Back to school, for some

THE Bahrain School has opened for the new term despite the fact that many other head teachers and governors have decided to delay plans because of swine flu fears.

The Juffair-based school, which many US service children attend, welcomed back pupils and staff last Wednesday confident that it had adequate procedures in place.

However, at least four private schools, Ibn Khuldoon School and Bahrain Bayan School in Isa Town alongside the International School of Choueifat on Amwaj Islands and Modern Knowledge Schools in Juffair, decided to delay their scheduled openings yesterday to put a 'safety gap' between pupils returning from abroad and starting classes, and will not reopen now until Sunday.

Bahrain School principal Gail Anderson said: "We opened on schedule and have put a lot of time and resources into making sure that the school was ready. All of our teachers have arrived and are prepared and most of our students have shown up.

"We are thrilled to have our students back learning and they are happy to be here, I can tell by the excitement as I visit the classrooms.

"Our school nurse has been collaborating extensively with her colleagues at the US Embassy, at the base and in the kingdom. The nurse has been very vigilant and we have not had any sick children being sent home or used any of our quarantine rooms - so far, so good!"

St Christopher's School is set to start its new term next week while the Indian curriculum schools will open after Ramadan and Eid as planned.

The new government school term has been put back until September 27. The British School of Bahrain will also start its autumn term on that day.

Director Bill Frost said in an explanatory letter posted on the school website that the delay has arisen to 'satisfactorily resolve issues relating to health and safety in the school's new building'.

Mr Frost added: "We have delayed the start of school by one working week. We will issue a revised annual calendar shortly and this will be posted on the school website. There will be no change to the number of school days in the coming academic year."

All schools have detailed action plans in place and the education authorities in Bahrain are urging parents to keep any child with flu-type symptoms away from school and seek medical advice.

St Christopher's principal Edward Goodwin said: "In addition to the requirements of the Ministries of Education and Health, we have installed hand sanitising dispensers in virtually every classroom, toilet facility and kitchen and have ordered very large stocks of boxes of tissues.

"We will also be reminding students and employees about the need to practise good hygiene habits with regard to the use of these materials.

"On the whole, however, we regard the current level of alert as appropriate and measured. Things may, of course, change as time goes on and if it proves necessary, we will change our procedures to accord with the demands of any new situation."