Literature review on disaster resilience education: Enhancing individual
knowledge of disaster resilience among children and public based onbest practices of japan and other countries
VISITING RESEARCHER 2018A, TERM OF AUGUST 27- NOVEMBER 22 ,2018

Aminath Shaufa
Project Officer
National Disaster Management Center
Republic of Maldives

DISCLAIMER
Contents of this research paper is prepared by Ms. Aminath Shaufa, Visiting Researcher of 2018 term
(August-November) Batch A, for the Asian Disaster Reduction Center, Kobe, japan.
Currently I hold the position of project officer for the National Disaster Management Center, Republic of
Maldives. The findings, interpretations and conclusion represent my own work and all sources of
information included in the report is acknowledged from primary and secondary sources and does not
signify the views of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center or National Disaster Management Center.

CONTENTS
ACRONYMS
ABSTRACTACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Chapter 1oIntroduction

03

oOverview of hazards and Disaster Risk

05

oBackground and significance of the research

07

Chapter 2oGlobal Disaster Education Situation

09

oRegional Disaster Resilience Education Situation

13

Chapter 3oStatus of disaster resilience education in Maldives

15oEducation System in Maldives16oSignificance of Disaster Education

18oCase Study: The Effectiveness of Disaster Resilience Education at Kamaishi Higashi

20

Junior High School (Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture) from the Great East Japan
Earthquakeo

Diversity and inclusion of disaster resilience education

21o

DRR Information, Communication and Education Materials

22

Chapter 4oCurriculum Alignment

29oCase study of Maiko High School34oCollaboration and Partnerships

38oActions for Disaster Resilience Education

40

Chapter 5oBasic Principles for Successful Disaster Resilience Education

41oImplementation of Holistic Education in The Formal Education Process

42oJapan Case Study (BOKOMI) – Disaster Safe welfare communities

44oIntegrating disaster resilience in the community

46

Using disaster relics

47

Citizen led Initiatives

49

Making communities more resilient

50

Chapter 6ooDisaster Management In Japan

51

Outline of the Disaster Management System

52

Application of Disaster Education in Japan

53

Components of School DRR

55

Japanese Education System

56

Disaster Education Integrated Between Communities and Schools

57

Chapter 7oConclusion

58oRecommendation

59oReference60

ACRONYMS

ADRC

Asian Disaster Risk Reduction

CCDRR

Child Center Disaster Risk Reduction

CSS

Comprehensive School Safety

DRE

Disaster Resilience Education

DRR

Disaster Risk Reduction

DM

Disaster Management

FRS

Fire and Rescue Services

GHAE

Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

GEJE

Great East Japan Earthquake

HFA

Hyogo Framework for Action

IEC

Information, Education and Communication

MoE

Ministry of Education

MNDF

Maldives National Defence ForceNDMC

National Disaster Management Center

NEOP

National Emergency Operations Plan

SEOP

School Emergency Operations Plan

SFDRR

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

SDG

Sustainable Development Goals

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this literature review is to examine best practices in Japan and othercountries to enhance individual knowledge of disaster resilience among children and public in
the Maldives and further strengthen those programs. After compiling all the informationfrom the study visits and one to one discussion with the disaster education practitioners, it
was identified that disaster resilience education is a global problem where the mechanism ofbelief need to be addressed rather than knowledge change.
To attempt this, an exploratory research methodology was utilized to examine possible
education content and processes that could be used by emergency agencies and otherorganizations to design plans, programs and activities that build disaster resilience in local
communities

Keywords: Disaster Resilience Education, Disaster Resilience, Emergency and Exploratory
Research Methodology,

Page | 1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to acknowledge and express thank you to the Asian Disaster Risk Reduction Center (ADRC)
for giving me the wonderful opportunity to study in the beautiful city of Kobe, Japan for three months as
a visiting researcher to enrich my knowledge of disaster management and for the immense networking
opportunities provided to interact with people in the disaster management and related fields. I am
proud to be the fourth visiting researcher from Maldives and an alumni of the visiting researcher
program which commenced in 1999.
Heartiest gratitude is hereby extended to the Chairman of ADRC, Professor Masanori Hamada, Executive
Director of ADRC, Mr Koji Suzuki and my coordinator and researcher Ms. Shiomi Yumi, for helping
around effortlessly, the timeless guidance and keen interest to translate Japanese into English anddeliver the contents during the study tours and the support and encouragement given throughout thetenure in ADRC, Japan.
My research study will not be successful without the help of all the people who contributed to it in manyways.

I am grateful to all the ADRC Staff, for their kind personality, hospitality and invaluable

contributions. I very much appreciate Ms Miki Kodama, Ms Akiko Nakamura, Mr Masaru Arakida, (SeniorResearchers) and Mr Makato Ikeda, Mr Seiji Itsuji and Ms Chinoi (Researchers), Ms Junko Fujinaka, Ms
Tae Watanabe, Mr Akihiro Shiomi and Ms Ayako Fujimoto and all the experts and visiting lecturers who
has spared their time in providing valuable information on different aspects of disaster management
and introducing high end technologies that could be the next big thing in mitigating disaster causalities.
Special thanks are due to Project Director, Mr Hisan Hassan for always encouraging me to excel in thefield and be good at what I do. I have been extremely fortunate to have had the support of the National
Disaster Management Center’s program department, family, friends and colleagues near and far.
Last, but not least, I express deep and sincere gratitude to my fellow visiting researchers whom I had
great pleasure working with, Ms Mazni Binthi Azis (Malaysia), Ms Mridusmita Borah (India) and PHD
Scholar, Ms Anastasia Kvasha (Russia) for your support, encouragement and companionship during thestay in Japan.

