Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698834512629.pdf (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines School Safety Policy (SSP) Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations.............................................................................. 3 Foreword............................................................................................................. 4 Introduction...........................................................................5 1.
Background and Rationale..................................................6 1.1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines disaster vulnerability context..................6 1.2 Policy and Institutional Framework...............................................................7 Ministry of Education (MoE).............................................................................8 National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO)................................8 Ministry of Health (MoH)..................................................................................9 Physical Planning Department.........................................................................9 Roads, Buildings and General Services Authority (BRAGSA)...........................9 CWSA/Solid Waste Management Unit............................................................10 Police Services..............................................................................................10 Fire Department............................................................................................10 1.3 Legislation................................................................................................... 10 a) Education Act (2006).................................................................................10 b) National Emergency and Disaster Management Act (2006)......................11 c) Building Code............................................................................................12 d) Town and Country Planning Act................................................................12 1.4 Policy Rationale........................................................................................... 12 2.
Guiding Principles.............................................................14 2.1 Equitable and inclusive access to a safe learning environment..................14 2.2 Optimal utilization of education resources..................................................14 2.3 Context based awareness for DRR and resilience.......................................15 3.

Goals and Strategic Objectives...........................................15 4.
Safe School Policy Programs..............................................16 Programmes 1:.................................................................................................. 16 S.O.

1................................................................................... 16 Programme 2:................................................................................................... 17 S.O.
2................................................................................... 17 Programme 3:................................................................................................... 18 5.
Policy Implementation.......................................................19 5.1 Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation....................................................20 Annexes...............................................................................21 References........................................................................................................ 24 2 Acronyms and Abbreviations AP APEIS BoMs CCA CEO CSSI CDEMA CDM CDMS CSS DRM DRR ESD ERC GAP GOSVG JBM MoE NEEC NEMO PEIs PEIS PPDB PPP SBoM SDGs SIDS SFDRR 2015-2030 SSP SVG UNDRR UNESCO Organization WISS Action Plan Assisted Private Educational Institutions and Schools Boards of Management Climate Change Adaptation Chief Education Ofcer Caribbean Safe School Initiative Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency Comprehensive Disaster Management Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy Comprehensive School Safety Disaster Risk Management Disaster Risk Reduction Education for Sustainable Development Education Review Committee Global Action Program Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Joint Boards of Management Ministry of Education National Emergency Executive Committee National Emergency Management Organization Public Educational Institutions Private Educational Institutions and Schools Physical Planning and Development Board Purchasing Power Parity School Board of Management Sustainable Development Goals Small Island Developing State Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction Safe School Policy Saint Vincent and the Grenadines United Nations Ofce for Disaster Risk Reduction United Nations Educational, Scientifc and Cultural Worldwide Initiative for Safe Schools 3 Foreword The vulnerability of our country to multiple hazards underscores the relevance of integrating Disaster Risk Reduction in the Education Sector.
Schools have a fundamental role of imparting knowledge as well as shaping behaviours and attitudes.

These institutions also provide the best options for the dissemination of information on disaster risk reduction.

Although students are considered highly vulnerable to hazards and disasters, they can be efective drivers of disaster risk reduction and climate change initiatives.
This policy is about providing the tools to build the capacities and resilience of the school community to ensure children feel safe in their learning environment.

The momentum on safe schools is globally, regionally and nationally very important.

The complexity of hazards in the Caribbean requires commitment by Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) participating states to support the implementation of the Caribbean Safe School Initiative (CSSI).
Our country’s location in the Atlantic Hurricane Belt and our particular geographical conditions require specifc measures to improve schools infrastructural capacity to handle the impact of hazards.

The Antigua and Barbuda Declaration on School Safety in the Caribbean- signed by the Minister of Education in April 2017 examines and reafrms our country’s commitment to disaster risk reduction and disaster management in the education sector.
School safety is a multifaceted construct of inclusive health, security, sustainability, and access to information.

The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (GOSVG) by developing this policy sets the foundation for the country’s school safety guidelines, and further advanced the eforts to guarantee the right to education for the next generations of students.
At the same time the policy promote disaster risk reduction and safety of the entire country to minimize the impact of hazards on our economy and communities.

