93% of school personnel report mental, physical exhaustion

According to a survey by the Okinawa Board of Education conducted from Oct. through Dec. 2013, 93% of school personnel said they feel physically and mentally tired.

Overtime and work required during holidays was found to amount to an average of 92 hours per month.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare guidelines, overtime hours totaling 80~100 hours per month could lead to serious consequences and even death. The findings led Board Chairman Takashi Yamamoto to sound alarm bells and stating, “School personnel are just short of falling apart. In addition, this investigation does not include free time hours spent with tasks related to school work, which in reality would still increase the workload. The survey also showed that unpaid overtime is becoming the norm.”

16:32 29 Mar , 2024