Another private school opts for 10-day suspension of classes
Classes in Assumption Iloilo will resume today while another private school in Iloilo City opted for a voluntary suspension in the next ten days. At least two other private schools are also faced with gnawing concerns on the rising number of absent students. Common reason cited by parents was flu-like symptoms as the Department of Health (DOH) here was told of the matter.
To recall, Assumption Iloilo’s temporary closure vis-a-vis ten-day suspension of classes was brought by a positive case of Influenza A(H1N1). Similar decision reached late last week by school officials of said private school based in La Paz District. This following concerns of either Dengue or A(H1N1) spread here. Parents of the said private school with mostly Filipino-Chinese students were informed Thursday. The suspension of classes immediately began Friday with classes set to resume next Monday, July 13th. Parents reached by The News Today (TNT) said the past week saw one section in a Third Grade class of 24 schoolchildren with 19 altogether absent. High School classes also saw absences in “smaller” groups of five or six.
A repeat of the same scenario in yet another private school in the city proper where one class of some 40 students in the High School department recorded 18 absent in the past week. Higher year levels had a combined number of 24 absences while one class in the elementary had five absent youngsters.
Separate confirmations were reached by TNT from parents and school insiders on the condition of anonymity.
All city-based and catering to Iloilo’s middle-class and high-income families, school authorities in one affected school recognized the concern and has ordered a massive clean-up over the weekend. Such as Saturday activities of the students and the faculty here were canceled. An advisory was also sent out to parents not to allow school children with cough or fever to go to school.
Meantime, Dr. Glen Alonsabe of the DOH 6 acknowledged the reported rising number of student absences in private schools. Alonsabe is the regional epidemiologist and focal person of the region on A(H1N1) concerns.
Reached by Bombo Radyo Iloilo, Dr. Alonsabe said several schools have reported the matter and have expressed desire to suspend classes.
Alonsabe said that while the Health Department has set guidelines on appropriate responses of the schools, last say will have to be the school officials concerned.
To date, Western Visayas have 14 confirmed positive A(H1N1) virus cases while number of “under observation” have yet to be updated.