4 Introduction As stated by the Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the education sector plays a global and fundamental role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets by 2030.
However, in light of global climate change conditions, natural hazards pose constant and increasing challenges for this sector’s outcomes and improvement in the Caribbean.

Disasters triggered by natural hazards have the potential to negatively afect school and community safety, quality of life and development opportunities.
Given that investments in education also lead to more rapid and sustainable economic growth and development (World Bank 2011), improving the safety conditions of schools and minimizing the negative impacts of disasters on education is a priority at the regional and national levels.
The United Nations Educational, Scientifc and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has defned, a safe school as one that has a combination of structurally safe learning facilities, DRM at the national and schools levels, and the integration of DRR and resilience education in the curricula.
Therefore, in the pursuit of promoting Comprehensive School Safety (CSS), the GOSVG commitment to provide universal access to education extends to the fundamental need of promoting schools which are a safe physical, social and emotional environment where teachers and students can teach, learn and develop.

Furthermore, providing for school infrastructure safeguard is not only a matter of protecting children’s and teacher’s lives from disaster risks.
Besides the potential of causing human losses, physical damage to schools is a contributing cause in the loss of public investment in social infrastructure and the multiplication of social issues that can develop when children are out of school for long periods as a result of disasters.
Therefore, this Safe School Policy acknowledges the fundamental role of education in reducing vulnerability and building the country’s social and economic resilience, at the national and community levels and to achieve sustainable development.

5 1.

Background and Rationale 1.1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines disaster vulnerability context As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is exposed to a variety of natural hazards.
Hurricanes, foods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, droughts and fres are among the most common threats to public safety, infrastructure and natural resources of this SIDS.

SVG is among the 60 countries most exposed to climate change related hazards, with an estimated USD 11.3 million (PPP) annual average losses caused by natural disasters between 1998 and 2017 (Global Climate Risk Index 2019).
The potential increase in disaster occurrence and magnitude poses excessive challenges for SVG’s poverty reduction and sustainable development strategies.

Education systems are one of the core components of such strategies, but education is also one of the most impacted sectors when disasters hit.

Over the last decade, several Caribbean countries have endured loss of lives for students, teachers and education personnel and severe damage and destruction to educational infrastructure.
This provides evidence of the need to focus on improving this sector’s disaster preparedness and enhancing the educational community skills and capacities to become more resilient.
In fact, although there is no consolidated information on the impacts of natural hazards on the education sector in the Caribbean, fgures illustrate the size of the problem: 97% of Grenada’s public schools where afected by Hurricane Ivan in 2004c in Haiti, 2010 earthquake caused 38,000 students and 1,300 teachers and education personnel to lose their livesc and the 2017 hurricane season afected 1,700 school buildings in Cuba, and 18,500 school-aged children and 57 schools in Dominica, just to give a few examples (Second Caribbean Ministerial Safe School Forum, 2019).
Hazards have the potential to completely destroy or damage the physical structure and environment of schools, making them unsuitable for use and result in costly repairs or reconstruction.

This includes damage and loss of school books, records and other important 6 documents, computers and other equipment, labs and other supplies that are essential for day to day functioning of the School.

Students and staf can be injured or killed in disasters, especially from unsafe structures and faulty equipment.
Many institutions lack water storage capacity and back-up electricity, which can delay the reopening of schools after a hazard impact.

Such delays can setback the completion of educational programmes especially for those required to do external exams.
Moreover, non-resilient communities experience major challenges to get children back to school and recover the full operation of educational activities, as the emergency response, recovery and reconstruction process takes place, usually over during prolonged periods of time (World Bank 2017).

The experiences and loss from disasters can also have traumatic efects on students and staf.
There are also new and emerging threats such as cyber bullying, substance abuse and gang related issues, which threaten the safety and security of schools.

These issues also need to be taken into consideration and addressed through the national curricula to ensure the best education possible in a safe teaching and learning environment.
However, the vulnerability of St Vincent and the Grenadines to multiple hazards underscores the relevance of prioritizing the integration of Disaster Risk Reduction in the Education Sector.