Page | 2

CHAPTER 1
Introduction
The Maldives are a group of scattered islands in the Indian Ocean, located to the south west of Sri
Lanka. It consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, spreadover roughly 90,000 square kilometers, making this one of the most disparate countries in the world.
The Maldives archipelago stretches 823 km north to south and 130 km east to west. Over 99% of theMaldives is made up of the sea: only 0.331% (115 square miles) of its 35,000 square mile surface area is
dry land.
The islands that make up the Maldives are very small (mostcan be walked across in 10 minutes; only a few are longer than
2 kilometers) and low-lying (they rarely reach more than six
feet above sea-level). This makes them particularly vulnerable
to sea erosion. In 1812 and again in 1955, devastating gales
destroyed many northern islands, while in 1987 the capital,
Male, was flooded by a severe storm. If, as some scientists
predict, global sea levels continue to rise as a consequence of
global warming, it will pose a particular risk to the Maldives.
Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event bringing great damages,
loss and destruction and devastation to life and property. The
damage caused by disasters is immeasurable and varies withgeographical location, climate and the type of the earth
surface/degreeofvulnerability.

This

influencesthepsychological, socio-economic, political and cultural state of
the affected area and people. Especially the children who end
up being the most vulnerable group.

In the wake of sufferings caused by natural and man-made disasters in the last couple of decades, a new
realization is taking place in the contemporary world. It is the realization of importance of disaster
preparedness, early warning and effective emergency response. With the comprehension of importance
Page | 3

of disaster management, there triumphs a general conception to minimize the threats to life, livelihoods
and infrastructure, through effective public awareness, utilizing technology-based systems.
With the paradigm shift towards disaster management approach in recent years, preparing and planningfor hazards in a proactive manner rather than reacting to the disaster is practiced through disastermanagers, this anticipatory approach has evolved after a strong realization that post-relief remains
ineffective if no measures are taken before the disaster strikes. Therefore, it can be claimed that
preparedness is actually the most important phase of post-disaster management, especially in a country
like Maldives, where the communities are alienated via a huge sea barrier.
Emergencies are dealt with when they occurred and less is done in terms of preventive measures.
Authorities focus on short term issues such as compensation and the need for shelters orreconstruction, to satisfy the immediate expectations of the general public. However, they neglect themore long-term issues after an emergency ad preventing future incidents, However, there is a recent
trend to include mitigation measures in emergency legislation and policies and not only be reactive andrespond to emergencies when they occur.
Disaster resilience education has been widely recognized at the global and national level as a coremechanism for reducing risk and strengthening resilience among children and adults. In the Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR) and previous Hyogo Framework for Action(2005-2015) indicators emphasized on the use of knowledge, innovation and education to build aculture of safety and resilience at all level. In Maldives, formulation of local disaster management plans
began in early 2013, later introducing disaster management plans for the resorts and other sectors as
well. The School Emergency Operations Plan (SEOP) formulated by Ministry of Education in 2015
identifies the delivery of school disaster management plan and disaster drill in all the schools, public or
private.

Disaster Resilience Education: Disaster resilience education (DRE) is the development of hazard-related
knowledge, skills and strategies, to enable learners to participate as active members in skilled andresilient communities.1

1

Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience: https://www.schools.aidr.org.au/disaster-resilience-education/whatis-dre/

Page | 4

Overview of Hazards and Disaster Risk
Maldives is a low lying island nation comprising of over thousand tiny islands. All islands are subjected tophysical vulnerability due to the country’s extremely low elevation and the flat topography. The wide
dispersal of its population of 3 hundred thousand, across the islands is also a significant contributing
factor. The frequency of natural disaster of large scale is relatively low in Maldives. However, the 2004
Indian ocean Tsunami brought devastating impact to the life of its people, economy and development
progress. With the realization, discussions and mindfulness for disaster preparedness began among thecommunities. Back then locals had a belief that Maldives is a country safe from catastrophic disasters
with little to no historical records. Hence, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami came when no once wasprepared, not knowing what Tsunami is.
However, studies and impact reports havebeen

formulated

exposingthevulnerabilities, hazards and risks of theIsland nation. Islands in the Northern partis more prone to cyclone, storm surge, andtsunamis, while the Central Part of thenation is more susceptible to tsunami andSouthern part has risk of earthquake
tremorsfromthenearbySumatraSubduction Zone, or Carlsberg Ridge.
SOURCE: NDMC, NEOP, HAZARD INDEX

Page | 5

The impact of a hazard in higher population concentration areas will be likely higher than in lesspopulated areas. The Haa Dhaalu, Seenu, Raa, Haa Alifu, and Kaafu (Figure) are having higher population
concentration and are exposed to various levels of hazards. It has to be noted that the islands in Seenu
Atoll and Malé island in Kaafu atoll are densely populated, which increases the probable chances ofimpacts to the exposed hazards.
Generally, the Maldives, regularly get affected by high frequent low impact seasonal events such as
monsoonal flooding, coastal erosion, salt water intrusion and intense sea surges related flooding due tosea level rise.
FQ: HAZARD PATTERNS IN MALDIVES, DIRAM 2007

Atoll Names

FIQURE: POPULATION EXPOSURE TO HAZARDS BY ATOLL (DIRAM, 2008)
POPULATION (CENCUS, 2014)
Population
Earthquake
TsunamiHeavy
Drought
TropicalRainfallSwells /Udha

