(The following text is from Fukuoka City Mayor, Soichiro Takashima’s blog site. Fukuoka Now has translated it for the benefit of our non-Japanese readers. Any errors are ours.)
Fukuoka City has responded to directives issued by the national government by asking local elementary, junior high, and special needs schools to closed temporarily between March 2 until the Spring vacation (early April.) The city is considering how to implement national guidelines while ensuring that the needs of students are met. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to help support parents and guardians.
As part of these measures, childcare services (open from 8:00 to 19:00) aimed at dual-income and single-parent households will be expanded. The service is usually available for first to sixth-grade students who have pre-registered. During this period, same-day registration will be permitted, extra teachers will be on duty to help cover, and school classrooms will be made available to avoid overcrowding. Parents are being encouraged to take their children’s temperature in the morning and have them rest at home in case high temperatures or symptoms of flu are detected.
Households that are exempt from city tax receive welfare, or get financial assistance for education will not have to pay for this service. Fukuoka City will subsidize the cost of families who will need to make use of private daycare services while special needs schools are temporarily closed. The mayor announced that the curriculum scheduled for March would be shifted to next semester. The city will work with municipal junior high schools in the coming academic year to help accommodate sixth-grade students in elementary school who are set to graduate this semester. The Board of Education has decided that graduation ceremonies will go ahead, but take place early in the mornings and a shortened format. More information about COVID-19 is available on the Fukuoka City website and the city’s official LINE account.
Source: Fukuoka Mayor, Shoichiro Takashima’s blog (Feb 28)
