believe that the job of an elementary or junior high school teacher is a very important job that develops children’s potential and motivates them, but I hear that the number of people taking up teaching positions is decreasing every year. One reason is that, as you mentioned in your email question, I think there is an opportunity for improvement in working conditions.

I myself have more than a few teachers who helped and saved me when I was a child. If more young and talented people would choose the profession of teacher and take pride in being an educator, I believe that education in Japan would be much better.