Why won't they give us that 1 extra week?

I refer to CNA's poll comments : " H1N1 cases could rise further as students return to schools after holidaying in flu-hit countries. How should schools cope? "

It is evident from the poll that 89% of the voters choose to extend the school holidays BUT the government rejects and plan to resume normal plans. The question is - why? With currently 454 cases of H1N1 in Singapore, why won't the government extend the holidays?

Personally, I don't think there is anything to lose by extending the holidays. The teachers get an extra week of rest, the students would generally be happier, more time spent with their families, lowering the number of people infected ( or TO BE infected ), more free time and the list goes on...

BUT ! The government had choose to go on with the plan to resume school per normal. We all know that the immunity system of a child would be much weaker than an adult's. Must Singapore wait until SOMEBODY dies of H1N1 then declare a holiday?

I, as a student myself, would find that it is wise to extend the holidays as it could contain the H1N1 virus, protect and severely cancel out the risk of an outbreak in schools. ( Then again, who am I kidding? :P )

Sadly, I have no power to make the decision to extend the school holidays or not. Knowing typical Singaporeans, their " kiasi-ness " tells me that they'll send their school weather or not if they've been to holiday on an infected country. Heck, with this much cases ( more than SARS ), the whole of Singapore are doomed to be infected with H1N1.


" The A(H1N1) virus, which was first detected in Mexico in April, has infected nearly 60,000 people around the world in 113 countries and territories, causing 263 deaths. " - CNA

People DO die of H1N1. It is unwise to assume that it is harmless.

I won't type more as it concerns politics. Hopefully...