Cyclone/Storm
Surge

Haa Alif197056

Low

High

Low

High

High

Moderate

Haa Dhaalu

13004

Low

High

Low

High

High

Moderate

Shaviyani

18570

Low

High

Low

High

High

Moderate

Noonu

12127

Low

Moderate

Low

High

High

High

Raa

10556

Low

High

Low

High

High

Moderate

Lhaviyani

14934

Low

High

Low

High

High

Moderate

Baa

8919

Low

Moderate

Low

High

High

High

Kaafu

7996

Low

High

Low

High

Moderate

Moderate

Alif Alifu

12232

Low

Moderate

Low

High

Moderate

High

Alif Dhaalu

5915

Low

Moderate

Low

High

Moderate

High

Vaavu

8183

Low

High

Low

High

Moderate

Moderate

Faafu

,622

Low

Moderate

Low

High

Moderate

High

Meemu

4711

Low

High

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Dhaalu4140

Low

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

High

Thaa

5329

Low

High

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

High

Laamu

8923

Moderate

High

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate

Gaafu Alifu

11841

Moderate

High

High

Low

Low

Moderate

Gaafu Dhaalu

8477

Moderate

Moderate

High

Low

Low

Moderate

Ganviyani

11653

High

High

High

Low

Low

Moderate

Seenu

8095

High

Moderate

High

Low

Low

High

Page | 6

Background and Significance of the Research
National Disaster Management Center (NDMC) was established aftermath of 26th December 2004 Indian
Ocean Tsunami by a presidential decree. Before 2004 the need to mitigate, prepare for disasters was
not a topic that was spoken or addressed in the Maldivian community because of the fewer hazards(floods, sea surge) and not knowing the impact of mega disasters (i.e. Tsunami). However, after thedeath of 82 people and 26 went missing from 2004 Tsunami, urgent need to cater the matter at hand
and take immediate actions began. Thus, NDMC has worked towards response and recovery for 9 longyears managing IDPs to restore everything to normal state.
2004 Tsunami experience showed us the need and importance of disaster education, specifically
Tsunami education and practicing exercise programs for the public and children targeting people living
in Greater Male’ region and in Islands. Programs such as public awareness, community based programs
or DRM digital outreach lacked during the time. It was until 2013, we pass the recovery andrehabilitation stage, focusing more on to preparedness efforts.
In Maldives, disaster preparedness through

SOURCE: NDMC, SCHOOL TSUNAMI DRILL IN GA. VILLINGILI, 2017

school curriculum and public outreach via
disaster management programs and digital
engagements is a weak area due to various
reasons.
Therefore, working at NDMC from 2014 has
taken my main focus on to community
engagement

andpreparedness

throughCommunity Disaster Management Programs(CBDRM), conducting awareness sessions to schools and other such preparedness projects along with
the introduction of the official website and social media accounts and having to manage both from2016.
Identifying the need to conduct a nationwide survey to Evaluate (school) educator’s knowledge ofdisaster and resilience began after being actively engaged in the implementation of School Tsunami
Drills from 2017in local islands for the UNDP’s and Japan’s regional project ‘Reducing the loss of lives ofschool children from tsunamis in Asia and the Pacific through better awareness and preparedness’’. Thisis first program of its kind to implement in Maldives history. Conducting these awareness programs toPage | 7

the school students and local community on tsunami preparedness and implementing full scale Tsunami
Drill in the Islands drew my attention on the importance of developing a fully structured disastereducation program where government and non-governmental partners can work together in achieving
the same goal of making the children and communities more resilient.

SOURCE: UNDP IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Page | 8

CHAPTER 2
Global Disaster Education Situation

SOURCE: ADRC, 2018

In the past decades, global frameworks have been developed fordisaster risk reduction with the elements of coherence andresilience 2 . The Yokohama Plan of Action and the Hyogo
Framework for Action (HFA) have guided nations andcommunities to strengthen and invest in disaster risk reduction

DRR

Climate(DRR) measures.
The Sendai Framework is the successor instrument to the Hyogo
Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015: Building the Resilience
SOURCE: PLACARD, 2017

2 Global Frameworks (Margot Steenbergen, October 2017) - https://www.placard-network.eu/joining-forces-cca-

drr-workshop/

Page | 9

of Nations and Communities to Disasters. It is the outcome of stakeholder consultations initiated in
March 2012 and inter-governmental negotiations held from July 2014 to March 2015, which were
supported by the UNISDR upon the request of the UN General Assembly (UNISDR, 2018)3

Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World4
Strategy C: - Strategy for the year 200 and beyond, (Page 12)Education and training in disaster prevention,
preparedness and mitigation

Plan of action: - Activities at the community and national levels(Page 14)
N:

Establish

andimplement

educational

andinformation programmes amide at generating generalpublic awareness, with emphasis on policy makers andmajor groups, in order to ensure support for, andeffectiveness of disaster reduction programmes

Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015
3 Strategic Goals
1. The integration of disaster risk reduction into sustainable
development policies and planning
2. Development and strengthening of institutions, mechanisms andcapacities to build resilience to hazards
3. The systematic incorporation of risk reduction approaches into
the implementation of emergency preparedness, response andrecovery programmes.

3 https://www.unisdr.org/we/coordinate/sendai-framework
4 Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World

https://www.unisdr.org/files/8241_doc6841contenido1.pdf

Page | 10

Five priorities for Action
1. Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional
basis for implementation.
2. Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning.
3. Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels.
4. Reduce the underlying risk factors.
5. Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels.

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030

Sustainable Development Goals – Goal 4 (Quality Education)
Page | 11

Comprehensive School Safety (CSS) Framework
Comprehensive school safety (CSS) provides a comprehensive approach to reducing risks from all
hazards in the education sector developed in 2012 with the definition of “an all-inclusive approach to
reducing risks, stresses and shocks faced by children, teachers, schools and communities, founded on
the participatory multi-hazard risk assessment and development of safe learning facilities, school based
disaster management, structural and non-structural safety and risk reduction education’’ (working Draft,
South Asia Regional Policy Framework for Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction)
A safe school has minimal disruptions during disasters and thus continues to provide a conducive
learning environment for children with 3 pillars5.

SOURCE: ASEAN Safe School Initiative(ASSI)

5: ASEAN Safe School Initiative - https://aseansafeschoolsinitiative.org/home-2/towards-school-safety-in-

asean/

Page | 12

Regional Disaster Resilience Education Situation
There are more than 600million children in South Asia, who constitute 27 percent of the world childpopulation and 36 percent of the total population in the region while relative child population of
Maldives covers 34.78% (2013)6. Children comprise 60% of total casualties in most disasters in theregion. Children are especially vulnerable and disproportionately affected by disasters and other crisis.
Emergences can do significant damage in a child’s formative years, affecting their growth anddevelopment.
To strengthen capacities of children to survive

