Japan Govt.: Children Can Chat During School Lunches With Proper Measures

Japan govt.: Children can chat during school lunches with proper measures

Japan's education ministry has notified prefectural officials that children will be allowed to chat during school lunches now that the government's anti-coronavirus rules have changed.

The government's basic measures to deal with the coronavirus urged people to eat or drink only in small groups, and to refrain from speaking with each other. But this passage was deleted last Friday in a revision.

High School Students Help Out Tangerine Farmers

High school students help out tangerine farmers

High school students are helping tangerine farmers in western Japan with the harvest to make up for a shortage of seasonal workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Farmers in the city of Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, are having difficulty recruiting seasonal workers from across the country this year, even though the harvest season has already begun.

Job Exams Start For High School Seniors

Job exams start for high school seniors

Job-hunting season has started in Japan for next year's high school graduates. It started about one month later than usual due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

A company in Yokohama, near Tokyo, which operates about 126 supermarkets in and around the capital, held exams on Friday.

Guidelines Call For Staggered School Attendance

Guidelines call for staggered school attendance

Japan's education ministry is set to release guidelines on how schools closed due to the coronavirus outbreak could resume classes in stages.

Education minister Hagiuda Koichi said on Friday that local education boards across Japan will be informed of the guidelines the same day.

Japan Govt. To Consider Sept. Start Of School Year

Japan govt. to consider Sept. start of school year

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says the government will weigh various options when considering whether to change the start of the school year from April to September.

Abe commented on calls for the change at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Wednesday. Some governors and opposition parties want the start of the academic year to be pushed back to September as school closures have been prolonged amid the coronavirus pandemic.

School Closures Reveal Regional Digital Divide

School closures reveal regional digital divide

A survey in Japan has found huge gaps among regions on the usage of digital devices and materials to help children study at home as their schools remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The education ministry asked local governments about their home study support for more than 25,000 elementary, junior and senior high schools.

Japan To Not Extend School Closures

Japan to not extend school closures

Japan's education minister says the nationwide school closures will not be extended beyond spring break.

Koichi Hagiuda spoke to reporters after a meeting of the government's task force on the new coronavirus outbreak on Friday.