By Jessica Jaganathan & Leow Si Wan

ONE or two pupils felled by the H1N1 flu and their class may be sent home for a week. More, and the whole school may be ordered shut.

This scenario might well be played out at various schools across the island over the next few months as part of the Education Ministry's approach to containing the spread of the H1N1 virus, which has infected 194 people here so far.

But Education Minister Ng Eng Hen has ruled out a full-scale shutdown of schools or delaying the start of the new school term which begins on Monday.

Measures that will kick in

EDUCATION Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday outlined how schools will deal with Influenza A (H1N1):

1 MOE will issue Leave of Absence (LOA) to all staff and students who have returned from affected countries, on and after June 22.

2 Even after the first week, things will not return to normal. Schools will step up vigilance measures to detect and isolate those with fever and other flu symptoms.

3 Home-based learning and make-up lessons will be conducted for affected students.

4 Everyone needs to play a part to slow down the spread of H1N1. The main weapon is social distancing. If you are unwell, stay away from other people.

5 Students will be taught proper handwashing techniques, and sneeze and cough etiquette.

6 If each of us exercises social responsibility, life can go on as normal.

What schools are doing

SCHOOLS across the island are relooking their systems in an effort to minimise the chances of an outbreak of H1N1. Among the measures taken:

NO MOVING ABOUT

Presbyterian High School will suspend its system of students moving from class to class depending on the subjects they take.

Instead, each class will have lessons in a designated classroom.

NO PASSING-OUT PARADE

Peirce Secondary School has postponed a combined bands passing-out parade involving four schools.

RECORDS VIA SMS

All staff and students of the National University of Singapore will have to record their temperature readings online or via SMS.

NO CLASSES FOR A WEEK

Nanyang Polytechnic will conduct an e-learning exercise for all students when term begins next week.

CLASSROOMS CLOSED

Republic Polytechnic has put some students and teachers on a seven-day leave of absence after two students were infected with H1N1.

Nan Hua and other schools ready with online lessons

By Leow Si Wan

TEACHERS at Nan Hua Primary are ready for work on Monday to make sure that about 25 pupils who will not return to school will not be left behind.

That is the number the school reckons would have returned from flu-stricken areas on and after June 22, according to travel declaration forms handed in before the mid-year holidays.

They will be given seven days leave of absence, as announced by the Education Ministry, in an effort to slow down the transmission of the H1N1 virus.

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