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SCHOOL head teachers and principals from across the island have been summoned to an 'extraordinary meeting' by education and health ministry officials today to discuss the latest swine flu directives and address any concerns they may have.
The move follows growing unease over the decision to close schools for up to six weeks after the Eid holidays in a bid to stop the spread of the H1N1 virus.
Most schools around the island have decided to extend school hours by up to 80 minutes per day to allow children to catch up on missed lessons when they reopen.
A parent-power protest march on government buildings urging a rethink on the strategy has been cancelled although members of the 'I want my kids to go back to school!' Facebook social networking forum hope to hold their own top level meeting with officials.
Organiser Anisa Asad, the director and founder of Bright Beginnings Day Care and Child Development Centre, said: "We have been advised not to go ahead with the peaceful protest. We are requesting for an open discussion with officials from the ministries of health and education as we don't understand this closure and we don't want it to be extended."
She also voiced concerns over media reports of a possible mandatory H1N1 vaccine for all school age children.
During the shutdown most schools are posting work for pupils on websites to keep them busy at home and are in touch with students via emails.
The pressure on senior school students in particular, who are set to take crucial examinations, is one area of immense concern. And, even parents of young children who should now be attending pre-schools are worried because admission tests for the coming academic year start as early as February next year.
Nursery schools around the island are uniting and planning to present their case too.
Eleanor Benson, principal of Little Gems School, said: "We will outline the measures we are taking to prevent the spread of swine flu, measures that go above and beyond the guidelines set out by the ministries. We also hope to put forward written parental support for getting children back to the school before November 1."
However, it is not all doom and gloom as some bored teachers are cashing in on the swine flu crisis by offering their services privately.
Anxious parents are paying for tuition to ensure their children do not fall behind.
"It's ironic that having paid out large sums of money on school fees I'm paying a teacher extra to do exactly what should be done in the classroom," said one frustrated mother.
"Although they have been given work to do at home it's not the same as having a professional helping you to understand. What choice have we got? I'm very angry but our children's education has to come first."
Some teachers are charging parents more than BD20-an-hour for home tuition.
Schools that have already opened for a few days at the start of term are continuing to pay staff and will not be refunding tuition fees to parents because the closure of classes has been forced upon them by officials.
Bill Frost, director of the British School in Bahrain, said that any teacher who would want to work outside their contract would be required to seek prior permission from the head of the institution.
He said: "Our concern would be the impact on the job and the decision would change on a case-to-case basis. In the current situation our teachers are at school during the day. The senior teachers are working online with our students and the junior teachers have been providing study-material to parents. As far as I know I have no knowledge of any teacher working outside school hours."
