Edtech on Rise in Japan to Ease Teachers’ Burden

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–At a time when overwork of teachers is attracting attention as a serious social problem in Japan, “edtech” services to help them out digitally are gaining traction. The market for edtech, or educational technology, will grow some 1.4-fold from fiscal 2021 to 362.5 billion yen in fiscal 2027, Nomura Research Institute Ltd. estimates. Among edtech service providers, Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture-based Asfeel Inc. offers an app for comprehensive management of extracurricular activities, including communication with member students and their parents and club money collection. It also asks students to post their individual goals by themselves and allows coaches from outside the school to join the digital club operation system. The app can reduce supervising teachers’ paperwork, such as making to-do lists, by an average of 170 minutes per month, Asfeel says. “We hope to improve the productivity of teachers by involving local communities,” a company official said. A Tokyo startup named Microsimulation has developed a digital test grading system using artificial intelligence. The “testus” system provides not only temporary evaluations but longer-term leaning and growth support for students, the company said. According to the education ministry, Japanese junior high schools’ spending on educational activities including commercial services accounted for only over 4 pct of their total expenses in fiscal 2023. “Schools are believed to be sticking to the policy of doing everything on their own,” experts pointed out. In a bid to boost cooperation between schools and companies, the industry ministry began offering subsidies to commercial educational services. It also had teachers and others involved in education try out such services at five locations in July and August. “We want to promote a shift from the school-centered education system,” a ministry official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]