SOURCE: CHENNAI FLOOD, AHMEDABAD, GANDHINAGAR(2017)and cope with disasters, are being held. In
Bangladesh, swimming lessons for children
was one of the activity that was carried toreduce the risk of children drowning in flood
waters, in earthquake prone countries like
Nepal, children were taught how to duckcover-and-hold

in

the

event

of

an

earthquake.7
In September 2015, in Kathmandu (Nepal), member states from the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) endorsed the “SAARC Framework and Road Map on Child-Centered Disaster Risk
Reduction”. In the conference all member states agreed on the importance having a child center DRR
approach and rapid implementation given the context of child causalities due to disasters during the last
decade in South Asia. One of the agreed actions is to strengthen capacity building in the CCDRR
approach.
UNICEF ROSA is one of the United Nations (UN) agency that conducts workshops to DRR professionals toincrease the regional’s capacity on Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction by partnering with Asian
Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and with other South Asian countries to strengthen child-centeredapproaches with disaster risk management. One of their aim is to facilitate integration of CCDRR in to
mainstream development and planning process as well as develop skills for CDRR plans and initiatives.
6 Child Centered Disaster Risk Reduction in South Asia (2015), http://ndmc.gov.mv/assets/Uploads/48413-

childcentereddrrsouthasia2015.pdf
7 South Asia Regional Policy Framework for Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction

Page | 13

In conducting these workshops, their rational is that children’s specific vulnerabilities and theirrequirements for basic survival including nutrition, health, psychosocial care and protection. The main
killer in the South Asian region is children being susceptible to natural hazards and climate change
induced vulnerabilities. South Asia’s children underlines the importance of addressing the fact thatchildren now account for 70 percent of those impacted by frequent disasters striking in the region.
UNICEF’s Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction (CCDRR) program for children creates long term
development gains for children and society at large. Participation, empowerment and equitabledevelopment further help in stabilizing fragile states and in building more sustainable societies.
In their workshops they cover contents on basic concepts and terminologies for understanding CCDRR,
South Asia Regional framework on CCDRR, Core commitments for children (CCCs) in Humanitarian
Action, Comprehensive school safety (CSS), assessing disaster risks, hazards assessments, child centeredvulnerability and capacity assessments, child centered disaster risk assessments, communications risks,child centered DRR planning, child centered emergency preparedness planning and mainstreaming
CCDRR into development process.

Page | 14

CHAPTER 3
Status of Disaster Resilience Education in Maldives
Disaster resilience education has become a debatablearea in the recent disaster forums and papers. It’s
noted that disaster resilience has no given definition.
However, it addresses in bolstering the capabilities ofcommunities by heightening the disaster resilienceskills of each individual enhancing their capabilities toproactively engage in the event of calamities.

‘VOSHUFILAA’ TRADITIONAL TEACHING METHOD

Disaster resilience education is a holistic methodology which involves communication and engagement.
Australian and New Zealand Disaster and Emergency Management Conference paper gives the notationthat disaster resilience education, communication and engagement (ECE) ought to additionally involve
learning regarding the community itself, as well as a way to scale back vulnerabilities and connect
communities through social capital formation (Dufty, 2014). Thus creating an educational climate isimportant to foster equilibrium of the three elements; knowledge, attitude and skills. It is vital to know
the history of the community that you live or reside in, attitude to work together as a community andthe know-how of evacuation centers, safest routes, lifesaving skills and so forth (Cabinet Office 2015, p.
5)8. Opportunities for disaster resilience education, communication and engagement were known within
the main learning domains: behavioral, cognitive, emotive and social. The findings are undeniable, thatseveral current disaster educations, communication and engagement programs (Dufty, 2014)
The Maldives invests more than 20% of its GDP on social services (education and health). Quality
education, elimination of educational disparity and decentralization of educational service has been themain educational policy of the government for years. Maldives is one of the few countries who has
achieved universal education. However, much has to be done to improve the countries disaster
resilience education strategies.

8 Cabinet Office (Disaster Management Office), Tokyo. Japan

Executive Committee for Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan

Page | 15

Education System in Maldives
The traditional education system is replaced by the British system of education with the establishmentof primary and secondary schools. Curriculum development began in 1976. Simultaneously otherprograms were introduced and continued through the 1970s and until the mid-1980s from where on theFirst Ten Year Master Plan for Educational (1986-1995) began implementation. English language is usedas the medium of instruction in most schools; however, there are schools that provide Arabic andIslamic education specifically.
The first western-style school in the Maldives is the Majeediyya School, a secondary established in 1927.
The school was originally co-educational, but it was felt necessary to create a second school for girls(Aminiyya School) in 1944.
The literacy rate of Maldives is one of the highest in the world (98%) and the educational standards arehighest in the region. Roughly 35% of the Maldives is under 18 years old, making education a key area
for social investment in the national future. Since the Maldives unified its education system in 1978, it
has gone from 70% literacy, with women more likely to be illiterate than men, to universal primaryeducation and a 98% literacy rate (UNICEF Maldives).
The method of teaching and learning process in the schools even in the early grades, are exam driven.
The schools conduct their own examinations until the 10th year. Students sit a national exam in the 10th
year, Secondary School Certificate (SSC) in Dhivehi and Islam and Cambridge O level for other subjects.
After the 12th year students sit for the national Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam in Dhivehi andIslam and London Edexcel A Level exam for the rest of the subjects.
A milestone in educational services was reached with the establishment of the Maldives College ofHigher Education – MCHE in 1998. Maldivian students now have the prospect of post-secondary
education (from diplomas to bachelor’s degrees in certain areas) at the many faculties functioning under
the MCHE. In early 2011 Maldives National University was formed by collaborating and upgrading all thefaculties of the then Maldives College of Higher Education.
Education, which was primarily concentrated in Male’, the capital city is now extended throughout allparts of the country. Establishment of Atoll schools in the Maldives has provided a nationwide access to
education. With the limited number of universities field of study areas in the Maldives, Maldivians haveto travel to other countries to obtain higher education.
Page | 16

The Maldivian government is continuously making an effort to improve educational standards in
Maldivian schools. In these efforts, the Maldivian government is making large investments in secondary,vocational and higher secondary education.
Pre-PrimaryPrimary

Lower

Higher Secondary

Secondary
Atoll

Male’

Atoll

Male’

Atol

Male’

