School authorities on alert

CHANDIGARH: Following fear being triggered off by swine flu virus, city schools have stepped up precautionary measures to combat the deadly pandemic soon after UT education department recommending doing away with morning assemblies as a precaution against the disease.
From airing talk-shows with doctors on preventive actions through the schools��� FM to getting the entire building sanitized and making parents aware of the do���s and don���ts to sending students back home immediately if they show flu-like symptoms, schools are apparently sparing no efforts in fighting the disease.���We are immediately sending students back home even if they show slight symptoms of cough and cold. We do not want to take any risk,��� said Poonam Sharma, principal of Ryan International School.
While teams of doctors have been solicited, staff members of many schools are keen to make sure students are hygiene-conscious.
���We have got an interview of a doctor stating precautionary measures for avoiding the disease recorded and are playing it frequently on our FM which has a reach of 10 km. Besides, we have arranged for counselling of students by doctors as well as the school staff. Our foremost advice to children as well as their parents is not to panic and deal with the situation calmly,��� said Daman Duggal, principal of Vivek High School.
Schools are paying more attention to getting the building and the premises sanitized with disinfectants being sprayed in the grounds. ���We have doubled the amount of detergent used to clean classrooms and corridors over the last few days to keep up with the cleaning requirement,��� Duggal added.
At the same time, even government schools are in accord with the private ones, with the administration making special efforts to get mosquito repellent sprayed in school premises and other sanitation activities like getting corridors washed with disinfectants frequently in full swing. On being asked about it, a government school principal said, ���Though UT administration should have initiated sanitization of school buildings, no such action has witnessed light of the day, which has forced government schools to initiate measures on their own.���