TOKYO, Mar 18 (NNN-NHK) – Some schools in Japan held scaled-down, low-key graduation ceremonies, with proceedings shortened and participants limited, amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19 here.
Mar is the last month of the academic year and despite the education ministry on Feb 28, requesting all schools to close down until at least the spring break, which usually ends in early Apr, some opted to hold graduation ceremonies as per tradition.
The ceremonies, however, were unconventional in many cases, amid concerns over the spread of the virus, with some schools holding ceremonies lasting just 20 minutes and others ensuring that those in attendance remained at least one metre apart.
Other schools’ ceremonies mandated that only one parent or guardian be in attendance per child graduating, and in some cases the graduation speeches were written on paper and handed out to participants to be read rather than being spoken, as all participants, including the speakers, were wearing surgical masks, local media reported.
On Monday, some schools in Japan reopened for lessons, after being shut for around two weeks, after the education ministry requested schools be closed to contain the spread of the virus.
Education boards of Toyama, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu and Naha cities, as well as, Okinawa Prefecture, decided to resume classes at their elementary and junior high schools, as they have judged the virus has not affected their communities, local media reported.
Japan’s health ministry and local governments said, the number of COVID-19 infections rose to 837 as of 6:30 p.m. local time, with the death toll from the virus currently standing at 36, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship, that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.
The latest statistics also showed a total of 16 new cases confirmed.
Of the schools that reopened Monday, some of them took what they deemed to be precautionary measures against the transmission of the virus, such as keeping classrooms well ventilated and keeping pupils’ desks apart from each other.
According to a local media survey, of the 18 education boards that were planning to reopen on Monday, 13 of them decided to extend the closure until spring break in early Apr.
The majority of regional education boards, meanwhile, announced that, they would not reopen until at least the spring break.– NNN-NHK
