The “Learning of Tomorrow Online Lunch Symposium” has featured local governments and schools that introduced online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many schools did not implement online classes; instead, students were required to study at home using paper handouts distributed daily according to the class schedule. As a result, many parents voiced their frustration over the heavy burden this placed on them.

However, simply voicing dissatisfaction won’t change the situation. That’s why parents in Chuo and Setagaya wards took action. Alarmed by a report on April 21 stating that “Chuo Ward has no plans to introduce online classes,” concerned parents formed the “Volunteer Group for Considering Online Education at Chuo Ward Elementary and Junior High Schools” and conducted an emergency survey.The results showed that over 95% of the 1,567 parents who responded supported the introduction of online learning. The survey also revealed that most households have the necessary ICT infrastructure in place, and that implementing online learning would be feasible if support were provided to households that do not.

Parents in Chuo Ward are not merely calling for the introduction of online education; they are also proposing specific steps and a timeline for implementation, as well as the necessary tools and other measures to make it a reality. “If you follow this plan, it will work!”—that’s how thoroughly they’ve organized and presented their proposal.

The “Setagaya Public Education ICT Utilization Study Group” was spurred into action by that Chuo Ward survey.Sure enough, 99.6% of parents expressed support for the introduction of online education. The group also held online meetings attended by members of the Board of Education and school teachers. Mr. Yoshizawa, the group’s representative, was taken aback when he witnessed firsthand the conditions at schools, which initially had only two telephone lines, were unable to stream YouTube, and could not use external online tools such as Zoom.

However, as our discussion continued, I came to understand that schools are currently unable to take action due to restrictions imposed by personal information protection ordinances and other regulations. It was argued that local governments and schools cannot achieve the smooth utilization of ICT without changes to these rules.I therefore propose that, moving forward, we not only replicate best practices but also build a platform where parents and the local community can contribute content, thereby realizing a hybrid schooling model. What Mr. Hirai of Chuo Ward and Mr. Yoshizawa of Setagaya Ward have in common is their willingness to put forward concrete proposals and support schools and local governments.The key to post-COVID education will likely lie in collaboration among schools, families, and the community. Furthermore, I was struck by the remark from Mr. Hirai—whose primary profession is international cooperation—that he was stunned to find that the introduction of online education in Japan was lagging behind that in Nepal, a country he is responsible for.