Why Has the Ratio of Female School Leaders Stagnated and Declined?:

<p>The ratio of female school leaders has stagnated and declined since the mid-2000s, although it had shown a rapid rise mainly in elementary schools in the 1990s.<br><br>This study empiricaly examines the changes in female teachersʼ consciousness, experiences, and choices regarding promotion to school leader under “Educational Reform,” in order to understand the factors behind the stagnation and decline in the ratio of female school leaders.<br><br>By analying the life history interviews of female elementary school teachers in Oita Prefecture, the following findings were obtained.<br><br>①　Extra work for teachers under “Educational Reform” has caused more difficulties for female teachers who have heavier housework burdens than male teachers. They were worried about having little time to prepare for the promotion exams and balancing housework after being promoted.<br><br>②　Female teachers perceive school leaders under “Educational Reform” as authoritative managers or evaluators, and have a low degree of sympathy for them. This led to a reduced choice of opting for being promoted to a school leader.<br><br>③　Female teachers felt that their performance would be unsatisfactory in light of the increased responsibility of a school leader under “Educational Reform,” and opted out of being promoted to school leader. They were strongly aware of the strict scrutiny of female school leaders, and believed only highly qualified female teachers can become school leaders. In their experiences female teachers were not recognized unless they showed more than twice the effort and achievements of male teachers.<br><br>It can be concluded that the influence of the “Educational Reform” policy should be added to the factors contributing to the stagnation and declining ratio of female school leaders, which has previously been discussed from the aspects of “balancing with family” and “career path and promotion process.”</p>