MOE's H1N1 precautionary measures are adequate say public
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 23 June 2009 2210 hrs

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SINGAPORE: Schools are gearing up for the start of a new term next week after the June holidays.

But what do Singaporeans think of the precautionary measures the Ministry of Education (MOE) is putting in place to deal with the H1N1 virus?

The MOE announced on Tuesday it will issue a seven-day leave of absence to all school staff and students returning from H1N1-affected countries on or after June 22.

Travel declaration forms will also be sent to all staff, parents, vendors and service providers. When schools reopen on Monday, teachers will check the travel declaration forms to ensure that students have not travelled to affected countries.

Meanwhile, twice-daily temperature checks will also resume in schools until further notice.

The MOE said schools are well-equipped to implement home-based learning for students who have to take a leave of absence.

At Deyi Secondary School, online learning materials are already a part of the curriculum. But there are plans to increase the amount of materials posted online to help students cope with any possible school closures.

The school is utilising technology to its fullest advantage, including uploading videos as a substitute for practical sessions. Its heads of department have also been working from home, and the school also uses video conferencing for its management meeting.

Those Channel NewsAsia spoke to said they feel MOE's precautionary measures are sufficient. But they felt there is a limit to what the ministry can do and Singaporeans should continue to practise social responsibility.

"The situation is quite uncertain at this point. So I don't know whether extending the school holidays by one week or two weeks is going to be a solution to the problem," said a member of the public.

"I'm not worried. Singapore is quite a safe city," said another.

But an online poll on channelnewsasia.com said otherwise, with 89 per cent of respondents wanting the school holidays to be extended.

Another 8 per cent said conducting lessons online would be best, with only 3 per cent saying school should continue as scheduled.

We want to hear your views on the issue. Share them with us here.

- CNA/ir