TEACHING DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN SCHOOLS

MA. CRISTINA MERCADO

It is calamity season again and with the advent of the habagat comes the cancellation and suspension of classes, but foremost of these is the safety of students who brave weather disturbances to get to school.

Thus, the need to incorporate disaster preparedness and safety in lessons, although the Philippines is making headway in integrating disaster preparedness into primary and high school curricula.

The net effect of this is that children will actively become agents in saving themselves and others in cases of disaster and the ultimate goal is zero casualties by making children less vulnerable in such situations.

Since the programme’s launch in 2010, the Department of Education , in conjunction with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), has developed modules to be used by tutors to educate students on various hazards, as well as how to respond to them.

NDRRMC volunteers have been working closely with teachers in thousands of schools to cover issues such as proper responses to emergency alerts, safety measures, preparing go-to bags (with clothes, medicine and emergency supplies), and the right time to evacuate, he said.

Children are also taught to store all school records, manuals, books and electronic equipment in a safe, elevated place in case of floods.

The programme aims to teach children early response times because in the Philippine setting, parents and adults are often the hardest ones to convince to leave their homes even if floodwaters are rising fast.

All educational institutions were mandated by the country’s Disaster Risk Management Act of 2010 to regularly hold flood, typhoon and earthquake drills.

Administrators in many schools, however, had not been strict in implementing such drills, largely due to lack of funds and resources.

Parents, too, put emphasis on academic learning, rather than disaster drills.

But the government is also moving to ensure that poorly built schools are strengthened and early warning systems and mechanisms are put in place.