MEXT E-mail Newsletter Focusing on Schools for Foreign Students 20th issue（May 31st, 2021）

―――Tentative translation in English―――
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
MEXT E-mail Newsletter Focusing on Schools for Foreign Students
20th issue：May 31st, 2021
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(1)Notification regarding countermeasures against COVID-19 at elementary schools and junior and senior high schools based on the Declaration of a state of emergency
The Prime Minister of Japan has announced that Period of the Declaration of a state of emergency for Hokkaido, Tokyo, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima and Fukuoka prefectures and the Priority preventive measures for Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Gifu and Mie prefectures has been extended until 20 June. In addition, the Basic Action Policy against COVID-19 has been changed.
The change in the Basic Action Policy against COVID-19 stipulates that regarding high schools: "Simple antigen test kits will be distributed as early as possible, and testing should be promptly and actively carried of people with mild symptoms using these test kits. For this, schools and workplaces should promptly take concrete actions for establishing testing systems, promotion measures, focused urging for testing, and other related measures."
The countermeasure against COVID-19 at schools does not change from what was announced by the "Notification regarding Countermeasures against COVID-19 at Elementary Schools and Junior and Senior High Schools based on the Declaration of the State of Emergency in accordance with the Act on Special Measures against Pandemic Influenza and New Infectious Diseases (Notification dated 21 May 2021)” except for the simple antigen test kits mentioned above.
For Further details, please check the following URL (only in Japanese).
https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20210531-mxt_kouhou01-000004520_3.pdf

(2) The First Advisory Committee on Health and Hygiene in Schools for Foreign students
　We will hold the First Advisory Committee on Health and Hygiene in Schools for Foreign students on June 2, 2021 as follows.
　
Date and time:  Wednesday, June 2, 2021, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. @Online meeting
Agenda:  (1) Administrative rules of the committee
               (2) Current situations of schools for foreign students
               (3) Discussion
               (4) Others
　The meeting materials and minutes will be uploaded on the following links. (Only in Japanese)
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/kokusai/mext_00002.html

(3)Amendment of “New School Lifestyle –COVID-19 Infection Control Manuals and Guidelines for schools”
We amended the descriptions about handling Chlorous Acid Water in the “New School Lifestyle –COVID-19 Infection Control Manuals and Guidelines for schools” issued on April 28th, 2021 (ver.6).
For details, please refer to the latest version of the manual at the link below.
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/coronavirus/mext_00029.html
We kindly share this with you because it could be utilized as a reference for your consideration about your response to the novel coronavirus disease

(4)The English subtitled version of the second video, the interviews with the infectious disease experts about COVID-19
We uploaded the English subtitled version of the second video, the interviews with the infectious disease experts about COVID-19 at the MEXT Youtube channel today.
https://youtu.be/ZqkMtaYjfHw　（Vol. 2: English subtitled）
The video contains the information about the current situation of the infection to the children with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the countermeasures against COVID-19 that can be taken in schools. It would be appreciated if it would be utilized for the countermeasures against COVID-19.

(5)Others
To register or de-register to this newsletter, please send an email to the following e-mail address at MEXT. In the case of register, please describe your e-mail address and affiliation in your e-mail:
E-mail address: gaikokuzingakkou@mext.go.jp
It would be appreciated if you register the e-mail address of representatives of the schools for foreign students.
 
To check the previous newsletters, please follow the steps by clicking the specified link below;
https://www.mext.go.jp/magazine/backnumber/symel_00001.htm

The website focusing on the schools for foreign students was launched in Plain Japanese on the MEXT's official website;
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/kokusai/gaikoku/

Useful information for everyone at the schools for foreign students focusing on anti-COVID-19 measures will be provided in several languages, for the time being, so please regularly check our updates.
 
Thank you for reading this e-mail newsletter.

 
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
文部科学省大臣官房国際課
「外国人学校・インターナショナルスクール メールマガジン」担当
E-mail Newsletter Focusing on Schools for Foreign Students
International Affairs Division, Minister's Secretariat, MEXT
Tel：03-5253-4111（Ex. 3222） E-mail：gaikokuzingakkou@mext.go.jp
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

お問合せ先