The Regional Director for Education and Training, Fabíola Cardoso, announced today that 75 percent of the schools belonging to the public network in the Azores already have a contingency plan, which is a fundamental document to ensure the normal start of the school year 2009/2010, scheduled for September 14.
According to the Regional Director, despite being a period of school holidays, all schools are  “promptly and effectively responding” to the request of the Regional Directorate to create contingency plans, taking into account the risk of a possible influenza A pandemic in schools. 
Fabíola Cardoso said that “for the moment there is no reason to change the scheduled date for the start of the school year in the Azores,” as all schools are demonstrating “a great sense of civic responsibility” concerning the implementation appropriate preventive measures in this stage to face a possible scenario of a pandemic.”
Created by each school, the contingency plans include, among other things, the updated data of the students, to ensure a rapid contact with parents when necessary and the implementation of personal hygiene rules and of the school environment in order to prevent the infection and the spread of the disease.
In addition to the 39 schools of the public network, the Regional Directorate for Education and Training has also sent an official letter to all the IPSS and private schools in the Archipelago, requesting the creation of contingency plans, but given that these institutions are private the  submission of the contingency plans for analysis was not requested.
The Regional Secretariat for Education and Training intends to hold a meeting with all the schools’ officials on São Miguel Island by the end of the month, in order to standardize procedures and prepare other necessary measures so that schools may better respond to possible outbreaks of Influenza A.
Schools play a very important role in the prevention of an influenza pandemic, due to the possibility of infection and rapid spread of the disease among their students and professionals, therefore the need for each school to be properly prepared for the adoption of appropriate measures to prevent and restrain the disease.