By Benita Aw Yeong, newsroom intern

SCHOOL holidays mean travel for Singapore families.

So should schools postpone their re-opening due to the Influenza A (H1N1) situation?

No, say more than half of 100 people polled.

The New Paper reported yesterday that several schools were making preparations to remain closed and let their students do their lessons from home should the flu situation here worsen.

57 per cent of those polled, who were largely made up of parents with school-going children, said that schools should re-open on schedule.

'There are still many checks in place, even in schools, so it shouldn't be a problem for them to continue operating,' said housewife Sharon Koh, 38.

Mrs Alice Yeo, 52, also believes that it is not necessary to keep schools closed.

'Schools should remain open as the situation we have now is not as serious as during Sars,' said the sales supervisor.

Assistant product manager Eric Yeap, 39, agreed. He said: 'H1N1 is here to stay. Schools should just re-open as per normal.'

On the other hand, 41 per cent felt that schools should close beyond the stipulated holiday period.

'I think it's a great idea for school holidays to extend for another week, since families who returned from vacations just in time for school to re-open will have an 'additional' week for symptoms to show up,' said medical doctor Karen Siow, 36.

Hospital worker Aini, 52, agreed.

'Nowadays, I see a lot of cases (of H1N1) in Singapore since I'm working at a hospital. I think schools can consider remaining closed if necessary because children are still growing. They may be more susceptible,' she said.

The remaining two per cent of respondents had mixed feelings on the extension.

Said parent Noorjahan Ibrahim Kutty, 44: 'For older kids who are more knowledgeable about practising personal hygiene, school should continue.

'However, for those who are younger, a longer holiday might be a good idea because they are naturally more susceptible.'

Respondents were also polled on whether they had taken extra steps to cope with the flu situation.

Fifty-two per cent said they have taken more steps to protect themselves and their family members against the virus. 'I try to avoid crowded places, and keep my kids away from places such as playgrounds, where many kids congregate,' said writer Adeline Foo, 38.

Her caution is shared by teacher Karan Quek: 'Every time my grandchild comes home, I make sure she washes her hands and feet,' said the 57-year-old.

This article was first published in The New Paper.