Japanese Schools Reopening Update

On February 27th, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a request for schools to close beginning Monday, March 2nd, 2020. They remained closed for three months: March, April, and May. The state of emergency for Hyogo (the prefecture we live in) was lifted May 21st. I returned to school grounds on the last three days of May to prepare for the reopening of schools. How schools across Japan reopen may vary a bit from school to school, but here are a few things that schools are doing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

• Masks. Students and teachers must wear masks. Japan has a mask-wearing culture so many were already wearing masks, especially during flu season. Students have also been asked to not speak loudly in class to prevent the spread of germs.
  

• Social Distancing for the first two weeks of reopening, students are coming to school in groups. Half of the students come in the morning and have three 45-minute classes. The other half come in the afternoon and have the same three 45-minute classes that their classmates had in the morning. Students are also sitting in every other seat.
  

Social distancing for going to the restroom

• Lunch. No school lunches are being offered at the moment since students are doing half days. The plan is to loosen restrictions every two weeks depending on the situation. Full days - but still with 45-minute classes - are planned for June 15th and then hopefully back to a regular schedule at the beginning of July.
  
• Classroom Sanitation. Teachers are given gloves and disinfect the classrooms after students leave at the end of the day. Usually, two teachers work together; one goes first wiping down desks and chairs with alcohol and a second teacher follows behind with a damp cloth going over the same areas. The second wipe down with a damp cloth is done in case students have sensitive skin.
  






• Temperature. Students and teachers are asked to take their temperature before coming to work and should stay home if they have a fever. I'm not sure if students are being asked if they took their temperature when they come in or if it is assumed.

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• Hand Cleaning. Normally, there are teachers posted at the entrances to greet students. At my school they have added desks at each entrance and provide hand sanitizer that students must use before continuing to their classroom. I also noticed that the soap bars for hand-washing have been switched out for liquid soap dispensers. There are also signs throughout the school encouraging hand-washing, social distancing, and wearing a face mask.

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• Face shields. I have not seen face shield being used at my schools, but other English teachers have made or been given one by their school to use especially when teaching pronunciation to students.