School structures in disaster-prone areas, or that are constructed without shock resistance and climatic standards fail to provide adequate safety and comfort conditions for its users, not only increasing the exposure to natural hazard events, but also causing potential indirect impacts on the learning environment.
Moreover, the accumulative impact of disasters makes it harder for the Government to fnance and operate school facilities and ensure the continuity of educational services, especially in the poorest areas (World Bank, 2017).

1.2 Policy and Institutional Framework In 2015, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, along with most member countries of the world, adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an important part of the 2030 development agenda.
In particular, Sustainable Development Goal 4 seeks to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning 7 opportunities for all”.

Additionally, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction highlights the importance of providing disaster resistant structures for schools and incorporating awareness of hazards and risk as part of the school curriculum to reduce disaster risk and increase resilience.
The Caribbean Region response to disaster risk reduction is through, the Caribbean Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy (CDMS) which recognizes the need to reduce vulnerability in the education sector.

This is guided by the Caribbean Safe School Initiative (CSSI) and Road Map for School Safety which outlines an enabling environment and three core pillars: a) Safe Learning Facilitiesc b) School Disaster Managementc and c) Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Education.
These three pillars must be aligned with disaster risk management at all levels (national, regional, district, and local).
At the national level, the institutions with relevant roles for the implementation of the SSP are: Ministry of Education (MoE) The MoE’s goals and objectives includec (a) To promote the education of the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines by establishing educational institutions or schools which will foster the spiritual, cultural, moral, intellectual, physical, social and economic development of the communityc and (b) To frame all educational policies so as to provide a more valid, comprehensive and relevant educational service directly related to the changing needs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The achievement of these goals requires a learning environment that is safe, nurturing, positive and respectful where students are able to learn and staf members can carry out their responsibilities and duties, protected from threats to their physical and emotional wellbeing.

The Ministry of Education in the 2017 to 2018 school year supervised 231 learning facilities with a population of almost 30,000 students and over 2,000 teachers, spread across 13 districts (Ministry of Education, 2019).
This represents over a quarter of the population of SVG who could be at an educational institution during the impact of a hazard (Ministry of Education, 2019).

Approximately 30% of the country’s 150 designated emergency shelters are learning facilities (See Annex 1).

8 National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) The role of NEMO is to aid in the prevention, preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery in relation to hazards, disasters and emergencies.
The National Emergency Executive Committee (NEEC) is responsible for the implementation of the policies and plans of the National Emergency Council (NEC).

As such, it has the power to establish sub-committees with specifc responsibilities, these could include providing an inspection checklists to be included as part of the schools’ safety and DM plans, and technical assistance and support using qualifed personnel to carry out the periodical inspections of schools facilities as established in those plans.
Inspection ought to cover water, electricity, telecommunications, internet, waste disposal receptacles and fre safety equipment in collaboration with the agencies responsible for these services.

A specifc subcommittee for school safety is recommended to help formulate the maintenance and repair recommendations and submit to the head of each educational institution for action.
Ministry of Health (MoH) The Ministry of Health has as one of its goals to “Provide a nutritional supplement to children attending Pre-Schools and Primary Schools”.

The feeding programme of the Ministry of Health seeks to ensure that children are healthy and can enjoy a better quality of life, which is an important part of their learning process.
In collaboration with the schools the ministry will ensure that food handlers on the compound are in possession of a valid health certifcate and that meals served on the compound are nutritious.

Physical Planning Department The Physical Planning Department main role for school safety is the site and construction supervision for all public and private schools and providing technical support for the inspection of public school facilities.
The department is also responsible for ensuring that buildings are 9 constructed in accordance with the standards and guidelines designed to make them safer.

There is also support for mapping using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which should be incorporated to enhance school safety planning.
Roads, Buildings and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) BRAGSA’s is the unit responsible for the management and supervision of the construction and maintenance of roads and buildings, stone- crushing, quarrying and construction operations of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

They undertake the repairs and maintenance of schools throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
CWSA/Solid Waste Management Unit All schools should have adequate waste disposal receptacles around the school compound, in ofces, classrooms and other rooms.

The principal, staf and students should ensure that the school environment is always kept in a sanitary condition.

