The boards of education in at least 21 prefectures have decided to reduce the range of questions on the next entrance examinations for prefectural high schools, in response to the delay in learning caused by the pandemic-driven prolonged school closures.
The figure came in response to a survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun from late July to early August.
The boards of education in all 47 prefectures were asked about how they will implement prefectural high schools' general entrance examinations for next spring amid the pandemic.
Many school boards in the Kanto and Kansai regions, which have been experiencing high numbers of infections, said they will take measures.
The boards in 20 of these prefectures will reduce the range of contents to be covered in the examinations, with 14 of these prefectures planning to do so in all five subject areas.
Asked for reasons why they decided to do so, the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education said that due to the prolonged school closure, 10% to 20% of the content that is supposed to be learned this school year is not fully mastered by third-year junior high school students." The Niigata Prefectural Board of Education said the decision was made so that "schools will be able to respond to a second and third waves of infections."
In addition to these 20 prefectures, the Yamaguchi Prefectural Board of Education will introduce a system that allows test-takers to choose exam questions depending on what they have learned.
Examinations will be carried out in the same way "as per a usual year" in 19 prefectures, mainly in the Tohoku, Hokuriku and Chugoku regions. They concluded that many students will be able to catch up with studies as schools took measures such as shortening the summer holidays and reviewing school events. But some school boards said that they will reconsider depending on how the infection spreads.
In Iwate Prefecture, where the first case of coronavirus infection was only confirmed at the end of July, the board responded by saying, "There has been no major delay in learning in junior high schools in the prefecture."
Seven remaining prefectures have yet to decide on a course of action.
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