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The Japan News/Yomiuri
The Japan News/Yomiuri
National
The Yomiuri Shimbun

4% of public schools reopen after closures

An empty classroom at Obiyama-nishi Elementary School is seen in Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, on March 10. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

The number of public elementary, junior high, senior high and special-needs schools that had ended their closures by March 15 was 1,355 or 4.1%, according to a government survey.

Including 347 schools that did not close after the government requested the measure to prevent the coronavirus spreading, 5.1% of all public schools are now open.

The survey was conducted by the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry and examined the state of school closures as of noon Tuesday.

Between March 9 and 15, a total of 1,350 schools ended their closures in cities including Toyama, Shizuoka and Naha. They included 702 elementary schools, 391 junior high schools and 222 senior high schools.

Five schools ended their closures on or before March 8: two elementary schools and two junior high schools in Tokyo's Ogasawara Islands, and a special-needs school run by the Yamagata prefectural government.

Most schools, 79.6%, will end their school closures on or after March 23.

As of March 10, about 64% of local governments had secured places for children to spend time, for example, by using vacant rooms at public elementary schools.

About 98% of public schools reported that they have held or will hold graduation ceremonies.

Meanwhile, the University of Tokyo announced Wednesday it has canceled this year's enrollment ceremonies for undergraduate faculties and graduate schools scheduled to be held April 12 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Sumida Ward, Tokyo.

According to the university, its enrollment ceremony is usually held at the Nippon Budokan hall in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, and about 9,000 new undergraduate students and their parents attend.

An official of the university said the cancellation was "an unavoidable choice that places the top priority on people's health and safety."

The congratulatory addresses scheduled to be given by President Makoto Gonokami and invited guests will be streamed online instead.

The university also plans to drastically downscale its graduation ceremony planned for March 24. The ceremony will be held only with faculty representatives in attendance.

Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/

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