The CWSA/Solid Waste Management Unit is responsible for collection and disposal of waste from all educational Institutions.

Waste collection is usually done twice per week in Kingstown and once a week in rural areas.
Additional collection can be done when requested.

All schools should have access to potable water in strategic locations to ensure a healthy and sanitary environment.

All schools should also seek to have adequate water storage capacity.

Schools with water storage supply should ensure that it is tested and treated at least once per term.
Police Services The Police Trafc Department is responsible for ensuring that pedestrian crossings are in place and there is proper signage in areas where schools are close to the road.

Fire Department All schools should have fre safety and suppression equipment and persons trained to use them.

Fire safety and suppression equipment 10 must be inspected and maintained regularly to ensure they are functional when required.
There should be regular inspection of fre safety equipment, such as fre extinguishers, fre hoses, fre hydrants and smoke detectors.

1.3 Legislation The most relevant laws related to the approval and implementation of this SSP are: a) Education Act (2006) This law stipulates the organizational structure and obligations regarding SVGs educational system, as well as the school community characteristics, rights and obligations.
It enunciates certain aspects to be included as part of the education systems’ specifc goals and objectives’ knowledge and skills (Part II, Division 1, Section 3 Subsection 3).

However, this enunciation as provided is not restrictive.

Therefore, due to the reality and context of SVG, it can be assumed that DRR and CCA are part of the basic knowledge and skills, which the education system should encourage and promote.
For Private Educational Institutions and Private Schools (PEIS), it establishes conditions for registration and operational permits, which incorporate the requirement to comply and follow the standards and procedures for school safety issued by the MoE, in accordance with what is stipulated in Part IV, Division 3, Sections 73-79 of this Act and any relevant sections following the review and amendment of this Act.
Regarding the schools management this law determines the power of the Minster to issue specifc provisions for schools management, and also the creation of Boards of Management (BoMs) with the competencies to establish policies for the administration, management and operation of the school.
11 The Act makes provision for the establishment of the Education Review Committee (ERC), which has the role of reporting on the physical condition and maintenance of educational institutions and the suitability of the curriculum.

The Minister has the power to install Special Committees for specifc matters and duties (Part II, Division 3, Section 13).

Therefore, a Special Committee for School Safety could play a specifc role for the implementation of the SSP.
b) National Emergency and Disaster Management Act (2006) This Act’s main objective is to provide for prevention, preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery in relation to hazards, disasters and emergencies as well as the establishment of the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO).

NEMO’s main competency is to act as the central agency for coordinating disaster management in SVG.
Its higher authority is the National Emergency Council, which is responsible for establishing a specifc sub-committee in charge of public information, training and education for DRR.

This law also provides for the approval of the National Disaster Management Plan that contains details of arrangements for procedures related to the coordination of this plan with the preparation and implementation of DM plans by Ministries.
Finally, in accordance to what is provided in this Act, Schools Safety Committees, if installed, should coordinate its activities with NEMO’s District Disaster Management Committees.

Therefore, there is the need for a joint assessment of SVG’s district division by the Physical Planning and Development Board (PPDB), the National Emergency Executive Committee (NEEC) and the MoE to ensure adequate coordination for school safety at the district level.
c) Building Code The Building Code establishes the regulations for the design and construction of new buildings and the alteration, reconstruction, maintenance and occupancy of existing buildings.

12 According to this Act, the PPDB has the power to authorize specifc buildings standards, as in the case of the schools safety and construction standards.

