COVID-19 and School Education: The Impact of Civic Education through Special Activities

Waseda University’s Research Institute for Humanities held its first COVID-19 research meeting of fiscal year 2026 on June 22, 2026, to examine the pandemic’s effect on school education. Presenter Kazunari Yui analyzed how COVID-19 impacted citizenship education through “special activities,” according to a report published by the university.

The meeting focused on the intersection of public health crises and the development of civic competencies in students. Yui presented findings on the specific disruptions caused by pandemic-era restrictions to the Japanese educational model of citizenship training, according to the event summary.

How did COVID-19 affect citizenship education?

The research highlighted the role of “special activities,” known as Tokkatsu, as a primary vehicle for citizenship education in Japanese schools. These activities typically include student council operations, class meetings, and school events designed to foster social cooperation and leadership.

According to the report, the pandemic altered the delivery and efficacy of these activities. The transition to remote learning and the implementation of social distancing measures limited the face-to-face interactions necessary for traditional citizenship education. Yui’s presentation analyzed these shifts to determine how the loss of physical collaboration impacted the students’ ability to engage in democratic processes within the school environment.

What is the role of the Research Institute for Humanities?

The Research Institute for Humanities at Waseda University serves as the organizational lead for this ongoing study of the pandemic’s societal effects. The institute coordinates interdisciplinary research to document long-term educational and social outcomes resulting from the COVID-19 crisis.

This research is integrated into the university’s broader academic output, specifically through the WASEDA RILAS JOURNAL. The journal acts as the formal record for these findings, providing a peer-reviewed platform for the data gathered during the university’s research meetings.

Why does the focus on “special activities” matter?

In the Japanese education system, Tokkatsu is distinct from academic instruction. It is viewed as a critical component for developing “non-cognitive skills,” such as empathy, negotiation, and collective responsibility.

By analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on these specific activities, Waseda University researchers aim to identify gaps in student development that may not be apparent through standardized test scores. The university’s focus on citizenship education suggests a concern that the pandemic may have hindered the social integration and civic readiness of students who spent formative years under lockdown or hybrid learning conditions.

The findings presented by Yui contribute to a larger body of evidence regarding the “educational loss” associated with the pandemic. While much of the global discourse on educational loss centers on mathematics and literacy, the Waseda University research emphasizes the loss of social capital and civic engagement skills.

The university’s research framework allows for a comparison between pre-pandemic Tokkatsu models and the adaptive strategies implemented during the crisis. This comparison helps educators determine which elements of citizenship education can be digitized and which require physical presence to be effective.