Closure Of Schools


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Darkwolf

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As an additional precautionary measure in response to concerns expressed by parents on the recent SARS cases, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Health (MOH) have decided to close all primary schools, secondary schools, junior colleges and centralised institutes from Thursday, 27 March 2003 to Sunday, 6 April 2003.

All schools have been adhering closely to MOH?s advisories since school re-opened after the March holidays. They have been screening their students every day since school re-opened. On purely medical grounds, there are currently no strong reasons for closing all schools. However, principals and general practitioners have reported that parents continue to be concerned about the risk to their children in schools. MOE and MOH hope that this additional precautionary step to close schools will address parents? concerns and further reassure them.

UPDATE ON SARS

The control measures already instituted are minimising the risk of transmission of SARS within the community. Home quarantine of contacts allows us to identify and isolate those who come down with SARS early and prevent spread to others. In the hospitals, no more healthcare workers have been infected with SARS by known or suspected cases, since the implementation of the enhanced infection control precautions.

All the SARS cases in Singapore so far can be traced back to the 3 index cases. The index cases passed on the infection to 21 primary close contacts, who in turn infected 26 other secondary close contacts. Further transmission of the infection appears to be stabilising, with only 23 more tertiary close contacts being infected. The control measures appear to be working, although it is still too early to be confident of this.

DETAILS OF SCHOOL CLOSURE

All school competitions and co-curricular activities scheduled between now and 6 April will be cancelled or postponed. The current school term, Term 2, will be extended into the June school holidays, to make up for losses in curriculum time.

The universities, polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education will continue to operate as normal. These institutes of higher learning have a different system of operation from our national schools. Furthermore, the students in our post-secondary institutions are older and are better able to understand the situation and take the necessary precautions.

MOE will advise the pre-school centres to close for the same period. Similarly, the Ministry of Community Development and Sports will be closing childcare centres while the People's Association will be closing the playgroups and tuition classes at community centres/clubs and residents' committees. Student Care Centres are advised to do likewise. Special education schools, as advised by the National Council of Social Services, and madrasahs, as advised by Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, will also close during this period.

MOE urges employers to exercise flexibility in allowing their employees affected by the closure of schools to take urgent leave to make alternative child care arrangements.

The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health will review the SARS situation before the end of next week.

Extract from
http://app.moh.gov.sg/new/new02.asp?id=1&mid=5661
 

Did you register just to post this message? :) Maybe you are from ministry of health....

Whoah... I dont know this SARS thing getting serious. I think tertirary students having the same chance of getting the disease. Hope that they can find the cure ASAP. May the GOD bless all the people that still struggling with this disease.
 

hmm interesting reason they gave for not closing the polytechnics and universities...so does this mean the jc pple as compared to those in poly are not mature enuff to take care of themselves? :D

*flamesuit on*
 

Napalm launcher loaded...

:rbounce:

Just kidding...

Good point mystix, but actually I would have been terribly happy with an unplanned break right now.(I'm in poly you see...) I could almost hear the collective "Wooohoooo!!!!" from the schoolkids all around Singapore as I'm typing this.

Jokes aside, the Government may say this is only extra precaution, but I wonder if the situation is really that bad as to warrant a closure of schools. This is rather unprecedented I would think. Then again it could be the Government folding to public pressure.

Right now, this has the potential to go both ways. It can keep spreading regardless of the measures put up to curb the spread, or it may stop here. I'm praying it's the latter.
 

Originally posted by Meanie
Napalm launcher loaded...

:rbounce:

Just kidding...

Good point mystix, but actually I would have been terribly happy with an unplanned break right now.(I'm in poly you see...) I could almost hear the collective "Wooohoooo!!!!" from the schoolkids all around Singapore as I'm typing this.

Jokes aside, the Government may say this is only extra precaution, but I wonder if the situation is really that bad as to warrant a closure of schools. This is rather unprecedented I would think. Then again it could be the Government folding to public pressure.

Right now, this has the potential to go both ways. It can keep spreading regardless of the measures put up to curb the spread, or it may stop here. I'm praying it's the latter.

From teacher's perspective : BIG SIGH.....have to teach into the June holidays to catch up...holidays burnt liao...
 

Originally posted by Meanie

Jokes aside, the Government may say this is only extra precaution, but I wonder if the situation is really that bad as to warrant a closure of schools. This is rather unprecedented I would think. Then again it could be the Government folding to public pressure.

Actually, it is really that bad. Just came back from the clinic* and the doctor told me that those suffering from SARS had mutiple organ failure and internal bleeding. In fact, a lot of fit young men and women have to rely on external breathing devices.

*i'm just having a runny nose and cough, if you're curious.
 

Ok dun flame me ok:

Why MOE and MOH leave poly,ITE and uni out of the closure?? The SARS may spread within this range of people and no action has be done to this range of ppl.

And they claim

The universities, polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education will continue to operate as normal. These institutes of higher learning have a different system of operation from our national schools. Furthermore, the students in our post-secondary institutions are older and are better able to understand the situation and take the necessary precautions.

So JC students are unaware of how to protect themselves? :rolleyes:

Closure of all schools should include ALL meaning poly,ite and uni.

The Govt is putting this group at risk. So only JC and below should be protected?

I think the nature of all these study locations revolve around $$$ and the Govt will close them the last to have less impact on income.

PS: Just expressing views. Don't flame or quote my actions. Peace.
 

arghh!!!

why Poly dont have!!
if not can rest 1 and a half week liao
these days so stress sia...
 

Wah lau... this is not a joke, okay? ;(
 

poly got...but oni NYP students frm health sciences...

the move thats taken makes me feel that they feel that either poly students n ite students are not so human...cos gg to sch also we dun have such chances of getting hit by the bugs...


OR

Simply students from JCs,pri schs, sec schs....all are the bug spreaders...:devil:
 

Originally posted by shidenx
Ok dun flame me ok:

Why MOE and MOH leave poly,ITE and uni out of the closure?? The SARS may spread within this range of people and no action has be done to this range of ppl.

And they claim



So JC students are unaware of how to protect themselves? :rolleyes:

Closure of all schools should include ALL meaning poly,ite and uni.

The Govt is putting this group at risk. So only JC and below should be protected?

I think the nature of all these study locations revolve around $$$ and the Govt will close them the last to have less impact on income.

PS: Just expressing views. Don't flame or quote my actions. Peace.

Maybe its due to the timing of curriculum systems...

Cos the timing of semesters are different...realise ITE,Poly and Unis have the same timing for start n ending of their curriculum periods?
 

Originally posted by AdamGoi
Bo bian lor...meantime, let's just enjoy the break! ;)

meanwhile, u can catch up with your marking and planning for lessons. :D
 

Hmm...

I think tertiary students also should stay home as these people are also prone to infection especially in packed public transport like MRT. E.g.......Singapore poly station.....


well......it depends on the head of the school....


regards,
me
 

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