Japan increases teacher allowances by 10%.

The government will gradually increase public school teachers' adjustment allowances to 10% by 2030, starting in fiscal 2025.

The government announced Tuesday it will raise adjustment allowances for public school teachers from 4% to 10% of base salaries. The increase will be gradual, hitting 5% in fiscal 2025 and reaching 10% by fiscal 2030. This will be the first adjustment since the law was established in 1972, and it’s set to kick off in January 2026. Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato and Education Minister Toshiko Abe discussed this in a meeting where Abe emphasized that “the environment surrounding teachers will change drastically.”

They’re not stopping there. Alongside the allowance hike, plans are in place to reform work styles for teachers, aiming to cut average overtime hours by about 30%. Plus, they’re looking to add 5,827 new public school teachers in fiscal 2025 to ease workloads and ensure that junior high classes don’t exceed 35 students from fiscal 2026 to fiscal 2028. It’s a big step forward for educators!

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