District magistrate Anupam Kumar has decided to introduce special classes on precautions to be taken against acute encephalitis syndrome in primary, middle and high schools in Muzaffarpur.

The move is part of an awareness generation exercise about the disease, which usually breaks out in Muzaffarpur and its adjoining areas around June. The classes will start from May 1 and continue for three months, till July 31.

Headmasters have been directed to revise routines of the classes and create at least a half an hour slot daily. That is when the lessons on prevention and treatment of the disease would be imparted to the students.

Kumar told The Telegraph: “The chief medical officer-cum-civil surgeon, Gyan Bhushan, has been asked to prepare the text for precaution and mode of treatment of the disease under the supervision of medical practitioners. The content would be provided to all headmasters.”

There are 2,252 primary, 802 middle and 115 higher secondary schools in the district.

District education officer K.K. Sharma said he has received the district magistrate’s instructions and has held talks with block education officers who would be responsible for providing the content to teachers. Science teachers, particularly from the biology department, would be entrusted with the task of educating the children according to the content provided to them by the chief medical officer through the district education officer and block education officers.

The tips include keeping away children from the sun and even orchards, taking bath at least twice a day, washing hands before eating, not going to bed without dinner, sleeping under mosquito nets, maintaining cleanliness and taking glucose drinks twice a day.

The district magistrate said: “Acute encephalitis syndrome took an ugly turn, largely because of carelessness and ignorance of people in the rural areas about the disease.

“Teachers would have to now cut short periods to spare at least half an hour daily for imparting the precautionary lessons. This will help boost the awareness campaign launched in the district.”

He is also mulling to air the precautionary messages in private schools during prayers.

Mohammad Iqhtiyaque Ahmad, a science teacher at Ladora Middle School in Kudhani block, said: “The efforts of the district administration to impart precautionary lessons will prove beneficial in preventing outbreak of the disease.”