The International Schools Review Forum

Are schools cutting positions or non-renewing due to enrollment drops? Are teachers bailing out or hunkering down? Will it be easier to break into Japan as an international teacher after Covid? Or will it get <gulp> even harder than it already is?

I'm not really talking SY 2021-22, but more like 2022-23...anyone in Japan now care to comment?

The main problem with Japan is that some of the older schools have teachers who have been at the school for over 20 years. This means in a normal year there are normally more jobs available in Shanghai than the whole of Japan.

I've found that getting a job in Japan is very cyclical and it depends on the year. If you have plenty of international and IB experience with strong references then you might get a job at one of the more known schools. It really depends on if there is a position available that year. For example - there may only be 3/4 English jobs available one year but 12 the following year.

What is not talked about much on this forum are the other quasi international schools which don't use Search or expensive job recruitment agencies. These schools often look for teachers with IB or International experience but you don't get paid much at all....

If you can be in country then that can help. Some schools will have something not work out or someone need to leave mid-year so they sometimes go for a local hire if timing is tight. I’ve seen some less experienced teachers get their foot in the door this way.

Also worth noting that some additional British schools plan to open in Japan in the coming years, such as Harrow and rugby. Could be competition for BST.

Although Japan is extremely appealing, I would not even consider going to a quasi international school or signing a local hire contract.

Most if not all Japan IS are recruiting from within Japan for 21-22. It should go back to normal after Covid but for now, it is closed down for outside-Japan hires.

If your only interested in upper tier ISs its likely to be harder to get in.