d) Town and Country Planning Act This act enables the orderly and progressive development of land and the proper planning of town and country areas.
The PPDB has the responsibility of preparing local plans, with the designation and demarcation of any land that may be allocated for any public purpose, which includes the identifcation of safe sites for schools infrastructure (section 8, subsection 5b) and any relevant sections following the review and amendment of this Act.
1.4 Policy Rationale Following the regional agreements of the Antigua and Barbuda Declaration on School Safety and the Regional Roadmap Implementation, safe schools implementation at the national level has been adopted as a priority by the GOSVG.
Furthermore, addressing schools’ safety through the defnition of specifc strategic objectives and actions prioritization is one frm step towards the integration of DRM into development planning as set out by the Caribbean’s Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy 2014-2024.
Therefore, the purpose of the School Safety Policy is to guide the development of procedures to improve the safety and security of students, staf and other users of schools, taking advantage of regional eforts for School Safety shared knowledge and promoting the multilevel cooperation for School Safety programs implementation among international, regional, national and local stakeholders.
This policy supports the overarching objective of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) in “enhancing the capacity of St Vincent and the Grenadines to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters”, and applies to the Ministry of Education, all schools and other institutions of learning in SVG whether private or public.
Implementation will be done in collaboration with NEMO and other key stakeholders in SVG and it extends to the wider school community including parents, PTA’s, Teachers’ Union, School Safety Committees and other school committees and partner agencies.
13 In accordance with the above stated, the MoE is committed to providing learning environments that are safe, nurturing, positive and respectful where students are able to learn and all staf members are able to carry out their responsibilities and duties, protected from threats to their physical and emotional wellbeing.
Large scale investments in the safety of school infrastructure requires policy changes based on the dialogue between various stakeholders and the GOSVG that takes recommendations into account during the policy implementation process.

Through the development of this policy the Ministry is ensuring that all new or retroftted schools are guided by the principles outlined in the safe school policy.

2.
2.

Guiding Principles It shall be the Policy of the GOSVG that the actions towards improving school safety are guided by the following principles: 2.1 Equitable and inclusive access to a safe learning environment Child protection is the unifying goal of the education sector and every student has entitled access to education.
Safety is a precondition of academic success, and therefore providing a safe and respectful environment for the development of students is the shared responsibility of the school community, including government ministries and agencies and security institutions, administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community partners.

Education administrators, teachers and other staf should feel safe in their work environment.
Inclusive educational infrastructure and universal design for universal access are at the core of the Government and school community eforts to achieve equitable access to safe learning facilities.

2.2 Optimal utilization of education resources A comprehensive approach of School Safety requires the optimal utilization of human and fnancial resources to provide afordable technical solutions that can be customized to the local context.
14 The utilisation of construction standards for educational buildings with regards to their location sites, water and sanitation services and climatic performance promotes a more efcient use of the public resources allocated by the Government for educational purposes.
Establishing a baseline of existing school infrastructure and the demand for new school infrastructure, measuring the impacts of disaster risk on the education sector and developing solutions and innovation for safe and resilient school infrastructure can inform resource allocation.

In addition, such measures can inform investments for vulnerability reduction of school infrastructure, and further contribute to a more efcient use of public education resources.
2.3 Context based awareness for DRR and resilience School Safety eforts must focus on developing the culture of safety and resilience communities.

Providing access to information on DRR and CCA formal and non-formal educational programmes will contribute to broaden the school community knowledge base to prevent, respond and recover from the impact of disasters.

Furthermore, building awareness and capacity of key actors to identify risks and vulnerability is essential to for resilience.

3.
3.

Goals and Strategic Objectives The goals of this policy are: a) to strengthen SVG’s institutional systems for DRR and DRM in the education sector at the national and community levelsc b) to protect learners and education workers from death, injury and harm in schools in case of disasterc c) to plan for educational continuity in the face of all expected hazardsc d) To safeguard education sector investmentsc and d) to strengthen risk reduction and resilience through education.
As such, this Safe School Policy defnes three strategic objectives aligned with the three pillars adopted by the CSSI and defned through the Comprehensive School Safety Framework.

The objectives of this policy are: 15 1.

To improve the quality of educational facilities with regard to the safety and comfort conditions that impact students’ performance.

2.

To enhance the physical, environmental and social protection level of school infrastructure and its users in case of disaster.

3.
3.

To increase the awareness of the school community on resilience and DRR.

To achieve these strategic outcomes, the MoE will be the leading institution responsible for the implementation of this policy, with a holistic and multi-hazard approach.

4.

Safe School Policy Programs The SSP programmes and the correspondent priority actions, responsible agencies, expected outcomes and tools are shown in tables 1, 2 and 3.
The Government will defne the necessary mechanisms for the fnancing of the SSP’s prioritized actions.

