By Invera Arjoon Friday, October 30 2009

The National Primary Schools Principals Association(NAPSPA) has thrown its support behind Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha(SDMS) for the early closure of the school term as more of the nation’s schools continued yesterday to be affected by the Influenza A/H1N1.

According to school sources there are four suspected cases of the Influenza A/H1N1 among teaching staff at the Couva Secondary School.

Newsday was also informed of three other unconfirmed cases of teachers being affected by the Swine Flu, two at the Tunapuna Hindu School, and one from the Jerningham Government Primary School in Cunupia.

Only mere days ago, a student of the Jerningham Primary had tested positive for the virus which led to parents keeping their children away from school.

Responding to the latest number of cases among both teachers and students at the nation’s schools General Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association(TTUTA) Peter Wilson said his association have requested a meeting with the Ministry of Education to “examine the data and clarify all the information in an attempt to determine if indeed schools should be closed.” But TTUTA remains adamant that the health and safety of teachers and students is paramount, Wilson added.

NAPSPA President Vijay Jagrup said after a meeting yesterday the association has decided to support SDMS Secretary General Sat Maharaj’s call for a review of the policy on closure of schools.

“If the Ministries of Education and Health continue to take the position there should be no mass closure, then we are calling for schools which are affected to be given priority medical care and attention.”

The care should be given to students, teachers and then to the other school personnel who present with symptoms, said Jagrup.

Additionally NAPSPA believes the Ministry of Education should provide proper sanitisation equipment, liquid soap, hand sanitisers and dispensers to the nation’s schools, he said. Since the recent spread of the A/H1N1 have been placing “extra strain on the two and three janitorial staff” as such the ministry should make haste to provide additional cleaning staff at schools, sourced from the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) or the Ministry of Works, said Jagrup. There continued to be a non-attendance of pupils at the Munroe Road Hindu Primary School in Chaguanas, the Clarke Rochard Government Primary School, Penal, and the Strange Village Early Childhood Care Centre in Barrackpore, yesterday.