The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Schools on full alert, some closed

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Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Schools on full alert, some closed

Bangalore Bureau

Many schools have implemented wellness screening programmes
Government schools will be on alert, but will not be closed

Bangalore: A day after two students in the city were confirmed infected with A(H1N1) influenza, several schools have decided to shut down for a few days as a precautionary measure. A majority of them, however, have decided to stay on alert but continue with their regular activities.

Many have implemented wellness screening programmes, while some other schools are taking the help of pest control and management services companies to keep their surroundings and campuses clean.

The National Public School (NPS) in Indiranagar, the Delhi Public School (East) and Ken Shree School will stay shut for the next three days, which will be followed by a weekend. The Government has left the decision on shutting down to the judgment of schools, depending on specific conditions. However, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri told The Hindu that government schools will be on alert, but will not shut down. Children with cold will be screened for A(H1N1) too in the course of the regular Suvarna Arogya Chaitanya scheme, he added.

The Frank Anthony Public School, which was the first school in Bangalore that had a student victim, has declared a holiday for only the junior school. However, the rest of the classes too remained largely unoccupied on Tuesday. One student of the school said: “Only about 30 to 40 per cent of the entire senior school was in class today.”

Principal of NPS, Shantha Chandran, said: “We are doing this only as precautionary measure as we are aware of how contagious this can be. This is the time of the year when most people catch a common cold or fever. So it’s very hard to tell whether they are affected by the A(H1N1) virus or not. We would also probably fumigate the school while the children are out.”

Cambridge School, situated close to NPS, has not been closed. Dr. Vaijayanthi, principal of the school, said that the school had taken all the necessary precautions and also stressed on the fact that the personal hygiene of the students was being monitored. “We are not taking any chances and have spoken to each class, individually, about the precautions to be taken. Students with any sort of cold have been advised to stay at home,” she said.

Principal of St. Joseph’s Indian High School Fr. Gilbert Saldanha, said: “We have a health unit in the school and the staff is on alert. Even under normal circumstances, a child is sent home if he has a fever.”

Prathibha Prabhakar, principal, Prasiddhi School, said that they were observing “health and hygiene week” from Monday. “We have asked a pest control management services company to sanitise the surroundings twice a month,” she said.

Karthiayani Bhat, vice-principal, Sri Vani Education Centre, Magadi Road, said that the school has sent two circulars to parents informing them to be on their vigil.

Many schools are reaching the parents through SMSes and emails.

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