President Bush's plan to slow the spread of a deadly pandemic flu devotes seven of its 227 pages to what schools and colleges can do in case a 1918-style flu epidemic hits the USA.

Most of the recommendations, released Wednesday, are standard — communicate, figure out who's in charge, encourage kids to wash their hands. But one suggestion is a showstopper: If massive absences occur, the plan says, schools should develop "alternative procedures to ensure continuity of instruction." That is, find other ways to hold class — through the Internet, local TV, telephone trees or even sending lessons to students by U.S. mail.