Teachers' Status and Duties of Service

Who counts as an "educational public servant" under the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法)?

1. A teacher at a private junior high school
2. A supervisory education officer (指導主事) at a city board of education
3. An administrative staff member at a public elementary school
4. A teacher at an elementary school attached to a national university corporation

For prefecture-funded staff (県費負担教職員) at municipal elementary and junior high schools, which pairing is correct?

1. The municipal board of education appoints them, and the prefectural board of education supervises their service
2. The municipal board of education both appoints them and supervises their service
3. The prefectural board of education both appoints them and supervises their service
4. The prefectural board of education appoints them, and the municipal board of education supervises their service

Under Article 37 of the School Education Act (学校教育法), which set of posts must, as a rule, be placed in an elementary school (also applied to junior high schools by Article 49)?

1. Principal, vice-principal (教頭), teachers, nurse teachers, administrative staff
2. Principal, deputy principal (副校長), teachers, nutrition teachers, administrative staff
3. Principal, vice-principal (教頭), senior teachers (主幹教諭), advanced skill teachers (指導教諭), teachers
4. Principal, deputy principal (副校長), lead teachers (主務教諭), teachers, nurse teachers

Which matches the School Education Act (学校教育法) description of the duties of a "lead teacher" (主務教諭), a post schools may place from April 2026?

1. Assists the principal, organizes part of the school affairs as instructed, and takes charge of educating children
2. Takes charge of educating children and gives guidance and advice to other teachers to improve their teaching
3. Takes charge of educating children and, as instructed, coordinates educational activities among teachers and other staff
4. Takes charge of school affairs and supervises the staff of the school

Which statement about hiring public school teachers matches the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法)?

1. Hiring is by selection (選考), conducted by the superintendent of the board of education that is the appointing authority
2. Hiring is by competitive examination, conducted by the personnel commission
3. Hiring is by selection (選考), conducted by the principal of the school that will employ the teacher
4. Hiring is by competitive examination, conducted by the superintendent of the board of education

As a rule, how long is the probationary appointment period for teachers at public elementary and junior high schools?

1. 6 months
2. 3 months
3. 2 years
4. 1 year

Which statement about the regular teaching license for junior high school teachers is correct?

1. Like the elementary school license, it covers all subjects
2. It is granted for each subject, such as Japanese or mathematics
3. It has only two grades, advanced and first class, with no second class
4. It is valid only in the prefecture that granted it

Under Article 9 of the Education Personnel Certification Act (教育職員免許法) (as of October 2026), which describes the validity of teaching licenses correctly?

1. A regular license is valid only in the granting prefecture and must be renewed every 10 years
2. A special license is valid in all prefectures; a temporary license has no time limit
3. A regular license is valid in all prefectures; a temporary license is valid for 3 years in the granting prefecture
4. A regular license is valid in all prefectures but expires unless renewal courses are taken every 10 years

Someone holds a junior high school science license. Which is correct about teaching science at an elementary school?

1. They can become a teacher in charge of subjects corresponding to their license subject
2. Without an elementary school license, they cannot take charge of any subject
3. They can serve as a homeroom teacher and teach all subjects
4. They can teach science, but not as a senior teacher or as an instructor

Which matches Article 30 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法) (the basic standard of service)?

1. Work for the interest of one's organization, and obey superiors' orders with full effort
2. Work for local interests as representatives of residents, and approach duties sincerely
3. Work for the public interest as servants of the whole community, and devote full effort to duties
4. Work for the national interest as servants of the whole nation, and faithfully obey laws

Which is correct about Article 32 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法)?

1. In performing duties, employees must follow laws, ordinances and rules, and faithfully obey superiors' official orders
2. Employees must faithfully obey superiors' orders even about private conduct outside working hours
3. Superiors' orders take priority over laws, so orders that differ from laws must also be obeyed
4. The duty to obey superiors' orders begins only after the probationary period ends

Which is correct about Article 33 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法) (prohibition of conduct that damages trust)?

1. It covers only conduct during working hours, not private conduct on days off
2. It covers only acts that lead to a criminal conviction, and nothing else
3. It applies only to managers such as principals, not to ordinary teachers
4. It forbids acts that damage the trust in one's post, and can also cover off-duty conduct

Which is correct about the duty of confidentiality in Article 34 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法)?

