Earlier this month, four teachers at an elementary school in Kobe were accused of repeatedly bullying four other teachers, as well as mistreating students. The alleged bullies have been suspended and at least one of the victims has taken sick leave because of the persecution. As a result, the school is short five full-time teachers at a time when public schools nationwide are suffering staff shortages.

The Asahi Shimbun has been publishing a series focusing on the teacher shortage. A Sept. 1 article outlined the history of public education in Japan, which started in 1871 when the Education Ministry was established. Until World War II, teachers were trained at dedicated teaching colleges and accredited by the central government. The postwar government endeavored to put local governments in charge of teachers. Universities launched education departments to cultivate school teachers and a new teaching credential system started in 1949. There was no blanket national test for teachers, who instead accumulated university credits and were then licensed at a local level.

But as Japanese growth increased after the war, young university graduates flocked to the private sector and it was difficult to assure a sufficient number of teachers nationwide, so the government passed laws guaranteeing competitive salaries and benefits. They also banned overtime pay for teachers. Instead, teachers automatically receive an "adjustment" equal to 4 percent of their basic pay that is meant to cover any extra work they do. And, starting in 2009, teachers have been required to renew their credentials every 10 years by attending lectures on new teaching techniques. The teachers themselves have to pay for these lectures.