Mimasaka University (Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture) will establish a new "special admissions quota for local teachers" for its school recommendation selection (designated schools) from the 2026 entrance exam. Against the backdrop of a worsening teacher shortage in the northern part of Okayama Prefecture, the university aims to steadily train talent aspiring to become teachers in the local area.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Project to Strengthen the Functions of Teacher Training Universities and Faculties by Utilizing Regional Teacher Application Schemes" has only been adopted by national and public universities, and in Okayama Prefecture, Okayama University was selected for the program in 2024. Okayama University has set a goal of collaborative teacher training that combines "rural" and "urban" approaches, and is working on regional educational issues in northern Okayama Prefecture.
In response to these efforts, Mimasaka University, which is not included in this project, will also introduce its own system in collaboration with the Tsuyama Education Office (Okayama Prefectural Board of Education) in light of the issues facing the Mimasaka region.
The newly established "Special Entrance Scheme for Regional Teachers" will be aimed at high school students in the northern part of the prefecture, who will be attending designated schools. In addition to academic performance in high school, the selection criteria require students to participate in a teaching-related seminar held in collaboration with Mimasaka University and related institutions, and to aspire to become elementary school teachers in the northern part of the prefecture after graduation.
After enrollment, in addition to the regular curriculum, students will be trained to become educators rooted in the local community, including special classes that incorporate the traditions and culture of the northern part of the prefecture.
Thirty students took the 2025 teacher recruitment exam for the Department of Child Studies' Elementary School Teacher Training Course, with 30 passing. Many graduates have gone on to find employment at elementary schools in Tsuyama City and the Mimasaka region. In addition, starting in 21, the school has been collaborating with the Tsuyama City Board of Education to implement the "MIMASAKA METHOD Mountainous Region Educational Skills Improvement Program," which provides students with opportunities to understand the challenges of mountainous regions and the role of teaching through practical learning, such as school tours, interactions with current teachers, and participation in local activities, and to gain firsthand experience in the field.
The admission quota system for those aspiring to become teachers, which is limited to certain regions and designated schools, is rare among private universities nationwide. In the Kanto region, Tamagawa University (Machida City, Tokyo) separates selection by region, but there are few examples of a designated school system limited to the northern part of the prefecture, as Mimasaka University has done.
The shortage of teachers remains evident in northern Okayama Prefecture, and this system is an initiative that will contribute greatly to the local community by supporting teacher training that is circular in the region.
<School recommendation selection (designated school) special admission quota for local teachers>
Target department: Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Child Studies, Elementary School Teacher Training Course
Number of applicants: Included in the 27-person quota for school recommendation selection (designated schools)
Eligibility:
1) Participate in the teaching experience seminar for high school students, "Aim for a teaching career! School visit bus tour (visit unique schools with Okayama University and Mimasaka University students)" and have a strong desire to work as an elementary school teacher in the northern part of Okayama Prefecture and contribute to the school and local community.
2) The overall academic performance of the student is at or above the standard notified to the designated school.
3) Those who are applying exclusively to Mimasaka University
Entrance exam dates:
November period: Saturday, November 11th...Application period: Saturday, November 11st to Thursday, November 15th. Results announced: Monday, December 11st.
December period: Sunday, December 12st...Application period: Tuesday, December 12nd to Thursday, December 21th. Results announced: Friday, December 12th.
Reference: [Mimasaka University] School Recommendation-Based Selection (Designated School)
