1. implementation schedule

September 2, 2020 - January 21, 2021 (58 days)
Weekdays Tuesday through Friday (except during winter holidays)

Schools, etc.

1. Number of schools
   72 schools (132 schools originally scheduled to participate, 60 schools cancelled)
2. Number of children
   3,137 (3,360 including those who were escorted)
   (7,773 initially expected to attend, 4,636 not attending)

3. implementation overview

Due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection, the museum tour scheduled from May to August was cancelled. The museum tour was rescheduled for the third grade of elementary schools in Kitakyushu City and began in September. For the cancelled schools, we re-advertised the tour to a limited number of schools in November, and extended the period from mid-December to January for additional tours.

The tour consisted of a group of four children, who were given a tour of the museum's collection, its architecture, and the views of the city from the museum while taking precautions against infection. During the 1 hour and 15 minute tour, the guide and children introduced themselves to each other, viewed the artworks, and reflected on their activities. Arrangements for bus transportation from the school to the museum and guide staff (outsourced) are at the expense of the museum.

4. changes in implementation methods due to measures to prevent the spread of infection

The museum's infection control measures for the general public included temperature checks, hand sanitizers, masks, and contact information upon entering the museum, as well as limiting the number of people allowed in the exhibition rooms. The tour also followed these measures.
In addition, Kitakyushu Municipal Elementary School made changes to its curriculum, including the implementation of shortened classes and the introduction of a two-semester system, which resulted in changes to the schedule in line with school life.

1. infection control measures
   Arrange for the capacity of the shuttle bus to be less than 1/2.
   The number of students accepted at one time is limited to 60 or less to avoid crowding with the general public and to prevent the simultaneous implementation of two or more schools, due to the restricted admission to the exhibition rooms.
   To avoid crowding of children and guide staff at the entrance, the previously conducted general greeting was cancelled.
   To avoid crowding and to anticipate communication difficulties due to the wearing of masks, one group was reduced from 8 to 4 members.
   Take measures such as keeping your face away from them during conversations.
2. Pre-study DVD distribution
   In accordance with the cancellation of the general assembly, a DVD was distributed to the participating schools to learn in advance the contents of the tour and to confirm the rules of the museum.
   Considering the ease of conveying the message to the children and the teaching burden on the teachers, a 10-minute video was created.
   In addition to the video for children to view, a 15-minute video summarizing precautions to be taken when leading the students was also included for teachers.
3. Implementation time
   Tour times were changed to accommodate the shortened class schedule.
   Start time in the morning] 10:20 a.m. in the previous year → 9:50 a.m. in this year
   Afternoon start time] 13:50 in the previous year → 13:20 this year
4. Implemented only at schools of your choice
   Considering the limitation of the number of participants and the need to secure class time in the schools, we confirmed with the schools scheduled for the tour that they would be willing to participate in the tour.
5. Submission of list of participating children
   Since the entire assembly was cancelled, we requested that a list of names be submitted in advance in order to thoroughly confirm the number of children.

5. implementation results

1. About the changes
   1. infection control measures
      By limiting the number of visitors accepted, crowding at the entrance and in the exhibition rooms was reduced and problems with the general public were avoided.
      In addition to the fact that the time for the guides to lead the children increased significantly from the previous year due to the cancellation of the general greeting, the burden on the guides increased in terms of infection control measures, such as hand sanitizing. In addition, wearing masks made it difficult to communicate through facial expressions, and although the group size was reduced, it was sometimes difficult to read the children's facial expressions.
   2. Pre-study DVD distribution
      Compared to the previous year, there was a noticeable increase in the children's willingness to view the films and places they wanted to see, in addition to the fact that they remembered the rules of the museum well. However, there were a few schools that had not viewed the DVD in advance, and there were some responses such as a general greeting while taking care to avoid crowding. We felt it was necessary to find a way to communicate and hold meetings with schools to share the importance of prior learning with them.
   3. Implementation time
      The results of the teachers' survey showed that almost no one was dissatisfied with the change in the time of the field trip. However, the children's comments indicated that several schools could not coordinate with the school lunch time and had to provide lunchboxes for the children. This may be due to the fact that there were fewer field trips this year, and there was little resistance to asking parents to bring their own lunch boxes.
   4. Implemented only at schools of your choice
      We confirmed with schools that had originally planned to participate between September and December that they would like to participate, and a few schools declined to participate. In addition, 36 of the 60 schools that had applied for the program, which was scheduled to be held from May to August but was cancelled, submitted applications. The program was not able to accommodate the wishes of more than half of the schools, with only 13 schools requesting additional participation.
      Museum tour leaflets and Exploration Passports, which are free admission cards to the museum, were also distributed to schools that cancelled their tours.
   5. List of participating children
      The number of participants was easily ascertained by confirming the names of each group. In addition, the names of the students and their condition at school could be confirmed at the preliminary meeting, which was useful for smooth guiding. However, there were some downsides, such as the burden on the teachers in charge and the risk of personal information management, so we do not plan to request a list of names once it becomes possible to confirm the number of people in the entire group.
2. Number of repeat visitors after museum tours (individual visits)
   After the tour, 152 children and parents entered the Collection Exhibition II using the TANKEN PASSPORT. Although the TANKEN PASSPORT was distributed to the schools that cancelled the tour, no one used it for Collection Exhibition II. It is thought that the fact that the students had visited the museum before or had enjoyed their visit may have encouraged them to visit the museum, and the results largely reflect whether or not a tour was conducted.

6. survey results

1. Sohyo (General Council of Trade Unions of Japan)
   Sixty-four of the 65 schools that responded to the school survey Q1 indicated that they were satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the exhibition, and all 65 schools responded satisfied or somewhat satisfied to Q2. Schools that responded somewhat dissatisfied in Q1 requested that more time be allotted for viewing the exhibits in the exhibition rooms. I would like consideration to be given to the allocation of time to view each of the artworks, architecture, and views.
2. Museum and guide staffSixty-four of the 65 schools responded satisfied or somewhat satisfied with both Q3 and Q4. The schools that responded somewhat dissatisfied were of the opinion about the time allocation mentioned above.
3. advance preparation
   One school responded somewhat dissatisfied with each of the pre-tour explanations (by phone) and the pre-tour video. The explanation over the phone was about the fact that the start time of the tour planned at the beginning of the school year was different from the start time after the infection control measures had been taken, and the school had arrived at the time before the change. The school and the bus company each needed a thorough explanation, and the person in charge apologized to the school in question. As for the video, it was reported that the audio did not play due to equipment trouble on the school side.
4. Date & Time
   One school in each school was somewhat dissatisfied with the date and time of the event. Although no opinion was stated, it is assumed that the weather was the cause, since the schools were held on a snow day in December. Since the additional schools recruited were conducted from December to January, many of the tours were not blessed with good weather conditions.