One month until the university entrance exam What are the precautions for infection control and taking the exam?

It took 16 days to complete the "University Entrance Examination," which will be held for the first time next month and will be taken by more than 530,000 people.

As the infection of the new coronavirus continues to spread, the National Center for University Entrance Examinations is calling for precautions when taking countermeasures against infection at the venue.

The "University Admission Common Test" is scheduled to be held twice, two days on January 16th and 17th and two days on January 30th and 31st, considering the impact of the spread of infection.

The total number of applicants is 535,245, which is a decrease of 22,400 compared to the final center test, while the number of universities that use the results of the common test for individual entrance exams is 866, the highest number ever. It has become.

As the infection spreads, at the National Center for University Entrance Examinations, where common tests are conducted, the seats of the examinees should be separated by about 1 meter from the venue, such as the university, and ventilation should be thoroughly provided after each subject. We are seeking infection control measures such as the placement of doctors and nurses who can handle the disease and the securing of a separate room for asymptomatic close contacts.

Also, for students, measure their body temperature about 7 days before the test, and if they are not in good physical condition, apply for a follow-up test without overdoing it. Always wear a mask properly and ventilate the venue. We are calling for people to bring their jackets so that it will not be cold.

The National Center for University Entrance Examinations will be introduced in place of the National Center for University Entrance Examinations, which has continued for about 30 years, as it is necessary to reform the entrance exams with more emphasis on thinking ability and judgment. We are under pressure to take measures against both of the disasters.

Voices of anxiety from the examinees ...

With only one month left until the university entrance exam, students attending a cram school in Tokyo expressed anxiety about whether the entrance exam would be affected as the infection spread again.

At the cram school in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, the instructor wears a mask and face shield, and for students who want to take online classes, a tablet with a camera is installed in the center of the classroom so that it can be delivered at the same time. ..

Candidates wore masks and sat at intervals to solve math problems.

Regarding the common test approaching one month later, a boy in the third year of high school who always carries a disinfectant solution says that he is wondering how much he can refer to the result of the mock test where the number of people is limited due to the spread of infection. ..

On top of that, "I'm most worried about the fact that schools and cram schools will be closed once again with a state of emergency. The introduction of private English exams has been postponed so far. I had to recreate the plan I was using from scratch. It would be difficult to deal with any further changes due to the spread of the infection. "

In addition, another male student said about infection countermeasures at the test site, "Even if there are people infected with the new coronavirus in the surrounding area, I am grateful that there will be an opportunity for additional tests, but since the university I am aspiring to is in a rural area, I'm worried about what to do if I can't go due to movement restrictions, etc. I'm still an examinee with or without a corona, so I want to do my best not only in terms of study but also in terms of health. " I was talking.

Mr. Kazushi Yasuda, who is in charge of science education at "National Center Test for University Admissions", said, "This is the first common test after the center test, and it is expected that the amount of sentences will increase and the thinking ability will be asked more as usual. I feel that many students are worried about the fact that they cannot respond to the past questions, but since they are taking all possible measures, be careful not to get sick during the long examination period. I want you to take the exam. "

At the test site

Universities, which are the test sites, are busy with unprecedented measures to prevent infection with the new coronavirus in addition to the usual preparations.

Of these, Tokyo Gakugei University in Koganei City, Tokyo, is scheduled to accept approximately 2,500 examinees.

The entrance examination section already has a large amount of alcohol disinfectant, masks, face shields, etc. in the university warehouse, and while some items are difficult to obtain, we are rushing to secure them for the day.

On the day of the event, it may be difficult to keep a sufficient distance between the front and back in a large classroom where desks and chairs are fixed, because all the students cannot be accepted unless almost all classrooms are used. I try to secure 1 meter.

In particular, it is necessary to take thorough measures to deal with asymptomatic close contact examinees.

As a general rule, we request students to come to the school by car so that the flow lines do not overlap with other examinees, and the examination venue is limited to one building near the main gate, which is far from general examinees.

In the room of this building, an acrylic board will be installed in front of the examiner's seat, the distance between the examinee's seats will be about 2 meters, and a large sheet to prevent splashing will be installed in front of them.

In addition, doctors and nurses will be waiting in the first aid room of the university in case of illness during the test, and a separate dispatched nurse will be secured to be stationed in the building for close contacts. I have decided.

At all venues, the proctor wears a face shield on the mask and wears gloves, but the policy of the National Center for University Entrance Examinations does not measure the temperature of the examinees so that they will not be upset. Since some faculty members have voiced anxiety, the Entrance Examination Division is considering having young faculty members who have no underlying illness take charge of the examination supervision of close contacts.

Osamu Tanaka, chief of the entrance examination section of Tokyo Gakugei University, said, "We prepared in anticipation of influenza every year, but this time it was an unusual preparation with the addition of a new type of coronavirus. It's an important day once every day, so I'd like to take all possible measures such as infection control to reach the day. "