Teachers’ sexual misbehaviour in Japan persists despite effort to end problem
- Experts say social media makes it easier for students and teachers to communicate, but that the #MeToo campaign has made it harder for the authorities to dismiss complaints
- Out of the 273 teachers punished for sex-related offences, 97 per cent were male and 153 were fired
The figures were released by the education ministry on Tuesday, with officials expressing regret that measures introduced last year in an effort to significantly reduce the number of sex-related cases involving teachers have failed to have an impact.
According to the study for fiscal 2019, which ended at the end of March this year, 153 teachers were fired for sexual misconduct, with a further 50 being given suspensions. Sixteen were punished with reductions in pay and nine received written warnings. Forty-five teachers received lighter penalties.
Slightly more than 97 per cent of the teachers were male, with most of the incidents involving molestation. There were 49 cases of sexual intercourse with a student and the same number of incidents involving illicit photography, as well as 33 cases of voyeurism.
The report showed that 186 incidents occurred outside school hours, but 20 took place in classes and a further 16 were during breaks at school.
Fully 126 of the cases involved a teacher’s student or a former student who was under the age of 18 at the time.
The ministry’s report did not cover all educational establishments, such as privately operated cram schools, which have also been in the headlines in the last year for incidents involving teachers and children.