Song Bo, Nanyang Poly to tell students to stay away from school next week

Nanyang Polytechnic will be contacting students this week to advise them not to come to class next Monday when the new term starts.

In light of the latest developments, a spokesperson says they’ve decided to implement their e-learning exercise next week.

This is to test their preparedness to ensure the polytechnic can continue to function in the event the flu situation worsens.

So students will be required to attend online lessons through the polytechnic’s e-learning system.

Lecturers will be accessible via email or phone should students need to contact them, the spokesperson added.

Normal lessons will resume only from July 6th.

The other H1N1 precautions will also kick in from next week.

Students and staff who’ve travelled to affected countries will be asked to stay away from campus for seven days upon returning to Singapore.

Temperature taking meanwhile, will be conducted twice a day next week for students involved in some ongoing programmes.

The same goes for staff and visitors.

Meanwhile, Republic Polytechnic has closed three classrooms after it was confirmed on Monday this week that two students have the H1N1 virus.

About 70 students who came into contact with their affected classmates in those classrooms have been asked to quarantine themselves for a week starting Monday.

The rest of the students, who started school on June 15th, will continue as normal.

But H1N1 precautionary measures will be stepped up from Wednesday.

Daily temperature taking will be done and staff and students returning from affected countries will be advised to stay home for a week.

The other three polytechnics contacted say they’re no plans to suspend ongoing classes or extend the vacation period.

But all are also observing more stringent H1N1 precautionary measures, including daily temperature checks and a seven-day Leave of Absence for all staff and students returning from affected countries.

Classes at Temasek Poly started this week.

Its spokesperson says apart from the temperature checks and leave of absense measures, the polytechnic is also putting in place ‘risk mitigation and social distancing measures’.

These include reducing non essential group activities to prevent any potential spread of infection.

More orders of masks and thermometers have also been placed.

Should the flu situation worsen, the polytechnic is also prepared to roll out its e-learning programme – a contingency put in place since the SARS outbreak in 2003.

For Singapore Poly and Ngee Ann Poly, where the new term starts only June 29th, there’re no plans to extend the vacation period.

But returning students and staff will be subject to the daily temperature checks and leave of absence measures.

The polytechnics say they’re also prepared for home-based e-learning to take place.