Kobe shifts extracurriculars from municipal junior high schools to private clubs
The city becomes one of the first in the country to do so as local governments aim to reduce teachers' overtime and address the declining population of children.
The city of Kobe is set to transfer all extracurricular activities from municipal junior high schools to private clubs starting next Tuesday, marking one of the first instances in Japan to implement such a change. Local governments nationwide are endeavoring to alleviate the burdens on teachers by reducing their overtime hours and addressing the issue of insufficient student participation in team activities.
Kobe's initiative aligns with the central government's directive to entrust after-school programs to private teams, clubs, and coaches, aiming to lighten the teachers' workload. Under the innovative program dubbed Kobe Katsu, various private entities such as sports teams, universities, and non-profits will register with the city to offer a diverse range of activities, covering sports, arts, and academics.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
