Announced just about an hour ago, taking the country here (Japan) by surprise. Most JHS and HS are in the middle of final exams, and public High School entrance exams are next week. (Most university entrance exams are just finishing, though).
A hopefully good move, but might have been nicer to have given teachers and students more time to prepare (i.e., announce it a week earlier, perhaps?).
>Officials say 2 of the 15 new cases are children under 10 years of age.
>The latest cases bring the number of confirmed infections in Hokkaido to 54, the most in Japan.
How were they supposed to know last week that this would happen? Or are you proposing be can stop the spread of the virus for a week to give people chance to get ready??
No, I simply mean it would have been nice last week to let the schools know he's considering cancelling schools. By making this a sudden announcement he's caught all the schools on the hop, you might say. Today (Friday) is the one and only day left to wrap up the school year (school years end in March and start in April here). So final exams will be cancelled, maybe graduation ceremonies will be cancelled, students have to empty out their desks (they don't have lockers here).
Basically, teachers and students have to finish up the school year TODAY, with no advanced warning or time to plan.
So, I completely agree with Abe-san's desire to curb the spread of the virus, but being in the education system myself (and having 3 kids affected by his decision), a bit of an advanced warning would have GREATLY helped the schools, the kids, and the parents.
shrug But as I said, it's just my thoughts and hopes and desires as a father being affected by it! :-)
I have the opposite opinion. As long as you know it is the good decision, do it. Even preventing one class contamination could be crucial for preventing the epidemic to spread.
He announced it late in the afternoon but I even consider irresponsible to make that from next week and let the schools open tomorrow if you consider the situation so dangerous as to warrant school closures.
A hopefully good move, but might have been nicer to have given teachers and students more time to prepare (i.e., announce it a week earlier, perhaps?).
shrug Just my $0.02