Atoll

Male’

l
Government Schools

-

1

193

13

176

13

45

4

Community Schools

120

4

-

1

-

3

-

1

Private Schools

102

16

1

3

-

3

-

4

SOURCE: SCHOOL STATISTICS, MOE(2015)

Across the country there are four types of schools: state-run schools, state subsidized community
schools, public-private partnership schools (PPPs) and private schools. Altogether, 375 schools provide
education for just under 88,000 students, a quarter of the national population. Out of these schools,
58% are state-run. Male’, the capital, has 6% of the total schools providing education for 41% of thestudent population. In terms of equality of access for both the sexes in education, gender parity in theMaldives education system is high across all levels of school education99 Improving Education in The Maldives: Stakeholder Perspectives On the Maldivian Education -https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275042035_IMPROVING_EDUCATION_IN_THE_MALDIVES_STAKEHOLDER_PERSPECTIVES_ON_THE_MALDIVIAN_EDUCATION

Page | 17

Official School Ages by Level of Education
Primary education lasts seven years and starts at the age of 7. Secondary education begins at age 12 andlasts for 3 years. Completion of secondary education prepares students to sit for the London GCE ‘O’levels examinations. Higher secondary education is available in a government establishment in Male’after which candidates get ready for the London GCE ‘A’ level exams.

3– 5 yrs

6-12 yrs

13-15 yrs

16-17 yrs

Kindergarten

Class 1-7

Class 8-10Class 11-12

Pre-PrimaryPrimary Education

Secondary
Education

Higher Secondary
Education

Foundation (UKG,
LKG)

Key Stage 1 (1-2-3)

Key Stage 4 (9-10)

Key Stage 5 (11-12)

Key Stage 2 (4-5-6)

Key Stage 3 (7-8)

Significance of Disaster Education
Children’s are the most vulnerable group of people in the society. They spend half of their day in schoolor engaged in extracurricular activities. Hence disaster education plays a significant role in developing adisaster preparedness culture among children of all ages. For years it’s been a taboo that children mustnot be included in the disaster preparedness phase. However, children being the victims and them
being the hero in most situations has changed the impression that indeed they must be well informed ofnatural disasters and preventive measures as well as adults.
In the catastrophic December 26, 2004 Tsunami which swept over the countries in the Indian Ocean,children accounted for one third of tsunami deaths. The proportion of casualties rose as 39% of the
Page | 18

population represented children in the eight hardest hit countries (UNICEF, 2004). Along with Indonesia,
India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, Maldives was also hard hit by the 9.2 magnitude tsunami leaving 82
people dead and 86 people missing till date.

DeathsMissing
FQ: STATISTICS OF THE VICTIMS

Thought a huge number of children’s lives was lost, there are many documented stories of how children
proactively saved villages and families from the calamity because at some point in their life they havelearnt about the signs of tsunami and proved to the world they need a voice and many reasons to usethem in making the cities more resilient.
Disaster resilience education initiative bore fruit in Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake ofMarch 11, 2011. Exemplifies by the case of Kamaishi City of Kamaishi Higashi Junior High School in Iwate
Prefecture, where the lives of many school children and students who at school saved from the tsunami(Cabinet Office 2015, p. 5)10

10 Cabinet Office (Disaster Management Office), Tokyo. Japan

Executive Committee for Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan

Page | 19

CASE STUDY: The Effectiveness of Disaster Resilience Education at Kamaishi
Higashi Junior High School (Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture) from the Great East
Japan Earthquake
Kamaishi Higashi high school is located approximately 500m from the coastline and has long been
identified as vulnerable to tsunami. The Unosumal district where Kamaishi Higashi Junior HighSchool is located, depopulation has led to the high school being abolished, meaning that thejunior high school students have to take the lead in propelling initiatives in the community.
Given this, Kamaishi Higashi Junior High School has implemented a disaster resilience education
program on an ongoing basis with the following three aims. From the desire for each student tobecome project leader in the community’s disaster prevention in their capacity as a member tothe regional community.

Be responsible for promoting your own life

From rescued to rescuer

Passing on the culture of disaster resilience

The disaster resilience education program was implemented with the aim of cultivating the abilityof students to judge circumstances by themselves and to proactively take the initiative in reacting.
The program encompassed collaborative initiatives with the region including joint evacuation
exercises with the neighboring Unosumai Elementary School and disaster resilience learning
programs involving all school members called ‘’EAST rescue” which also involved local households
and people throughout the community.

When the GEJE struck, the 570 students of Kamaishi Higashi junior high school and Unosumai
elementary school applied what they had trained to do over and over again, and all begun toevacuate toward high ground as soon as the earthquake struck. Their ability to calmly judge theirsituation as it unfolded around them lead to protect and save all their lives from the surging
tsunami.
Page | 20

Source: Implementing Handbook for Disaster Resilience Education at the Regional Level
Cabinet Office (Disaster Management Office), Tokyo. Japan

Diversity and Inclusion of Disaster Resilience Education
The United Nations Conversation on the Rights of Children (UNCRC) in 1989 states “every child has theright to education, irrespective of disability and without discrimination of any kind” (Ferguson, 2014).
Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Education and the Education 2030 Framework for Action emphasize
inclusion and equity as laying the foundations for quality education (UNESCO, 2018). Kaur & Aurora(2014) defines Inclusive education as an educational approach and philosophy that provides all students
with community membership and greater opportunities for academic and social achievement toincrease participation in a way that effectively responds to the diverse needs of all learners. The needfor progress on inclusive education is crucial, especially given the context of international targets such as
the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal primary education by 2015 and the goal of
Education for All (EFA) by 2015. These goals are achievable only if the persons with disabilities areincluded.
In Maldives, currently more than 75% students are enrolled in pre-primary, primary to high secondary
grades from 2.5 to 18 years of age, (NBS Pocket Book, 2016) local language being Dhivehi and a highpercentage speaking in the second language, English. Out of this, there is an alarming percentage ofchildren who lives with various disabilities, among whom are school goers while the rest are unable toget a school education.
Socioeconomic, mental, physical, living condition, and other factors pose a risk of exposure tovulnerabilities and hazards around them. All these factors also depend on the capacity to response andrecover from disasters. Hence it is crucial to engage and involve all the children regardless of theirdisabilities or their ethnicity or geographic location, in the disaster education and communication
process (Wisner et al. 2006, peek 2008). The successful implementation of any inclusive policy is largely
dependent on educators having a positive approach (Avramidis, 2000). Wherein, teachers play a
responsible role in children’s behavior and learning, in both normal and special education needed
students. In fact, inclusive education is crucial for special need children with their different abilities.
Inclusive education in Maldives started recently. Implementation of the new strategy has lot of
drawbacks; one factor being lack of professional experts. Therefore, early childhood educator’s
perception on integrating the children with special needs in mainstream classes become a very
important matter in teaching. Teacher’s role in student’s success is huge, and their potentiality plus their
dedication helps to uplift the entire school (Killion, 2007). Even though the school provides leaning
Page | 21

