The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has finalized a proposal urging the government to shelve the adoption of a new September school reopening plan that could add five more months to the school year, further dampening momentum for what was initially hailed as a solution to the pandemic-derailed academic calendar.
The proposal was submitted to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday, with the government reportedly expected to decide by the end of this month whether to move the start of the nation’s academic year from April to September.
The LDP’s official repudiation of the move is a further setback for Abe, who initially welcomed such a shift but has been forced to dial back his efforts over the past week, as he has faced fierce resistance both from the LDP and its ruling coalition partner, Komeito. In accepting a petition from Komeito that similarly opposes any immediate switch to a fall enrollment, Abe reportedly conceded Monday that “there is no need to hastily implement” the change, although it remains “one of the options” on the table.