Classes open today amid threat of H1N1 flu
Classes in public schools all over the country officially open today amid calls from some lawmakers to suspend class opening due to the rising cases of Influenza A(H1N1) here.
Department pf Health (DOH) reported that there are already 16 confirmed H1N1 infections in the country.
Over the weekend, DOH and Department of Education (DepEd) have put up a new alert system for the cancellation of classes relative to H1N1 cases.
In Bacolod City, Schools Division Superintendent Milagros Gonzales advised students who have fever to refrain from coming to school until they are well.
Gonzales reminded them to always develop good health habits to prevent the possible spread of A(H1N1) virus.
“In our a meeting last week with our division medical officer, we discussed with them the A(H1N1) virus,” she added.
The critical alert signal for Influenza A(H1N1) starts at Level 3, which means there is a confirmed case in a school and a sudden increase in absenteeism due to flu. Classes in a school with a Level 3 alert have to be suspended.
The highest alert signal is Level 4, where there are more than one schools with confirmed H1N1 infection within a community. Under the said alert level classes in schools within the community can be suspended.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the alert system will help DepEd and the DOH "target the particular area where there is a confirmed case of H1N1."
The alert system would avoid one-time nationwide suspension of classes due to the dreaded influenza virus.
The alert system was also put up to avoid "panic" calls for suspension of the opening of classes today.
Meanwhile, Gonzales said they received information from parents and students that some principals and teachers still require fees for enrollment.
This is despite a memorandum to all public school teachers to enroll students without requiring them to pay any fees and even if they have no uniforms since this is optional.
Gonzales also emphasized the efforts of the Bacolod City government in subsidizing the miscellaneous fees of public school students.
“I called the principals of the different public schools in Bacolod, about 3,000 of them, to a meeting and asked them to instruct their teachers to be child-friendly and to give access to all school age children,” she added.
Earlier, DepEd announced the strict implementation of the "no collection" and "no uniform" policies in public schools to ease the parents’ financial burdens.
“The President’s directive to allow schoolchildren to go to public schools without having to wear their uniform lessens the expenses parents incur before school opening,” said Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.