Programmes 1: Development of design, construction, operation and maintenance standards for schools buildings and other educational infrastructure.

Table 1: Safe School Policy Programme 1 Priority Action S.O.

1 To improve the quality of educational buildings with regard to the safety and comfort conditions that impact student performance.
Responsibl e Associated Outcome Tools Site and building assessment of existing and new educational buildings LA: Physical Planning SA: MoE, MoW, SBoM, Mobilisation, MoH, NEMO New buildings construction supervision for LA: Physical Planning SA: MoE, Increase in students’ performance and reduction of school disaster mortality rates and post disaster absenteeism.
Reduce psychosocial issues more informed disaster planning and vulnerability reduction Defned budget to improve each school Information on risk Construction and performance standards for schools buildingsc Updated and adapted evaluation forms for construction and performance assessment Construction and performance standardsc USAID inspection guidec 16 Pro gra mm e , , n o i t c u r t s n o c quality control MoW, SBoM, MoF condition of schools Evaluation to include persons with disabilities CDEMA – Enhanced Building Condition Assessment Tool Renovation projects for schools Determination of services, and accessibility gaps according to building codes and standards parameters Reviewed building codec construction and performance standardsc Structural Assessment Checklistc School retroftting prioritization list .
e r u t c u r t s a r f n i n o i t a c u d e Retroftting needs assessment of existing school buildings Implementatio n of School Maintenance Plans LA: Physical Planning SA: MoE, MoW, SBoM, Mobilisation, BRAGSA, CWSA, VINLEC LA: MoE SA: MoW, SBoM, BRAGSA, CWSA, VINLEC Reduce loss of instructional time due to service issues Reduce impact on parents and families Timelines for school maintenance developed to incorporate utility agencies.
Guidelines for the formulation of School Maintenance Plansc Mandatory communication system for school maintenance i e c n a n e t n a m SO: Strategic Objectives Source: MOE, 2019 LA: Lead Agency SA: Supporting Agency Standardization and updating of school safety and DRM plans.

Table 2: Safe School Policy Programme 2 S.O.
2 To enhance the physical, environmental ans social protection level of school instrastructure and its users in case of disaster Responsible Associated Outcome Tools Development of cleared guidelines of expectation regarding the operations standardsc Implementation of the DRM plan MoE approval and publication of Standardsc Schools Operation Licences Increase awareness of hazards and how to mitigate Updated training manual simulation toolsc Signage LA: MoE SA: Ministry of Health, Water Management Authority, CWSA, Police Trafc and Fire Departments LA: NEMO SA: MoE, Police Trafc and Fire departments , VINLEC, CWSA, Physical 17 Programme 2: Priority Action Implementat ion of Schools Safe Operation Standards Training for multi- hazards risk assessments Program me .
l s n a p M R D d n a y t e f a s Planning, Transport and works LA: NEMO SA: MoE, police Trafc and Fire departments LA: NEMO SA: MoE, All government and private sectorsc media, FLOW, Digicel LA: NEMO SA: MoE, MoH, CWSA, MoTW, Police (for security) Formulate inclusive and participatory School Disaster Management Plans (SDMPs) Formulate standard operating procedures in case of disaster Contingency and educational continuity post-disaster planning Creation of School Safety Committees and implementation of SDMPs Updated Guidelines for the formulation of Schools Safety and DM Plans Identifcation of key agenciesc Sending of timely and accurate information on events Emergency Procedures publication/Directory of key agenciesc Comprehensive Schools information digital platform Set a time limitc Rebuilding the afected area Counseling/Therapy – to bring the afected person to normal Schools Social workers/counselors training guidelines SO: Strategic Objectives Source: MOE, 2019 LA: Lead Agency SA: Supporting Agency Programme 3: Integration of DRR and Resilience into existing formal and non- formal educational programs.
Table 3: School Safety Policy Programme 3 Program me Priority Action S.O.

3 To increase the awareness of the school community on resilience and DRR from a comprehensive and context based perspective.

Responsibl e Associated Outcome Tools 18 - .

