Independent.ie
Quarter of parents want school term delayed to halt flu
By John Walshe Education Editor
Wednesday August 19 2009
A QUARTER of parents think schools should remain closed at the start of the new term next month to prevent the spread of swine flu.
The majority of the 25pc said that the schools should remain closed until a vaccine was available and widely administered.
Parents felt schools should delay re-opening for a couple of weeks because of the high number of children returning from holidays abroad immediately before term. They were concerned that this would encourage the spread of swine flu.
A small number of parents felt schools should remain closed indefinitely until the swine flu epidemic has peaked.
The findings are contained in an online survey of 400 parents carried out by Schooldays.ie, which was set up in 2006 to provide a comprehensive information service for parents.
Despite their concerns about swine flu, the majority of parents (85pc) said they would send their children to school as normal when the schools re-open in a few weeks' time. A further 8pc indicated that while they would send their children to school, they would withhold a child with an underlying medical problem.
Only 7pc said they would keep their children at home because of concerns about the spread of the virus.
Nearly half of parents (43pc) said that they would seek the vaccination for all their children as soon as it became available with a further 19pc advising that they would only seek the vaccine for a child with an underlying condition.
The remaining 38pc of parents indicated that they would not be availing of the vaccine for any of their children. Of these, 23pc advised that they would not seek the vaccine because of concerns about whether the vaccine was safe. The remaining 15pc felt that overall that it was not necessary to vaccinate against the virus as it represented only a low threat.
However, the Department of Education and Science said the advice was that schools would open as normal.
- John Walshe Education Editor
?Independent.ie
Quarter of parents want school term delayed to halt flu
By John Walshe Education Editor
Wednesday August 19 2009
A QUARTER of parents think schools should remain closed at the start of the new term next month to prevent the spread of swine flu.
The majority of the 25pc said that the schools should remain closed until a vaccine was available and widely administered.
Parents felt schools should delay re-opening for a couple of weeks because of the high number of children returning from holidays abroad immediately before term. They were concerned that this would encourage the spread of swine flu.
A small number of parents felt schools should remain closed indefinitely until the swine flu epidemic has peaked.
The findings are contained in an online survey of 400 parents carried out by Schooldays.ie, which was set up in 2006 to provide a comprehensive information service for parents.
Despite their concerns about swine flu, the majority of parents (85pc) said they would send their children to school as normal when the schools re-open in a few weeks' time. A further 8pc indicated that while they would send their children to school, they would withhold a child with an underlying medical problem.
Only 7pc said they would keep their children at home because of concerns about the spread of the virus.
Nearly half of parents (43pc) said that they would seek the vaccination for all their children as soon as it became available with a further 19pc advising that they would only seek the vaccine for a child with an underlying condition.
The remaining 38pc of parents indicated that they would not be availing of the vaccine for any of their children. Of these, 23pc advised that they would not seek the vaccine because of concerns about whether the vaccine was safe. The remaining 15pc felt that overall that it was not necessary to vaccinate against the virus as it represented only a low threat.
However, the Department of Education and Science said the advice was that schools would open as normal.
- John Walshe Education Editor
?Independent.ie