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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > NOTHING REALLY LOST AS SWINE FLU SHUTS UKRANIAN SCHOOLS
NOTHING REALLY LOST AS SWINE FLU SHUTS UKRANIAN SCHOOLS
November 2 2009
Kiev, Ukraine – Like most Eastern bloc countries Ukraine has struggled for years to dig themselves out of the long shadow of decades of Communist rule. Like it’s brethren in Eastern Europe, Ukraine subjugation by the Soviet Union left it 
economically, socially, and technologically far behind the rest of the continent and the western world. Those decades of isolation, which happened to span some of the most progressive years in the history of humanity, has put the nation in a seemingly endless state of catch-up.
Of course the country is trying and a recent announcement that the nation will shut down all schools for three weeks proves that they are at least attempting to best their fellows. The shutdown, announced by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, is a reaction to the growing threat of the H1N1 virus. For three weeks all private and public schools will be closed in an attempt to stop the spread of the 
disease. Those actions are the harshest yet taken in Europe and will likely place the nation well ahead of other nations on the continent in combating the virus, while sacrificing nothing in terms of education standards.
“From today, all the school establishments in Ukraine -- be they private or public -- will be put on three weeks of holiday. The government will also be banning all public gatherings, every concert and every cinema showing for three weeks. WE will also introduce special regimes to limit the movement of Ukraine’s citizens from one region to another,” said Tymoshenko. “One case of swine flu has been confirmed among the dead .We can say today that Ukraine has entered into the zone of the swine flu epidemic. These measures will ensure that the country is not overrun by the disease and that all of our citizens will remain safe and secure.”
Though there has only been one confirmed death dozens have died under mysterious circumstances in the Ternopil region in the western part of the country, an area the Prime minister plans to visit int he coming week.
“The good news is they are taking a really aggressive stance against the disease. With the level of infection across the continent, and the fact that Ukraine borders a number 
of EU nations, the stance they are taking will help to ensure that the spread of the disease is under control. Though the measures themselves may seem harsh, especially just days before the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, but they will likely have a strong effect on the spread of the disease,” said Scrape TV International analyst Gustav Hander. “The best thing about this, and the reason they are able to take such an aggressive stance, is that they will lose little by shutting down the schools. In most countries throughout Europe a three week shutdown would put students far behind in their studies but Ukraine is a different story and a three week shutdown might actually help education, it will give them a chance to rest their brains a little.”
Ukrainian education standards are considered middle of the pack amongst other former Soviet nations. The nation has a number of schools distributed throughout the country and even a few post-secondary institutions.
“By doing this they are ensuring that their workforce has the best chance at remaining healthy. While the rest of Europe is coughing away they will be happily milling about doing their daily tasks and again, very little will have been lost by the shutdown of the schools,” continued Hander. “I’m sure students will have to take some work home, at least the older students. Simple things like colouring which doesn’t require hands-on attention from teachers. That at least will help them keep their skills sharp while they are off.”
The majority of students interviewed didn’t quite understand why the schools were being closed or what exactly it meant.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > NOTHING REALLY LOST AS SWINE FLU SHUTS UKRANIAN SCHOOLS
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