Kumamoto schools receive disaster support ahead of post-earthquake reopening

Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has issued guidelines to schools and boards of education in Kumamoto Prefecture following the recent powerful earthquake. The notice aims to ensure the safety, hygiene, and continuity of learning for students as they prepare to return to classes after the summer break.

The guidelines emphasize flexible responses to individual student needs, including the use of ICT for instruction if physical attendance is difficult. The Ministry also highlighted the importance of mental health care for students and staff, ensuring that graduation and grade advancement processes remain flexible to prevent academic disadvantage due to the disaster.

In support of these efforts, teacher assistance teams from various prefectures, including Saitama, Mie, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Okayama, have mobilized to help Kumamoto schools. These teams are providing practical assistance, such as cleaning damaged classrooms, and offering mental health support to local educators to ease the burden of returning to normal operations.