.
s m a r g o r p l a n o i t a c u d e l a m r o f Integrating context- based education for DRR and CCA into national curricula Implementat ion of extracurricul ar and community based educational projects for DRR and CCA Implementat ion of a communicati on strategy to address DRR and CCA at the community level Integration of DRR and resilience awareness in cultrual events LA: MoE, Chief Education Ofcer (CEO) SA: Social Developm ent LA: MoE SA: Social Developm ent Increased number of teachers and students with strengthened DRR and CCA knowledge and capacities Climate Change Adaptation Policyc DRR and CAA Schools Committees MoE Annual Operational Plan Increased number of extracurricular and community based educational projects strengthened educational community LA: MOE SA: Social Developm ent Reduced number of persons negatively afected by natural hazards Social media platforms Visual material Increased DRRM and resilience awareness at community level Cultural events (drama festival, carnival, nine morning etc.)
LA SA: Departme nt of Culture, shows promoters SO: Strategic Objectives Source: MOE, 2019 LA: Lead Agency SA: Supporting Agency 5.

Policy Implementation The Chief Education Ofcer (CEO) of the MoE will be responsible for developing the administrative principles and procedures for the SSP implementation.

The main instrument for this purpose is the Action Plan (AP) for the implementation of the SSP.
19 Some of the activities to be carried out as part of the AP shown in Table 4 have already been initiated under the Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR/CCA) programme.
Table 4: School Safety Programme Activities Expected Outcomes Activities Development of guidelines for location and design of resilient schools School building maintenance Assessment of school buildings Knowledge attitude practice (KAP) survey Develop disaster/contingency plans for school and the Ministry Of Education (units, department, ministry) Conduct simulation exercise and drills Develop disaster risk reduction and climate change curriculum School safety and hazard awareness Youth involvement in school safety Work along with the OECS to develop guidelines for safe school design and construction Work with schools to identify safety concerns and lobby for repair, retroftting and enhancing safety of school facilities School visits – assembly, PTA, Staf meetings to guide hazard and vulnerability assessment in schools Support primary and secondary schools in conducting hazard assessment Complete the collection of baseline data on the status of school DRM/Safety plans Ensure that all schools have copies of model plans Continue to assist with the development of the plan in schools Provide feedback to school that have submitted plans Work with the Ministry to develop education sector disaster/contingency plan Develop scenarios to test various aspects of school disaster plans Evaluation and feedback Review and update plans accordingly Support the consultants selected on the DVRP to develop and test the curriculum for disaster and climate change in secondary schools Disaster management workshops at various levels in the Education sector Hazard preparedness presentation to students Develop circulars, fyers, posters and opportunities for knowledge sharing Ministry of Education to host the 2nd Safe School Ministerial Forum on School Safety Develop a series of activities and competition (essay, poster, jingle, poetry, creative arts) to engage youth and encourage their involvement in school safety 5.1 Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation Source: MOE.
2019 20 The MoE will be responsible for establishing the coordination and cooperation mechanisms at national, communal and school levels for the efective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the SSP prioritized actions.

A set of monitoring indicators at the national level to track the impact of the SSP is shown in Table 5.

Table 5: Set of monitoring indicators by objective No.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.
Indicators Number of learning facilities classifed as structurally safe Education Sector investment losses due to disasters Development of learning facilities construction and performance standards Number of retroft prioritized learning facilities Number of school maintenance plans implemented Development of SDMP guidelines Number of SDMP’s approved by MOE Development of DRR and DM teacher training guidelines Number of teachers trained in DM Post disaster education continuity Number of post-disaster contingency plans approved Development of CCA and DRR curricula Number of schools with DRR and CCA Committes established Number of extra curricula and community based DRR educational projects Development of a communication strategy to address DRR and CCA at the community level Number of cultural programmes for DRR and CCA awareness Strategic objective 1: To improve the quality of educational buildings with regard to the safety and confort conditions that impact student’s performance Strategic objective 2: To enhance the physical, environmental and social protection level of school infrastructure and its users in case of a disaster Strategic objective 3: To increase the awareness of the school community on resilience and DRR from a comprehensive and context-based perspective SDMP: School Disaster Management Plan CCA: Climate Change Adaptation DRR: Disaster Risk Reduction The MoE will establish the mechanisms for the collection of baseline data for the SSP monitoring and evaluation.
For this purpose, a phase-in approach will be considered and school’s teachers and administrators will provide information periodically according to the information forms and/or models provided by the Ministry.

