MONTHLY NEWS
June 1997

Pupils Attend School on the Net

Many "pupils" from across the country are enrolling in an elementary school on the World Wide Web. They are not only "attending" classes at the Website but are doing homework and gathering for various events, such as a field day.

The cyberschool was opened in May last year by Koichi Hayashi, a PTA member of Nakatsugawa Elementary School in Kochi Prefecture, and two friends. The elementary school closed down two months earlier, 120 years after its foundation, due to a lack of pupils.

There are only about 100 people living in the mountainous district where the school is located, and the number of students at the time of closure was just 3.

Anyone who can access the Website can be admitted to the school on the Net, now called the Denno ("cyber") Nakatsugawa Elementary School, regardless of age and place of residence. So far, more than 200 pupils--from preschoolers to those over 70 years old--have signed up.

Most of the classes offered are about the beautiful natural surroundings of Kochi Prefecture. Some of the assignments students are asked to do include explaining what is meant by a "rich and abundant" river.

The pupils also participate in events where they can meet one another face to face. One such gathering was a field day held on the grounds of the old Nakatsugawa Elementary School. There has also been a summer camp. Each of these events have attracted around 20 students and local residents.

An alumnus said he was happy that the school name lives on on the Web despite the closure of the school. The Website can be accessed at:

Image: The Denno Nakatsugawa Elementary School website.