environment, teachers play the most important part in student’s personal developments, in all areas.
Thereby to provide an effective teaching; teachers need to fully know his/her students (Youk, 2014).
Knowing a student includes knowing his/her background, and what motivates the students to learn.
Furthermore, her abilities and disabilities are also need to be noted so he/she can be facilitatedaccordingly in the best suitable way. Without these types of information, it is not likely to bring out thebest in students with special needs (Armstrong, 2004).
In a theory proposed by (Cartney.Mc, 2006) As cited on Deirdre Barry Power (2010), According to mc
Carty (2006), in his research says that inclusive education get students many benefits and training for
adults living.

DRR Information, Communication and Education Materials
Capacity building activities have been undertaken in the Maldives in the past, these activities havemostly concentrated on health and environmental aspects rather than inclusive disaster education.
A number of disaster risk reduction educational materials have been developed and implemented incountries around the world. However, there seems to be a general lack of evidence showing theeffectiveness of these interventions and whether they have contributed to the overall enhancement ofcommunity resilience and ultimately to disaster risk reduction. To be effective, disaster educational
programs must result in greater disaster resilience in communities at all levels.
During the study visits to multiple institutions and organizations in Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe City, Osaka
City, Tokyo City and Hokkaido to gather research data, I have come to conclusion that the institutions
have solid DRR education materials and brochures. The brochures consist of lot of attractive mascots
and colorful diagram to educate earthquakes, Sediment disasters and Tsunamis including wellestablished museum in most of the institutions. But I was in self-doubt of the outreach of the IEC
materials to the public. According to the Cabinet Office (Sept 2018), distribution task of ICE materials is
given the municipalities, however the percentage of outreach has not been figuratively identified andthat it remains unsolved.

Page | 22

DRR Awareness Materials and Activities
 Tokyo Bosai – A Manual for Disaster Preparedness11
Recently Tokyo residents could find a nicely designed yellow package in their post box. Containing somefun elements such as heaps of illustrations, map, sticker and even a 16-page Manga, it is something
entirely different. The package contains Tokyo Bōsai or the Disaster Preparedness Tokyo, a manual tohelp households get prepared for an earthquake directly hitting Tokyo and advise on various otherdisasters.

Disaster Preparedness Tokyo was compiled by
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and is
tailored to the various local features of Tokyo,
its urban structure, and the lifestyles of its
residents, and contains easy-to-understandinformation on how to prepare for andrespond to a disaster. It contains information
which are useful now – to get prepared – andin the event of an emergency.
Bosai the Rhino – Throughout the manual
Bosai-kun (防サイくん) a cute rhino characteris used on chapter divider pages. Even disaster
preparedness can be fun

11 http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/english/guide/bosai/index.html (PDF Download)

Page | 23

LIST OF CHAPTERS OF THE BOOKLET:







Simulation of a Major Earthquake
Let’s Get Prepared – Disaster
Preparedness Actions
Other Disasters and Countermeasures
Survival Tips
Disaster Facts and Information You
Should Know
Manga comic: “TOKYO ‘X’ DAY”

 The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation
Institution-

A Study Note on Learning Disaster and Life.

-

Implementation of “Summer Vacation Disaster Mitigation School 2018” by the DRI Museum‘A Study Note on Learning Disaster and Life’ (1995.1.17) includes contents on how to prepare for anearthquake and how to live with earthquakes while the book is user friendly with short questions andanswers, inclusive of exercises students and the adults can further enhance their knowledge.

Page | 24 ‘Four Things You Can Do to Protect the Livesof You and Your Family’
A handy pamphlet that covers contents on
seismic retrofitting, in-house safety measures,storage, evacuation and what to do in an
emergency with attractive visualizations.

 Disaster prevention guide for children and parents – 10 Points to protect your family
Points on different hazards in both English and Japanese withdiagrams explaining what to do during in an emergency and indisasters, how to use emergency dialing system and etc.
According to the booklet, Hyogo Prefecture sends out disaster
information (Earthquake, Tsunami, and weather alerts) andevacuation information to residents in English, Korean, Chinese,
Portuguese and Vietnamese with free mobile registration.

Addressing the Maldives context, the main constraint or issue for this particular subject has been the‘need’ and ‘want of people. Since Maldives is a country with high impact low frequency disasters, mostpeople do not take disaster education seriously as it should be taken.
Digital media has become the most feasible way to reach the majority of the population. Social Media,
television, radio, print and online media are pathways of information dissemination and channels of
public demands. They are the highest possible medium to create awareness. Natural disaster isunavoidable. So early warning and precautionary measures would help in minimizing the loss to life andproperty.
 Living tomorrow for Students
Developed by Board of education in Hyogo prefecture in 1997. There are 4 type of materials, forlower grade in elementary school, higher grade in elementary school, for junior high school, for highschool.

