|
AS SOON as they hopped off the bus at Ascension Kindergarten in Potong Pasir yesterday, about 300 pupils found themselves in a long queue waiting for the once- over from thermometer-wielding teachers.
Scenes like this played out across the island as pre-schools ramped up health checks for pupils in the wake of four flu-related deaths in Hong Kong.
On what was the first day back from the March school holidays, teachers across Singapore were pressed into service as medics, checking thousands of pupils for sniffles, coughs and high temperatures.
The effort followed calls from the Ministry of Education for teachers to keep a close eye on their pupils and isolate those with flu-like symptoms. Officials are hoping to prevent the outbreak of a killer flu like the one in Hong Kong. A seasonal flu there has killed four children and led to a two-week closure of schools.
Singapore officials do not believe there is any immediate threat to children here, but are concerned the bug could migrate to the island.
'(Health) checks are essential,' said PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Zhenghua kindergarten administrator Daisy Chee. 'These young children are more susceptible to falling sick, and they may not know it themselves unless someone performs a check on them.'
The country's largest childcare operator, NTUC Childcare, has begun daily temperature checks, and some schools, like Ascension Kindergarten, have been quizzing pupils to see if they spent their holidays in a flu-ridden country.
Despite the Hong Kong scare, an informal Straits Times survey of 22 primary and secondary schools and two kindergartens showed attendance did not dip.
Like most, Mrs Maybeline Chia, 35, still sent her two children to Ascension. 'I don't think the Hong Kong flu is anything to be concerned about for now. But of course I will still keep an eye on my children, like I always have.'
The Straits Times check also showed that schools were keeping tabs on pupils, though they did not resort to full-scale health checks.
Madam Ng Puey Koon, principal of Teck Whye Primary School, said: 'We will look for any illness symptoms...then we will take the pupil's temperature and advise the parent to take him or her home.'
The flu scare is hardly an issue for five-year-old Hayley Mah of Ascension.
Arriving in school with a plaster on her arm, she said excitedly: 'I am going to Hong Kong Disneyland this Wednesday. They have a bad flu there, so I got my flu injection this morning.'
tansle@sph.com.sg
leepq@sph.com.sg
| 
