Problems Mount As School Shutdown Looms
There's concern and confusion over the Japanese prime minister's plan to shut down the nation's schools to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. More than 12 million students could be kept home starting next week. Parents scrambles to figure out what to do with their kids.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe effectively asked all elementary, junior high, senior high schools, and special-needs schools to start their spring holidays from Monday instead of late March. This essentially shutters schools for weeks.
It comes as students are wrapping up their school year and could impact exams as well as leave them short of the required amount of class hours needed to complete their studies.
The call is having a ripple effect across the country. Some parents had mixed feelings about the government's decision.
One woman says, "I have a job, so I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm worried about my kid's heath, but it will still be a problem to suddenly stop working."
To offset some of those worries, the welfare ministry is asking daycares to remain open to limit the impact to parents.
The decision whether to close schools will be left up to local governments, as this expert points out.
Associate Professor of Nagoya University, Ryo Uchida, says, "Basically, local governments control educational administration. I want the central government to respect their judgment."
He says closing schools may be effective in preventing the spread of infection, but more time may be needed to prepare for across-the-board shutdowns.