Page | 25

 “Iza! Kaeru Karavan”?
A fun program of learning about disaster prevention throughplaying with families and friends. The “Iza! Kaeru Caravan12!”
program that started in 2005 is extending its activities in othercountries while understanding the regional characteristics andproposing disaster prevention activities suitable to the region.
BOSAI (Disaster prevention), a new aspect of Japanese culture,
has been exported to various countries.
The awareness is growing overseas as well after the experiencesof various disasters such as the large-scale eruption of Mount
Merapi in Indonesia, the heavy flood in Thailand, and the damage
caused by typhoon on the island of Leyte, The Philippines.
 Red Bear Survival Camp13
survival experience program for parents and children. The
participants have fun while learning what to do during a disasterand acquire the skills and strength required to survive whateversituation they may face.
 DRR Festivals and other such events
DRR festivals that include activities such as narrow route escape games, children’s cooking
classes (how to cook emergency food), storytelling written by students, making paper box(origami)

12“Iza! Kaeru Caravan”? http://kaeru-caravan.jp/en.html

13

Earth Manual Project - http://www.earthmanual.org/p05en/
Page | 26

DISSEMINATION OF DRR INFORMATION, AND EDUCATION MATERIALSStrategic, coordinated work to generate and communicate knowledge about DRR brings benefits tosignificant numbers of vulnerable people. Good communication also has an important part in publicdecision-making processes. Most DRR communications initiatives aim to promote behavioral change
amongst communities and their organizations, but there are also opportunities to achieve social change
by supporting community dialogue or collective action on issues of risk and vulnerability. Like
participation, communication should aim to shift the balance of power towards communities byenabling people to investigate, define and explain their own problems14.

SOURCE: A. BURKE, COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT: A PRACTICAL GUIDE (LONDON: DEPARTMENT FOR
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, 1999, http://www.eldis.org/vfile/upload/1/document/0708/doc7389.pdf, p. 24.

14

Disaster Risk Reduction, Twigg, J (2015), - https://goodpracticereview.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/GPR-9web-string-1.pdf. Page 191

Page | 27

All DRR programmes should include communications and awareness-raising as a central, ongoingelement, and they should have a clear strategy for doing this. In practice, relatively little time and effort
is invested in this area. It is often just a component added to the end of individual projects, undertaken
by people without specialist training or skills. Public education therefore becomes fragmented into
separate, one-off, short-term interventions whose impact is rarely assessed. Ideally, it should be a longterm, sustained process that seeks to raise awareness and stimulate protective action progressively andsustainably.
ICTs, which play an important part in DRR are now extensively used worldwide to raise public awarenessof hazard risk and support household and community action, especially in preparedness and response.
Communication methods for DRR
Interpersonal Communication

Printed, Visual and Audio-visual Media

Maps and communication toolUse of radio (Public Information Broadcasting, Participatory radio)Presenting and Interpreting ImagesUse of Social MediaYouTubePage | 28

CHAPTER 4
Curriculum alignment
The curriculum plays a huge role in implementing a good inclusive program. It should be flexible andaccessible. As cited on UNESCO (2005), “Strategies such as flexible time frames for work completion,differentiation of tasks, flexibility for teachers, time for additional support and emphasis on vocational
as well as academic goals can be useful” (Callan, 2013). According to that it is very important for
educators to ensure that the curriculum provides those opportunities for teachers for student’s success.
The curriculum should as well offer a supportive welcoming environment for students with special
education needs.
In the Maldives, National Curriculum is based on fundamental principles within an Islamic framework.
These principles, derived after several stages of consultations, encompass democracy, equity,
nationalism, independence, innovation for development and strengthening of the Maldivian society.
Based on these fundamental principles, the MOE, in consultation with the National Education Council(NEC), produces national objectives for the education sector (see above). The Educational Development
Centre (EDC) is responsible for translating these national objectives into curriculum statements after
appropriate consultations. Once the Minister of Education adopts the curriculum statements as policy,
EDC draws up the national frameworks for individual subject areas, the syllabi, textbooks, teacher’s
guides and other relevant resources. Subject panels, consisting of practising teachers and subject
specialists from various sectors, including the Department of Public Examinations and the Institute ofTeacher Education, help the EDC in the process 15

Ministry of Education• Formulates andimplementation of all
education policies

City Level• Male City, Addu Cityand Fuvahmulah City

Atoll Level• 20 Administrative
Atolls• Atoll Schools

Island Level• 186 Islands
Island Schools

15 Education policies, curriculum design and implementation at the level of upper primary and general secondary

education- http://www.ibe.unesco.org/curriculum/Asia%20Networkpdf/ndrepmv.pdf

Page | 29

Detailed Interrelationships Between Various Bodies Involved in The Adaptation of Curricula in The
Maldives

SOURCE: EDUCATION POLICIES, CURRICULUM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION AT THE LEVEL OF UPPER PRIMARY AND GENERALSECONDARY EDUCATION, ABDUL MUHSIN MOHAMED AND MARYAM AZRA AHMED

Page | 30

A new National Curriculum16 was implemented in 2013. The
key issues discussed in the discussions reviews was theschool subjects, and whether the curriculum provides abalanced framework to meet the needs of the education
system of the Maldives, the Maldivian context and thestudents. The National Curriculum was also discussed inrelation to students with special needs or disabilities. In theMaldives children with physical disabilities are supported,
but with significant variations across the nation. It was seenthat currently, there are no mechanisms established within
the education sector to identify or address the needs ofstudents with disabilities in terms of curriculum or
resources. overall there is much to be done to integratestudents with special needs into the wider learning
environment17.
In the Maldivian curriculum some subjects address the disaster management concept. Among thosesubjects, Social Studies is one subject which give a thorough concept on climate change and natural
hazards. Several reforms have already been introduced into the content and teaching methodologies of
the national curriculum that came into effect in 1984. However, this curriculum now needs a majorrevision to adjust and strengthen it to enable our citizens to face the challenges of the twenty-first
century. A major nationwide curriculum review activity is planned for April 1999.
In general, the curriculum covers compulsory 4 modules Qur’an, Dhivehi, Islam Mathematics, andEnglish and Other subjects according to the school standard as the table below.

16

National Curriculum Framework https://www.moe.gov.mv/assets/upload/National_Curriculum_Framework_English.pdf
17International Journal of Small Economies Vol. 4 No. 1 Year 2013 Pages 23-38
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275042035_IMPROVING_EDUCATION_IN_THE_MALDIVES_STAKEHOLDER_PERSPECTIVES_ON_THE_MALDIVIAN_EDUCATION

Page | 31

HOW THE DIFFERENT KEY LEARNING AREAS ARE ADDRESSED AT EACH KEY STAGE OF LEARNING?

