General Election Forces Schools to Reschedule Sports Festivals

Tokyo, Oct. 18 (Jiji Press)--The Oct. 27 general election is forcing many elementary schools in Japan to reschedule this autumn's sports festivals to avoid the election day, when schools will be used as polling stations.

In the southwestern city of Kagoshima, 28 of the 64 city-run elementary schools where polling stations will be set up on Oct. 27 have rescheduled their sports festivals.

"We had no choice," said the vice principal of a Kagoshima school that has moved up its sports festival, disappointing some parents who were unable to attend because of work.

Another school informed parents of the possibility of rescheduling its sports festival, following media reports in September that there could be a snap election. The school has then postponed the event for a week.

"We acted quickly to avoid confusion" as the sports festival is "one of the most important school events that children want their parents to attend," said the school's principal.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]