Page 9 - Beyond COVID-19

A Chat with My Father about Japanese Elementary

School Education

ormer Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered a one-month Undoubtedly, the pandemic has brought a lot of negative im-
Fclosure of all elementary schools, junior high schools, and high pacts on our society. My father is certainly aware of various serious
schools in February 2020. The sudden announcement has confused problems caused by COVID-19. For example, when all schools were
teaching staff and halted all students’ academic activities. Despite closed, the gap between rich and poor students became wider and
negative impacts brought by the COVID-19 outbreak, I would like to more obvious. Students who can afford going to Juku (塾), a private
talk about the bright side of the pandemic by sharing a conversation I cram school specifically designed to help students pass examina-
had with my father. tions, had no problem continuing their studies, while others who
cannot had a hard time keeping up with the class.
My father is a teacher at an elementary school in Beppu city, Oita (a
part of Kyushu). Among various changes brought about by the pan- These problems cannot be ignored or overlooked. Indeed, educa-
demic, there was one, in particular, my father is excited about, which tion is often discussed in a broader context of politics, society, and
is a reduction in class size. Recently, MEXT (Ministry of Education, economy. However, specific demands at the local level are rarely
Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology文部科学省) announced that addressed. Listening to voices of local teachers is of great impor-
the number of students in a class should be reduced from 40 to 35 in tance when it comes to introducing new educational changes amid
elementary schools. the pandemic. It is also vital to keep an eye on the bright side of the
pandemic and discuss how we can take advantage of this situation
My father said that this change was probably brought by the pan- more wisely.
demic because of an increased public awareness and concerns over By Sakai Takuhei
Another change that my father finds beneficial was the adoption of “
overcrowded classrooms. In fact, for many years, teachers in Japan,
including my father, have been demanding MEXT to lower the maxi-
mum class size from 40 to 20 or 25 for more effective teaching and
learning.
However, MEXT has long been reluctant to listen to their demands
because of a lack of teachers. Although I doubt how the trivial revi- It is also vital to keep an eye on
sion may benefit local teachers, my father seems to welcome the new
policy as a first step to achieve their ultimate goal of lowering the the bright side of the pandem-
number of students to 20 or 25. ic and discuss how we can take

e-learning. For example, iPads were given to all elementary school advantage of this situation
teachers in Beppu during the pandemic. All elementary school
students in Beppu will also receive the tablet in March. The purpose more wisely.
of distributing smart devices to students and teachers is to facilitate
online learning at home. My father said he was looking forward to
developing more interesting teaching content by using the iPad.

Locked down at Home and Locked in Our Heads

he pandemic has had everyone staying home more, and some Most people have never encountered threats that deal with life
Teven have been put into lockdown at one point. Limitations on and death. But it may be anyone who takes a dance with death
our freedom and the risk of infection have left many stressed out. Not next. Such great uncertainty with our future and the entire society's
only our physical health is at stake during the pandemic, our mental future has left many troubled.
health is also affected.
Humans are social beings, social interaction is a necessity. Yet the
According to the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the virus has led to social activities to be severely restricted. Social
stress level, prevalence of anxiety, depressive symptoms and sub- gathering restrictions, dining restrictions, closure of sports and
jective unhappiness have greatly increased during the COVID-19 leisure facilities have made socialising much more difficult during
pandemic in comparison to in 2016 and 2017. There has been a 28.3 the pandemic.
per cent increase in stress level and a 42.3 per cent increase in the
prevalence of anxiety. health. Social interaction is an important channel for emotional and
Such restrictions have also taken a toll on many people’s mental
“ on mental health. Many are facing financial difficulties. Some have
mental support.
The poor economy during the pandemic puts even more pressure

lost their jobs and some had to close down their businesses. The
Other than being aware of the
never-ending setbacks brought by the pandemic have led to a de-
cline in mental well-being.
infection risk, the importance
The pandemic has brought and will continue to bring us adversi-
of mental well-being should
mental well-being should also be frontlined. While we may not be
also be frontlined. ty. Other than being aware of the infection risk, the importance of
able to be physically together, we can only overcome the pandemic
as one.
By Agnes Lam