1. It applies only while employed; after leaving, leaking is not subject to penalty
2. Employees must not leak secrets learned in their duties, and this continues after they leave the post
3. With the principal's permission, official secrets may be made public freely
4. Official secrets learned outside working hours are not covered by the duty

When an employee, as a witness under law, will reveal matters that are official secrets, which matches Article 34 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法)?

1. Permission from the school principal is required, and the principal may refuse if a reason is given
2. Permission from the personnel commission is required, and it may refuse at its own discretion
3. No permission is needed when testifying; the employee may decide alone
4. Permission from the appointing authority is required, and it cannot refuse except where a law provides otherwise

Which describes Article 35 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法) (duty to devote oneself to duties) correctly?

1. Except where a law or ordinance provides otherwise, all working hours and attention must be used for one's duties
2. Employees must always think only about their duties, even outside working hours
3. If the principal agrees, the duty can be waived freely even without a law or ordinance
4. Even during working hours, using at least half of one's attention on duties is enough

Regarding limits on political activities of public school teachers, which matches Article 18 of the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法)?

1. Article 36 of the Local Public Service Act applies as is, so activities outside the employing area are not limited
2. For the time being, the rules for national public servants apply, including the penalty provisions of the National Public Service Act
3. For the time being, the rules for national public servants apply, but the penalty provisions of the National Public Service Act do not
4. Teachers are not required to be politically neutral, so there are no limits on political activities

Which is correct about the ban on industrial action in Article 37 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法)?

1. Employees may join a strike if it takes place outside working hours
2. Employees must not strike or slow down work, and no one may plan or incite such acts
3. With permission from the appointing authority, employees may slow down work
4. Only employees' own industrial action is banned; others may incite it freely

Regarding public school teachers holding other education-related posts, which matches Article 17 of the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法)?

1. Even education-related posts can never be held with pay
2. Any education-related post may be held freely without anyone's approval
3. Even if it hinders their main duties, they may hold it with pay if the principal agrees
4. If the appointing authority finds it will not hinder their main duties, they may hold it, even with pay

Which correctly describes the difference between status actions (分限) and disciplinary actions (懲戒)?

1. Status actions respond to situations such as being unable to perform duties well; discipline is a sanction for breaches and misconduct
2. Status actions are sanctions for misconduct; discipline responds to being unable to work because of illness
3. Both are sanctions for misconduct and differ only in severity
4. Only probationary staff receive status actions, and only formally appointed staff receive discipline

Which is NOT a ground in Article 28(1) of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法) for demoting or dismissing an employee against their will?

1. Poor work performance in light of evaluations and other facts
2. A physical or mental disability that hinders performing duties
3. Abolished posts or surplus staff due to reorganization or budget cuts
4. Breaching official duties or neglecting duties

Under Article 28(2) of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法), which pair gives the grounds for placing an employee on leave against their will?

1. Poor work performance, and being arrested in a criminal case
2. A physical or mental disability needing long rest, and being indicted in a criminal case
3. A physical or mental disability needing long rest, and having received a disciplinary action
4. Lacking the aptitude needed for the post, and going on to graduate school

Which set correctly lists the disciplinary actions in Article 29 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法)?

1. Admonition (訓告), pay cut (減給), suspension (停職), dismissal (免職)
2. Reprimand (戒告), salary downgrade (降給), leave (休職), dismissal (免職)
3. Reprimand (戒告), pay cut (減給), suspension (停職), dismissal (免職)
4. Strict warning (厳重注意), reprimand (戒告), pay cut (減給), suspension (停職)

Which is a ground for discipline under Article 29(1) of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法)?

1. A physical or mental disability needing long rest
2. Misconduct unworthy of a servant of the whole community
3. Surplus staff arising from reorganization
4. Lacking the aptitude needed for the post

Which is correct about Article 27 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法) (standards for status actions and discipline)?

1. Employees can be disciplined only on grounds set out in the Local Public Service Act
2. Status actions and discipline may be taken at the appointing authority's discretion without regard to fairness
3. If an ordinance says so, employees can be dismissed against their will on grounds not in the Act
4. Each principal can freely add grounds for discipline in the school's internal rules

Which matches Article 29-2 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法) about employees in their probationary period?

1. The disciplinary rules do not apply, so they cannot be disciplined
2. The service rules do not apply, so they have no duty of confidentiality
3. The status-action rules apply more fully, giving them more protection than formal employees
4. Part of the status-action rules, such as Article 28(1)–(3), does not apply to them

Which is correct about Articles 16 and 28(4) of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法)?

