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SINGAPORE: The first day of school on Monday saw an average of 32 students and four teachers from each school sent home as part of measures to break the chain of H1N1 transmission in the community.
If the situation worsens in the coming months, the Ministry of Education (MOE) may close classes and even schools. The risk of community spread has also caused some schools to be concerned about a manpower shortage.
Nan Hua Primary School gave leave of absence on Monday to over 40 staff and students who had returned from H1N1-affected countries within the past week.
Most are expected to return in the next two days and Nan Hua said disruption has been minimal so far. The school added that most of its staff and students had returned to Singapore before June 24.
Students who have to remain at home will continue their lessons through home-based learning packs prepared by the school. Affected teachers may also work from home.
However, Nan Hua's biggest worry is that an H1N1 cluster may still emerge in the school despite its precaution measures and said it is monitoring staff and students for signs of possible infection.
It is also worried about staffing issues, should affected teachers be required to take a long leave of absence.
Lee Hui Feng, principal, Nan Hua Primary School, said: "When we go into mitigation phase, closure of classes or levels will certainly be one of the possible steps that we will take because with a closure, it will help us look into the key concern of breaking the cluster within the school, as well as the concern about a shortage of manpower."
She said the school is also looking into ways to allow teachers to work from home, through tele-conferencing tools, for instance.
Nan Hua, like many other schools, relies on a pool of relief teachers to conduct lessons when its staff have to take leave from school.
But with many of its relief teachers being university students on vacation, the school may face a shortage of manpower when the new college term begins in a couple of months.
By then, Singapore may well see a sustained community spread of the virus and that is when the school may call upon retired teachers for help.
- CNA/so
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