Midsummer class 18:35 on August 3 all over Japan to catch up with the new Corona School

August is the year of summer vacation at schools around the country. This time, 95% of the board of education plans to shorten the summer vacation in order to catch up with the delay in learning during the period of school closure due to the influence of the new coronavirus, and each site is responding to try to survive the unusual midsummer class. I am told.

According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), of the 1794 Boards of Education that were closed due to the effect of the new coronavirus, 1710 Boards of Education, which is 95% as of the end of June, are trying to recover their learning delays. I replied that I would shorten my summer vacation.

Some respondents answered that "16 days" in elementary and junior high school was the most common during the summer vacation after shortening, "9 days" in elementary and junior high school, and "4 days" in high school.

Under such circumstances, classes are continued in many schools even in August, which is usually the summer vacation, so the sites in each region are busy dealing with both infection control and heat stroke control. There are movements such as installing air conditioners in classrooms and introducing "summer time" to accelerate school hours.

In addition, while the burden on children and school scenes increased, we cooperated in watching over shops such as school roads to prevent heat stroke, and a local bus company put out a bus for going to and from school, which is an unusual summer class. Efforts to support the community have also begun.

Primary school of school bag removal for heat stroke measures

An elementary school in Tatsuno City, Hyogo Prefecture, has begun efforts to approve the use of light rucksacks instead of school bags to protect children who go to school by shortening summer vacation.

In Tatsuno City, Hyogo Prefecture, the summer vacation is set to be 9 days from 8th to 16th of this month, which is much shorter than the normal year, in order to catch up with the delay in class due to the new coronavirus.

The city of Tatsuno is known as the “city of school bags”, which is headquartered by one of Japan's top-class school bags, but this is a lighter rucksack rather than school bags as a measure against heat stroke due to the increase in school attendance on hot days. I decided to allow the use of such as.

Of these, about half of all 240 children at Tatsuno Elementary School went to school with a backpack on the morning of the 3rd.

A 6th grade girl child said, "I go to school with a rucksack, but I don't want to have a fever on my shoulders compared to a school bag."

This elementary school allows you to leave all the materials you normally take home with you, such as on your desk, in order to lighten your luggage.

Hideyuki Tanaka, Principal of Tatsuno Elementary School, said, "I have decided to increase the number of options to protect my life because the way people feel the heat varies depending on the individual."

Infectious disease and heat stroke measures are also difficult sites

At elementary schools in Tama City, Tokyo, which shortened the summer vacation to less than half the usual year, by 16 days, we have been adding "heat stroke measures" to "learning measures" and "infectious disease measures", and we are busy responding.

At Tojikata Elementary School in Tama City, we are trying to catch up on learning delays by shortening the 45-minute class from 35 to 10 minutes in the morning and increasing the number of classes in the morning from 4 to 5 classes.

Of these, in the 5th grade classroom, the children wear masks to prevent infections, open their seats as much as possible, and open the classroom windows about 10 cm for ventilation, but to prevent heat stroke, turn on the air conditioner. I'm leaving it.

At the end of each 35-minute class, at the teacher's request, the children rehydrated their water bottles and washed their hands in the hallway.

One of the girls said, "The mask is difficult to breathe in, so it's tough when it's really hot. Short class times mean you have no time to solve difficult mathematical problems," he said.

In addition, the teacher said, “It is difficult to establish knowledge in a short class time. Children are tired everywhere, and they are careful about physical condition changes, but the heat is changing moment by moment. , I have to change the measures, which is difficult."

Under these circumstances, the school pays the most attention to physical education classes.Every hour, teachers go out to the school yard to check if there is a risk of heat stroke, measure the "heat index" and record it on the board in the staff room. I frequently checked whether it was possible to do physical education outdoors.

In addition, a "mist device" that sprays water in a mist to reduce the risk of heat stroke was set up by the side of the school building, and during the break time, children gathered one after another and said "comfortable". However, it was cool in order.

After the children left home, all faculty members worked on disinfecting desks and handrails, spending about 20 minutes preparing for the next day's class.

Principal Tomoko Ito said, “This is the first time I have taught at this time in my teacher's life, but in addition to the measures against corona and heat stroke, the guarantee of learning depends on the life of the children, so all I'm worried about the tiredness that both children and teachers can't see, but I can't say I can't do it, and I have no choice but to do it."

A cool sightseeing bus transfers

At an elementary school in Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture, a local sightseeing bus company undertakes pick-up and drop-off of children free of charge and plays a role in measures against heat stroke.

Due to the suspension of school due to the new coronavirus, the summer vacation of elementary schools in Tamba City is from 8 to 23 this month, which is 18 days shorter than usual.

Under these circumstances, three local bus companies offer free transportation to protect children who go to school in the heat from heat stroke.

This tourist bus company offered to pick up and drop off a bus that would be useful for children, even if it's a busy summer that would be the usual year because of the new coronavirus.

Two school buses arrived in front of the school gate at Kita Elementary School after school on the 3rd, and children got on the cooler buses one after another.

A 6th grade boy said, "It's comfortable and cool. I don't have to walk and it's easy because I get there soon. I want to thank the people at the bus company."

Yusaku Kitano, Senior Managing Director of Daishin Kanko, who cooperated, said, “I was feeling depressed because of the reduced work at Corona, but I am energized by the words “I'm coming” and “I am now” of the children.” ..