A draft report on bullying prevention, sparked by multiple incidents of bullying by teachers at a public elementary school, pointed out administrators' assumption that staff members would never do such a thing as the reason for the failure to prevent abuse from continuing.
According to the analysis of the incidents, the Yasu Municipal Board of Education calls for the creation of a system that can collect information, such as from reports and consultations, to change the current leave it up to the homeroom teacher culture.
In May 2022, a second-grade teacher in his 50s disparaged a student who often asked about words' meanings, saying things like, You really don't know your words, and let's ignore that when he spoke.
In August, the school removed the teacher from homeroom duties after learning he had told the boy's mother, Your child has developmental disabilities, and recommended that he undergo diagnosis and take medication.
In another incident at the same school during the winter of 2021, a substitute fourth grade homeroom teacher in his 30s was replaced after he bullied certain students by comparing them to anime characters.
The education board put together the draft report after hearing from five experts, including at least one university professor. The draft, obtained by the Mainichi Shimbun, read, teasing and degrading the students was a violation of their rights and stated the possibility that the problem could arise at other schools.
The report also noted that educational staff who did poorly in managing or leading classes may blame their failures on students by labeling them as disabled. The report recommended that staff take part in the activities of disability support organizations as a means to correct this.
The report pointed out that elementary school classrooms usually have one teacher to manage and conduct all the classes, which can lead to a closed-door atmosphere in which homeroom teachers have a more profound impact on students. The report recommended setting up a system with different teachers by subject in grades 5 and 6 and introducing exchange classes for grades 1 through 4 and introducing exchange classes for grades 1 through 4.
The draft report was presented at the city assembly on January 23. After its contents are discussed with the mayor at a city educational conference on February 1, plans are being made public on the city's website.