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Some 800 primary and special schools are well-prepared for the phased resumption of classes from Monday (May 12).
Speaking during a school visit in Chai Wan today (May 9), the Principal Education Officer of the Education and Manpower Bureau, Mrs Sin Chow Dick-yee, reminded students and parents that Primary Four and above at primary and special schools (except schools for the mentally handicapped) would resume classes on May 12.
"With the concerted efforts of Government departments, schools, teachers, students, parents and the community at large to guard against atypical pneumonia, we have seen the satisfactory resumption of classes at secondary schools over the past two weeks," she said.
"To help primary, special schools and kindergartens follow suit in stages, the bureau has made every effort to convey anti-atypical pneumonia messages to school staff, parents and students through various channels ranging from guidelines, posters and leaflets to the media and the Internet. Schools have also been provided with anti-atypical pneumonia items, such as surgical facemasks, ear thermometers and probe covers, for their use on a needs basis."
Mrs Sin called on parents to play their part in class resumption by taking their children's temperature daily and making sure that they were in good health before sending them to school. Parents should also provide their children with facemasks and tissues.
As part of a territory-wide operation prior to class resumption, a health inspector from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today paid a visit to a school in Chai Wan to inspect its hygiene standards and offer professional advice.
"To prepare for class resumption, we have stepped up cleansing and disinfectant measures. The whole school campus is cleansed thoroughly on a daily basis and lavatories, in particular, will be sanitised with antiseptic spray every two hours," the Headmaster, Mr So Wai-ming, said.
"We have provided each classroom with a paper towel dispenser for students' use. Also, each keyboard in the computer room has been mounted with a plastic cover to facilitate frequent disinfection," he added.
To encourage students to wash hands more frequently, the school has installed additional hand-washing facilities and will extend each recess by five minutes to 20 minutes.
The whole-day school will also adjust its timetable, with academic subjects to be taught in the morning, and multiple-intelligence and remedial teaching activities in the afternoon. This is to allow parents and students the flexibility to decide whether to have their own lunch boxes at school and to take part in the afternoon activities. In addition, the daily school assembly will be held online.
For Primary Three and below, schools for the mentally handicapped, kindergartens and child care centres, classes are tentatively scheduled to resume on May 19.
End/Friday, May 9, 2003
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