SCHOOL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

RUDYARD PRESTER D. MENDEZ

The Department of Education (DepEd) has urged school authorities to reiterate disaster preparedness measures to minimize risks and ensure learners’continued access to education.

The DepEd emphasized that adequate preparedness can mitigate the effects of disasters on schools, personnel and learners.

If everyone is prepared, we can collectively reduce the exposure of learners and school personnel to danger, the risks of schools suffering from damages, and the disruption to education.

The Philippines, situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, is prone to earthquake, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis, as well as typhoons, flooding and landslides. Disaster risk reduction in education must aim at addressing the underlying drivers of disasters such as lack of knowledge of teachers about risks, risk assessment and risk reduction, and lack of disaster preparedness.

School personnel should be able to anticipate risks of natural and manmade hazards and ensure the safety of people and property before, during and after an emergency so that there is protection and safety of lives and minimal or no disruption in the delivery of education.

As part of disaster preparedness, the DepEd directed school authorities to ensure that school buildings and all DepEd facilities can withstand heavy rain and strong winds. Moreover, notebooks, teaching materials, school records, and equipment such as fax machines, laptops, photocopiers, televisions, VCRs and science tools should be protected from rain and flood.

Schools are also required to study weather disturbances, their signs, warning systems and effects and regularly conduct disaster response drills. School authorities must also strictly observe policies on class suspension in coordination with the local government units to avoid unnecessary exposure to danger during inclement weather.

Also, schools are encouraged to involve the students, their families and their communities in preparing for disasters as this is an effective method of raising their awareness about risk reduction.

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The author is Teacher II at Pampang Elementary School