Photo/Illutration An online assembly for the beginning of the second semester is held in each classroom through a monitor at Kobo Elementary School in Misato, Saitama Prefecture, on Aug. 28. (Kazushige Kobayashi)

The intense summer heat forced some elementary and junior high schools to hold their start-of-semester assembly online on Aug. 28 to prevent heatstroke.

At Kobo Elementary School in Misato, Saitama Prefecture, the assembly for the beginning of the second semester was held online, with each classroom connected to the principal’s office via an online conferencing system.

The school made the switch because the gymnasium could not accommodate the approximately 1,300 students, and holding the assembly in the schoolyard could cause heatstroke.

In the air-conditioned classrooms, the students listened to Principal Kenji Nakanishi’s speech through a monitor.

“It is important to create a safe and secure environment for the children,” he said. “We will continue to be proactive in preventing heatstroke.”

During the online assembly, a school nurse also explained how to prevent heatstroke. She emphasized the importance of five key points: get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast, drink enough water, utilize items such as parasols and neck coolers and take it easy.

Moka Kikuchi, 11, a sixth-grader, said she uses a parasol and neck cooler when walking to school on hot days.

“I’m good at sports, so I want to do my best at the sporting event this second semester,” she said with a smile.

Momochihama Elementary School in Fukuoka’s Sawara Ward also held its school assembly online on Aug. 28.

The school said it has been holding its start-of-semester and end-of-semester assemblies online since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The temperature in the city’s Chuo Ward was 30.2 degrees at 9 a.m. the same day with humidity of 71 percent, according to the Fukuoka District Meteorological Observatory.

While the school’s classrooms are equipped with air conditioning and fans, the gymnasium is not. School officials were thus concerned the 40-minute assembly would be a physical burden for the children.

“It was cooler (in the classroom), so it was easier to listen to the principal’s speech,” said Yujiro Suzuki, 12, a sixth-grader.

Principal Misao Sakai said, “Since we have an information and communication technology infrastructure, it’s important to actively utilize the internet so we can look after the health of our students.”

(This article was written by Masayuki Takashima and Minori Oshita.)

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