Schools suspend assemblies, scale back orientations

Schools across Singapore suspended mass assemblies and staggered recess times yesterday as part of new measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

The National Anthem was broadcast over schools' public address systems and students recited the Pledge in their classrooms instead of the school hall or parade square.

The measures, announced by the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Tuesday evening, come on top of earlier precautions, such as the daily taking of temperatures which was put in place last week.

Primary and secondary schools, special education schools, junior colleges and Millennia Institute were among those implementing the new measures.

MOE and the Ministry of Social and Family Development said the measures to minimise gatherings of students in large numbers are aimed at protecting students and staff from the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan.

Some schools have implemented other measures. Nanyang Primary on Tuesday night informed parents through the Parents Gateway app that recess would be held in the classrooms. Parents were asked to pack food for their children.

Housewife Elaine Chiam, 47, whose daughter is in the school, told The Straits Times it was a good measure. She said pupils were also asked yesterday to pick up biscuits and other snacks from the school's general office in case their parents had missed the message.

She added that the school had not said how long this would last, though she did not mind packing food such as sandwiches for her daughter every day. Co-curricular activities had also been suspended indefinitely.

Mrs Chiam, who also has a son in secondary school and a daughter in junior college, said: "It is a bit cautious, but I think it is all right... When my kids get home from school, I would also ask them to take a shower immediately."

Housewife Dadina Ong, 43, who has a son in Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road), said that parents entering the school from yesterday were asked to take their temperature at the guardhouse.

She said: "The schools are trying to make the situation more manageable and reduce human traffic to make it safer for the children."

At Hwa Chong Institution (HCI), a spokesman said that mass lectures had been replaced by online learning.

Orientation activities in junior colleges were also affected yesterday, which was the first day of school for first-year students.

JC1 student at Yishun Innova Junior College Rachel Lee, 19, said she was told to report to school three hours later, at 10.30am. School also ended three hours early, at 2.30pm.

"I think our orientation was cut short... Our principal explained during his address that there were last-minute changes made due to the news regarding the virus," she said.

HCI JC2 student Valere Ng, 18, told The Straits Times that some orientation activities, such as a mass dance, had been cancelled.

She added: "Some activities are still ongoing, but the school has taken measures to ensure that there aren't too many people in the same space at the same time."

A spokesman for National Junior College said it had pared down the activities. "(They are the) same games, but scaled down, so instead of the whole cohort playing in the same venue, smaller groups played the same game, but in smaller venues."

International schools are also taking precautions.

The International French School has implemented hygiene measures such as temperature checks, while 30 students with recent travel history to China are observing a 14-day leave of absence.

At the Overseas Family School, students observing the 14-day leave of absence who have family members or visitors returning from mainland China later than they did are required to restart the 14-day count as an added precaution.

Head of school Suzanne Bentin said the school has various measures in place to ensure students will not miss out on their studies, including e-learning methods.