Extension of Municipal School Closures in Hiroshima City (as of 4/28/2020)

All municipal schools in Hiroshima are currently closed and were scheduled to reopen on May 6, 2020. However, on April 27, the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education (BoE) decided to extend the closure of prefectural schools until the end of May, and advised all municipal boards of education to consider measures similar to those taken by the Prefectural BoE.

In line with the Prefectural BoE’s advisory and taking into account the rate of infection of COVID-19 in Hiroshima City, the Hiroshima Municipal BoE has decided to extend the closure of all municipal schools until the end of May.

1. Regarding Extended School Closures
School closures will be extended to May 31, 2020 (Sun) for all municipal kindergartens, elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, Hiroshima Municipal Secondary School, and the special needs school.

2. Regarding School Attendance Days
The Hiroshima Municipal BoE considers it necessary to specify days for children to attend school so that schools can monitor student health and keep track of their progress as they study at home. Times and dates will be specified after thorough consideration of the national state of emergency and the infection rate in the city.

3. Educational Support During School Closures

(1) Lesson/Homework Assignments and Distribution: For each subject, schools will assign and distribute lessons/homework based on textbooks and other resources for the new school year (already distributed) which the students can do at home. We suggest parents/guardians have children set daily schedules to maintain study habits and their daily routine during school closures.
(2) Using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to Supplement Remote Learning
   
(a) Where and when possible, schools should implement the following initiatives and strategies:
　　　i. Introduce educational support systems that make use of interactive communication tools
       These systems can be used to:

• Stream video lessons and post topics/homework; have students send in questions about lessons (etc) to which teachers will respond.
• Monitor student health (have students send daily updates about their health).

        ii. Make video-based study materials for YouTube and post them on school websites and other platforms
        iii. Provide printouts and hard copies of the information sent via electronic educational support systems to those who cannot access the internet at home. Schools should also provide support to these students such as allowing them to use school computer rooms as much as possible while keeping a limit to numbers and the amount of time allotted to students. 

(b)　Introduce Pre-Existing Study Resources

• Children’s Study Support Site＜外部リンク＞ (子供の学び応援サイト) (Japanese)
• Let’s Study at Home! NHK for School＜外部リンク＞ (お家で学ぼう! NHK for School) (Japanese)

(3) Monitoring Student Study Progress and Health

Teachers will monitor students’ home study progress and health via home visits, telephone calls, or other methods. Regarding psychological care, schools will implement measures in conjunction with school nurses and counselors as necessary.

4. Support Services for Parents/Guardians During School Closures
Special exemptions for parents/guardians who cannot take time off from work until May 6 will continue during this extended period of closures.

(1) Special exemptions for parents/guardians who cannot take time off from work

Students whose parents/guardians cannot take time off from work, and who cannot be left alone at home, can still go to school/kindergarten. Appropriate measures will be taken to ensure your child’s health; however, we ask that parents/guardians do all they can to avoid using these services. To reduce social interaction as much as possible, we ask parents/guardians to work with their employers if possible to secure time off from work so that they can look after their children at home.

• First to third year elementary school students enrolled in the After-school Kids’ Club can go to school in the mornings (8:30 am to 1 pm). After eating lunch (to be brought from home), they can spend the afternoon at the After-school Kids’ Club. We will take the appropriate measures to ensure your child’s health.
• Elementary and junior high school students in special needs classes or those who attend the special needs school who cannot use social welfare services can still go to school. We will take the appropriate measures to ensure your child’s health (please note that lunch will not be provided).
• Nursery Schools will remain open between 9 am and 2 pm. We will take the appropriate measures to ensure your child’s health.

(2) Household Support by Students During School Closures

• Parents/guardians can request home visits by teachers or other educational staff.
• As members of your family, set chores for your kids to actively help out around the house.