8 test positive; schools told to monitor students

UT administration has also decided to stagger the forthcoming Science Exhibition,to be held from November 17 to 20. Instead of holding the exhibition at one place (State Institute of Education),exhibits from each school would now be displayed in the concerned school and the team from NCERT can visit all the schools for evaluation.

Meanwhile,in the test reports received from the PGI on Saturday,four students in the age group of 9 to 14 years of St Anne’s Convent School Sector 32 have tested positive for H1N1,while three students of Punjab Engineering College (PEC) were also confirmed as suffering from swine flu. Both these institutes have been closed for a week following several cases reported from them.

With six students already positive at PEC,the total number of affected students at the college has now reached nine,whereas seven students of St Anne’s have been confirmed positive till today.

Shivalik Public School Sector 41,meanwhile,reported its first case today as a 11-year-old Class VI student tested positive for the virus. The class has been suspended for one week.

“Parents and school authorities have to take the responsibility and not allow students with symptoms to attend classes. Schools should not hold functions and gatherings. In most cases,the parents are sending ailing children to attend classes and to the school trips,which is absolutely against the guidelines,” said UT nodal officer for swine flu H C Gera.

To assess the rising number of cases in the city,UT health and education secretary Ram Niwas on Saturday held a meeting with Education and Health department representatives. It has been decided that class teachers will now be required to screen every child.

“The teacher would submit a certificate to the principal within one hour of the morning roll call. In case a teacher does not report about a child showing any flu symptoms disciplinary action would be initiated. The District Education Officer shall cross check this activity randomly by visiting different schools,” a senior official said.

The administration has also directed the schools to reschedule or re-conduct the Unit Tests as students in many schools have been asked to stay home.

Boxhead: Students on school trip,despite govt order. Violating UT administration’s instructions that schools should not send students on school trips,Bhavan Vidyalya,Sector 27,which has reported ten positive cases of H1N1 virus,sent 100 students for an excursion to Kasauli on Saturday morning. Even on Friday,around 60 students of the school’s special cell had gone for a trip to Pinjore. The school had charged Rs 400 each from student for the Kasauli trip.

While the principal of the school,Vanita Arora could not be contacted,Director Public Instructions (Schools) Sunil Bhatia said that the department was aware of the trip. “We were aware of the excursion and we gave them permission as the school had already paid around Rs 80,000 to the tour operator. This is the last time we have allowed a school to go ahead with their plans. No other school will be given a go-ahead and they will have to strictly comply with the advisory,” he said. Three coaching institutes in Sector 20,38 and 24 also suspended classes for a week after their students tested positive of swine flu.