In Japan, reading, writing and arithmetic have been augmented by the "3Cs" - teaching kids to avoid close conversation, crowds and closed spaces. Preventing kids of that age from talking amongst themselves and bunching up is a tall order. Katayama struggled to get the children on board with anti-coronavirus protocols. East Kanamachi Elementary has gone whole-hog for lunch, even winning awards for its use of local produce and creative recipes.īut Ms. The kids take turns dressing up in white chef outfits and serving up stew and rice to their classmates. In Japanese schools, lunchtime is regarded as part of the learning experience.
#AVERAGE PLAY TIME OF TOKYO SCHOOL LIFE PLUS#
On the plus side: "They're first graders - so they think this is normal!" "It's really hard to teach a regular class while keeping everyone safe." "First graders like to get up close to each other, so social distancing is a challenge," she said. When it was time to head to the big hand-washing sink in the hallway, she kept an eagle eye on each pupil, patiently reminding them again and again about the colorful markers on the floor meant to keep them from breathing on one another.
#AVERAGE PLAY TIME OF TOKYO SCHOOL LIFE CRACKED#
She cracked open windows just enough to keep air flowing, without risking a kid falling through. Instead of asking kids to pass papers down the rows, she handed each child the language exercises herself, to minimize contact among students. Katayama, wearing a face shield along with her comfy maxi skirt and tennis shoes, was clearly multitasking more than normal. But there's nothing typical about school now.Įvery child wore a gaily-colored mask and was seated behind a personal vinyl shield – newly purchased by the school PTA for about $10 each. Like generations before them, Yuka Katayama's first grade class bowed to begin the day's studies. As all students do in the country, they went straight to their assigned cubbyholes in the school lobby, trading street shoes for the soft-soled slip-ons worn in classes. Kids began clambering in the door at 8 a.m. Perhaps because Japanese live cheek-by-jowl in big cities, mask-wearing is a time-honored defense during the cold and flu season, as well as in the spring, when allergies kick in.ĬBS News traveled this week to the northeast corner of Tokyo to visit staff and 247 pupils at the East Kanamachi Elementary school. Masks, for instance, are about as controversial here as wearing hats.
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