The Taif Education Department announced Tuesday that it has scheduled a training program next Saturday for 1,800 female teachers from 800 local schools to raise awareness on fighting the swine flu inside their schools. “We want to teach them how this deadly flu can be prevented in the first place,” said Salem Al-Zahrani, head of the Taif Education Department. In another swine flu awareness drive, the Education Department in Muwaih, east of Taif, has distributed swine flu patient forms to local schools to be filled out for each student suspected of carrying the H1N1 virus to ensure easy and fast hospital treatment. Over 45 teachers attended an awareness session on the swine flu virus Tuesday at the education department. Each local school has been assigned two teachers to increase awareness among students and staff members on the swine flu. The Education Department in Al-Laith, 180 km southwest of Jeddah, said Tuesday that it would start swine flu training for local teachers and student counselors next. The department has allocated SR150,000 to meet any swine flu emergency. Medics join training Nearly 500 senior medical students from eight universities have been engaged in training programs across the country to participate in the national campaign to raise public awareness of swine flu in schools and supervise isolation rooms designated for students suspected of being hit by the virus, the Ministry of Higher Education announced Tuesday. Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah sent 77 senior medical students for a swine flue training organized by the Jeddah Health Department Tuesday in Jeddah. “What our students are doing is a duty and a noble community service to help our young future remain safe from the deadly virus,” said Abdulaziz Khutani, Dean of the College of Medicine at the university. Isolation rooms The rooms of deputy principals and student counselors in some schools will be used as temporary isolation facilities for students afflicted with or suspected of having swine flu, Faisal Bin Mu'ammar, Deputy Minister of Education, said in Riyadh Monday. At a press conference at the ministry's headquarters, the deputy minister said a long-lasting plan to fight the disease will be announced in two weeks. Schools will be responsible for providing enough face masks to students. In case of any shortage of the required materials to combat the deadly flu, schools are urged to immediately get in touch with education authorities for supplies, the deputy minister said. Hot education topics With rented schools presenting less favorable educational environment, Bin Mu'ammar said that the ministry will get rid of all rented buildings by 2012. On the same topic, head of the Taif Education Department said Tuesday that with the beginning of the new school year next Saturday, they would celebrate the opening of 31 new government school buildings in Taif. “The education department has renovated 29 schools during the summer break for SR45 million,” Al-Zahrani added. Speaking of the administration of girls' education at the ministry headquarters, Bin Mu'ammar said that the ministry is forging ahead in achieving the state's plan to have the entire girls' education department run by women. At least 90 percent of the girls' education department is currently run by women, he added. On introducing girls' sports in schools, Noura Al-Fayez, Deputy Minister of Education for Girls' Education, who participated in the press conference through close circuit TV, said the proposal needs to be carefully studied so as to ensure a proper sports environment in girls' schools conforming to the principles of the Islamic Shariah and society as well as the nature of women. – Okaz/SG — Hussain Hazzazi from Jeddah, Saleh Bahabri from Makkah and Abdulmohsin Al-Sulami from Al-Laith and Abdullah Al-Ghamdi from Riyadh contributed to the report. __
