Future perspective of school disaster education in Nepal

Abstract

PurposeOne of the most significant concerns of disaster management is that community at large is reluctant to initiate pre‐disaster measures at the individual level. Disaster education to schoolchildren offers the most vital answer to this grave concern. The objective of this study is to identify the factors which enhance students' awareness and promote the actual action for disaster reduction.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a questionnaire survey in six selected schools of Kathmandu, Nepal. Different awareness levels have been established to identify effective educational factors at each level. The analysis showed the way to implement the education program.FindingsResults showed that current school disaster education – which is based on lectures – can raise risk perception, but it cannot enable students to know the importance of pre‐disaster measures and to take actual action for disaster reduction. Self‐education is effective for realizing the importance of implementing measures. Community plays the essential role for promoting students' actual actions for disaster reduction. Future disaster education in school should be active learning for students. Continuous community involvement is the most important factor for school disaster education.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on the direction of disaster education for schoolchildren. Specific cases of the education should be customized, based on the results of this study.Practical implicationsThe study findings are of significant importance for school teachers or education department while designing the curriculum for disaster education.Originality/valueThe findings and recommendations are field‐tested in Nepal and hence offer higher possibilities of adaptation, particularly in developing countries.

Strategi Integrasi Pendidikan Kebencanaan Dalam Optimalisasi Ketahanan Masyarakat Menghadapi Bencana Erupsi Gunung Merapi

“…Penerapan pendidikan kebencanaan dapat meningkatkan pengetahuan mengenai risiko bencana yang ada di sekolah, akan tetapi siswa belum mengetahui pentingnya tindakan yang dilakukan pada saat pra bencana untuk mengurangi dampak bencana (Shiwaku, Shaw, Kandel, Shrestha, & Dixit, 2007). Sementara keefektifan pendidikan kebencanaan untuk siswa adalah untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan mengenai risiko bencana, memberikan pengetahuan mengenai tindakan yang dilakukan pada tanggap darurat, dan kesiapsiagaan dalam menghadapi bencana (Johnson, Ronan, Johnston, & Peace, 2014).…”

“…Siswa juga memperoleh pengetahuan mengenai risko bencana akan tetapi belum mengakomodasi pengetahuan mengenai tindakan sebelum terjadinya bencana. Hal itu senada dengan pendapat Shiwaku, Shaw, Kandel, Shrestha, & Dixit (2007) bahwa penerapan integrasi pendidikan kebencanaan dapat meningkatkan pengetahuan mengenai risiko bencana yang ada di sekolah, akan tetapi tidak memungkinkan siswa untuk mengetahui pentingnya tindakan sebelum terjadinya bencana dan tindakan yang dapat mengurangi dampak yang ditimbulkan akibat bencana. Keterbatasan dari strategi penggunaan media surat kabar adalah tidak setiap hari topik kebencanaan ada di surat kabar, sehingga media surat kabar dapat diganti dengan media surat kabar dengan media online dengan topik kebencanaan.…”

Communicating with children and adolescents about the risk of natural disasters

“…Some studies, however, do suggest that experiential, community-based activities are more effective in promoting health-related activities and civil engagement than information-based education to initiate preparedness activities such as risk appraisal, decision for prevention action and risk-reducing behaviour (Jang, Johnson, & Kim, 2011; Shiwaku, Shaw, Kandel, Shrestha, & Dixit, 2007). That is, although lectures may increase risk perception, they do not automatically enable youth to know the importance of pre-event preparations and to take action to reduce disaster risk.…”

“…That is, although lectures may increase risk perception, they do not automatically enable youth to know the importance of pre-event preparations and to take action to reduce disaster risk. It is therefore argued that school education programmes should be both active and involve the community (Shiwaku et al, 2007). Furthermore, an individual’s resilience is not only a matter of theoretical knowledge, but also calls for many forms of learning (visual, verbal, logical, mathematical), organizational skills, spatial thinking and accurate decision making (Codreanu et al, 2014).…”

Disaster risk reduction knowledge of local people in Nepal

“…In this program, the government and NGOs are involved in assessing the vulnerability of school facilities, retrofitting school buildings, building earthquake-resistant schools, relocating schools in high disaster risk areas, and building new schools in low disaster risk areas. Results and progress of a few disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives taken in the schools of Nepal are well documented (Shiwaku et al 2007;ActionAid 2011aActionAid , 2011b, and DRR has already been incorporated in the education system and school curricula (UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund 2012).…”