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CHAPTER 3 SUFFICIENCY OF TEACHING STAFFAND PROVISION OF SCHOOL FACILITIES
1 Supply of Teaching Staff and Working Condition of Teachers
(l) Class Size and Quota of Teachers
a. Standards for Class Size


The standard number of children in one class at both elementary and lower secondary SCIIOOIS was established at 50 by the 1958 Law Concerning Class-size and the Standard of Fixed Number of Educational Personnel in Public Compulsory Education Schools (hereinafter called the Standard Law), for the purpose of optimizing class size and teacher allocation.

In 1963 by partial amendment to the Standard Law, the standard class size was lowered from 50to 45 to make educational activities more effective.

The Standard Law was again amended in 1969. With this revision, the standards for class size and for the quota of teachers were further improved. The new amendments provide that one-teacher schools in elementary and lower secondary schools and multigrade-classes consisting of pupils of four or five different classes in elementary schools be abolished. Moreover, a diminution of class size is to be made for multigrade-classes consisting of pupils of two or three different classes in elementary schools and those consisting of pupils of two different classes in lower secondary schools. In addition, class size in special classes for slow learners in both schools will be reduced.

In 1969, the average number of pupils in public elementary and lower secondary schools per class was 33 and 37, respectively.

It is hard to compare absolutely the standards of class size among other major countries because of the differences in the character of each country's standards. Taking these differences into proper consideration however, the standards of class size in various major countries are shown in Table 42.

The average number of pupils per class in public elementary schools in the England and Wales, France and the Federal Republic of Germany is 33, 26 and 35respectnvely. For public secondary schools the number is 28, 28 and 30 respectively. Compared with their Japanese counterparts, no significant differences can be found. However, the percentage of big classes (those with more than 41pupils) is higher in Japan than in England and Wales and the Federal Republic of Germany.

Table 42. Standard Class-Size in Various Major Countries

Figure 30. Percent Distribution of number of Classes by Size, 1969-1969


Note: Actual numbers are given in Basic Table 40. Basic Table 40

Table 43. Percent Distribution of Classes by Size in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in Japan, England & Males and Germany (F.R.)


Note: Actualnumbers are given in Basic Table 41 Basic Table 41


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