1. Someone dismissed as discipline cannot become an employee of any local government until 5 years have passed
2. An employee who becomes disqualified keeps the post unless disciplinary action is taken
3. Someone dismissed as discipline by a local government cannot become its employee until 2 years have passed
4. Someone sentenced to detention (拘禁刑) or heavier is not disqualified if the sentence is suspended

For a public school teacher, in which case does the license lose effect under Article 10 of the Education Personnel Certification Act (教育職員免許法)?

1. When suspended as a disciplinary action
2. When dismissed as a disciplinary action
3. When dismissed as a status action because of a physical or mental disability
4. When dismissed as a status action because of surplus staff

Which matches Article 22(2) of the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法)?

1. Teachers may train away from their workplace on their own judgment, even if classes are affected
2. Teachers may not train away from their workplace unless ordered by the board of education
3. Teachers may train away from their workplace with parents' consent, as long as classes are not affected
4. Teachers may train away from their workplace with the approval of the head of their institution, as long as classes are not affected

Which is correct about induction training under Article 23 of the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法)?

1. It runs for 6 months from appointment, only at the board's training center, with no mentor teacher
2. It runs for 1 year in the third year after hiring, with a university lecturer from outside the school as mentor
3. Practical training runs for 1 year from appointment, with a mentor chosen from the school's staff
4. It runs for 2 years from appointment, only if the teacher wishes, with the principal as mentor

Which is correct about mid-career teacher training under Article 24 of the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法)?

1. Each trainee's ability and aptitude are evaluated, and an individual training plan is drawn up from the results
2. Every teacher with 10 years of service receives identical training
3. It is given to teachers judged to teach inappropriately, to improve their teaching
4. It is a university-run course taken to renew the validity period of a license

Which is correct about the length of improvement training (指導改善研修) under Article 25 of the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法)?

1. It must not exceed 6 months and can never be extended under any circumstances
2. It must not exceed 1 year, but if especially needed it can be extended up to 2 years in total from the start
3. It must not exceed 3 years, but can be extended any number of times if the teacher wishes
4. There is no time limit; it continues for years until improvement is recognized

Which is correct about the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法) as amended in 2022?

1. Each teacher must draw up their own teacher training plan every year and submit it to the principal
2. Each principal sets the standards for the qualities of principals and teachers for their own school
3. The appointing authority must keep a record of training and similar activities for each principal and teacher
4. Training records need to be kept only if the teacher asks for one

Which is correct about graduate study leave under Article 26 of the Act on Special Provisions concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (教育公務員特例法)?

1. To obtain a first-class license, a teacher may enroll in a junior college with the principal's permission, for up to 1 year
2. To obtain an advanced license, a teacher may enroll in graduate school just by notifying, with no time limit
3. A teacher still in the probationary period may enroll in graduate school with the appointing authority's permission, for up to 5 years
4. To obtain an advanced license, a teacher may enroll in graduate school with the appointing authority's permission, in units of years up to 3 years

Which is correct about Article 3 of the Act on Special Measures concerning Salaries of Educational Personnel of Public Compulsory Education Schools, etc. (給特法)?

1. Teachers receive the adjustment allowance and also overtime pay based on their overtime hours
2. Teachers (excluding principals, deputy principals, vice-principals, etc.) receive the adjustment allowance, and no overtime or holiday pay
3. Only principals, deputy principals and vice-principals receive the adjustment allowance, not ordinary teachers
4. The adjustment allowance is paid only in months when the teacher applies, based on overtime hours

Which is NOT one of the duties for which teachers may be ordered to work overtime under the cabinet order (the so-called four overtime categories)?

1. Writing class newsletters for parents
2. School events such as school trips
3. Staff meetings
4. Unavoidable work such as in a disaster

After the 2025 amendment of the Act on Special Measures concerning Salaries of Educational Personnel of Public Compulsory Education Schools, etc. (給特法) (Act No. 68 of 2025), which is correct as of October 2026 about the adjustment allowance rate for elementary and junior high school teachers?

1. It was raised all at once to 10% of monthly salary in April 2026
2. It stays at 4% of monthly salary after the amendment, with other allowances added instead
3. It is 5% of monthly salary in 2026, rising 1 point each year to 10% from January 2031
4. It is 6% of monthly salary in 2026, reaching 10% from January 2028