21 The policy will be revised as deemed necessary.

The times for the revision will be established as part of the SSP Action Plan.

Annexes 1.
Education Statistics by Levels 2017/2018 Table 6: Educational facilities, population and shelter use per level Educational Level # Teachers # Facilities # Facilities used # Student s Early Childhood Centres Primary Schools Special Needs Schools Secondary Schools Technical Centres Post- Secondary/College Total 3655 13,194 111 9,808 248 1,946 451 917 23 707 57 160 125 68 3 27 4 4 28,962 2,475 231 Schools used as shelter by district and level as shelters 6 30 0 12 0 0 48 Table 7: Schools used as shelter by district and level District ONE Pre School Secondary Primary 1.
Owia Government 2.

Sandy Bay Government TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX 1.

Christophe r Bernard Preschool 3.

Tourama Government 4.

Langley Park Government 5.

Georgetown P 6.

Diamonds Government 7.

Pamelus Burke Primary 8.

Greggs Government 9.

Lowmans Windward Anglican 10.

New Grounds Primary 11.

New Prospect Primary 12.

Marriaqua Government 13.

Richland Park Government 1.

Georgetown Secondary 2.

George Stephens Sr.

Secondary 3.

North Union Secondary 4.

Adelphi Secondary 5.


Emmanuel High School Mesopotamia 2.

Gomea Methodist Day 14.

Brighton Methodist 15.

Calliaqua Anglican 16.

Sion Hill Government 6.

West St. George Secondary 7.

St.Clair Dacon 22 Nursery & Preschool 3.

Glad 17.

Belmont Government 18.

Fair Hall Primary 19.

Calder Government Secondary Tidings Tabernacle Pre School 4.

Spring Village Methodist Preschool SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN 5.

St Michael Catholic Pre school 6.


Clifton Pre school Total (47) Source: MOE 6 20.

Lodge Village Government 21.

Dorsetshire Hill Government 8.

Dr. JP Eustace Memorial 22.

Lowmans Leeward 9.

Bethel High School Anglican 23.

Buccament Government 24.

Barrouallie Government 25.

Troumaca Government 26.

Chateaubelair Methodist 27.

Fitz Hughes Government 28.

Bequia Anglican Primary 10.

Central Leeward Secondary 11.

Troumaca Secondary 12.

Petit Bordel Secondary 29.

Mayreau Government 29 12 3.


School Safety Policy consultation meetings  2009 – Multi stakeholder committee formed by NEMO to develop Educational Institutional Plan and Policy.

Draft policy Developed.

 2014 – Based on recommendations from a consultant the policy and plan were separated and revised  2014 – In collaboration with USAID/OFDA meetings with groups of stakeholders to review and update the policy was conducted.
Some stakeholders were absent and it was suggested that one to one visits be conducted.

 2017 - Visits to several stakeholders were done and minor revisions made on the Safe School Policy  2019 (July) – Review and revision of the Safe School Policy by World Bank, UNICEF and recommendation from CDEMA to align to MSSP  2019 (August) – Consultation with key stakeholder to review, refne and revise the National Safe School Policy 23 References Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index 2019.
Available at: https://www.germanwatch.org/es/16046 Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development.

UNESCO, 2019.

Documents available at: https://en.unesco.org/gap Second Caribbean Ministerial Forum 2019.

Documents, available at: https://www.cdema.org/news-centre/events/1901-2nd-caribbean-safe-school- ministerial-forum#presentations SVG Education statistical digest 2017 – 2018.
Available at http://education.gov.vc/education/images/Stories/pdf/Education-Statistical-Digest-of- SVG-2017-18.pdf World Bank Education Sector Strategy 2020 available at: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/169531468331015171/Learning-for-all- investing-in-peoples-knowledge-and-skills-to-promote-development-World-Bank-Group- education-strategy-2020 World Bank Global Program for Safer Schools, 2017.
Brief, available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disasterriskmanagement/brief/global-program-for- safer-schools 24