SOURCE: MOE, NIE, NATIONAL CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Page | 32

In 2013, Ministry of Education has put forward disaster preparedness week in the Academic calendar forthe month of May and August (at the start of the year and the end of the school year). However, theseweeks have not been very effective since teachers are not trained to conduct disaster preparedness or
specific disaster related exercises or activities. (This accounts for all the schools in the islands andgreater male’ region too).
A one day ‘School Preparedness programme was facilitated by National Disaster Management Center(NDMC) for primary teachers on March 7, 2015 of 5 schools in Greater Male’ Area (Male’-VilligiliHulhumale’) to train teachers to conduct sessions for the students during disaster preparedness week.
The program was designed in a way that the teachers would be able to practice disaster preparedness
activities at their school during the preparedness week and when teaching lesson on areas of disasters.
Many concerns were brought up for allocating a disaster preparedness week without any handbook orproper guidance leaving it to the schools. So these weeks were mostly utilized for fire drills and fireevacuation rather than focusing on preparedness on natural disasters. As mentioned earlier, none otherschools in Maldives, except the 5 schools of Tsunami Drill Project has had experience of any tsunami
drills.
In my opinion, Maldives education system lack disaster resilience education content though a guide for‘school emergency operations plan’ was formulated in (2009) along with Ministry of Education and
UNDP Maldives18. The guide aims at educating school administrators and staff including students, on thenecessary protocol to follow during an emergency that includes chapters on planning and response.
Providing theoretical and practical knowledge on disasters have been an issue among the people who
conduct such programs professionally. In the recently developed key stage curriculum, introduction ofdisaster education is included from level 3 (students of age 9) to Level 8 (students of age 14) in their
Science module, Social Studies module and Dhivehi module (mother language/first language module).
Since it’s being taught in different modules the inclusion is still frail in our curriculum which need be
improved. Hence, there is a need to examine current disaster education practices with a view to aligningthem to the broader goal of disaster resilience.

18

Guide for “School Emergency Operations Plan” Maldives (First Edition)
Page | 33

Case Study of Maiko High School
During the visiting researcher program 2018, I visited Maiko High School in Maiko City, Hyogo Prefecture
being the first school in Japan to have a well-established disaster management course in school syllabus.
Maiko High School disaster management course was launched in 2002 after the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake. Following the establishment of Maiko High School, Miyagi Tagajo High School launchedtheir disaster management course in 2011 after the Great East Japan Earthquake being the second
school in Japan to have a structured DM course in the school syllabus.

The learning process starts with an entrance exam which comprises of DM course and general course
where the students would be sitting for either of the course. Students who chose DM course learn more
about hazards in a detailed manner. “In terms of disaster education, they learn more than survival as
they are taught to respond to disasters in Japan as well as outside Japan” Masuda (2018).

Grade 10, 11 & 12

General Course

Environment and disaster reduction course

6 Classes (40 students in one class)1 class

General Course

Environment and disaster reduction course

6 Classes (40 students in one class)1 class

General Course

Environment and disaster reduction course

6 Classes (40 students in one class)1 class

Page | 34

Currently 840 students are studying in Maiko High School in the general course while 120 students areenrolled in the Environment and disaster reduction course.
During the visit I got the opportunity toobserve a disaster management class by
the Environment and DRR course teacher
Ms. Junko Masuda. She believed that themain

purposeofdisasterresilienceeducation is to develop civil leaders withdisasterrisk

reduction

capacitybyapplying the knowledge from grassroots
level. Also she believes that, given the
chance

some

may

be

disastermanagement experts, while others can use the knowledge at household and community level which
would improve the DRR capacity of the communities.
Disaster reduction education includes two types. One being the disaster reduction education to develop
supporters and the other being disaster reduction education to survive. Furthermore, fundamental
knowledge, fundamental skills and strong will to protect lives are taken in to consideration in thecontext of disaster resilience education according to Masuda (2018).

Advance knowledge and skills
Practical Skills

Disaster reduction education in all areas

Disaster reduction education to develop
supporters

Page | 35

Further analyzed, students under the Environment and disaster reduction course studies 91 units
according to Maiko High School curriculum while the general course students study 58-63 subjects and25-31 special subjects.

General Subjects












Japanese
EnglishMath
Science
Social Study
Physical Education
Art
Music
Japanese Calligraphy
Home Economics
Computer Study

Special Subjects










Disaster and Human Being
Environment and Science
Computer Study in Disaster
Activity in Disaster Reduction
Social Environment and DisasterNatural Environment and Disaster
Human Being and Society
Reading on Disasters
Graduation Research

Practical teaching styles are being adapted in Maiko High School to include action-based activities where
the teachers and students can critically reflect on their responsibility towards disaster management
issues in their school and in the community. Collaborative learning with elementary school students arebeing conducted on a regular basis by students of Maiko High School, which includes story telling about
the past earthquakes, making hazard maps, liquefaction experiments with the elementary students,
preparing survival kits and etc. Students proactive engagement and facilitation with other children helps
boosts their knowledge more effectively as students teach instead of the teachers.

Environment and disaster reduction course of Maiko High school is not only confined to school
environment, however their syllabus includes lots of engagement with experts from universities andinstitutions, field visits to the affected areas within Japan (Landslide areas, earthquake affected areas,
disaster risk reduction museum etc) as well as overseas. Every year group of students from the school
travel to Nepal to exchange friendship and communication with students from overseas and to expand
their knowledge and capacity. They also take part in the actual auxiliary firefighting training conductedby the fire department, to teach them how to react and respond.

Page | 36

As a result of their outreach learning activities,
Maiko High School believes that that students
studying in the environment and disaster reduction
course would be able to be successful DRR
influencers in the future with opportunities to work
for international cooperation and DRR, Welfare andDRR, Housing and DRR, Community building and
DRR, Environment and DRR, food and DRR andSports and DRR, Maiko High School refers to thismethod as ‘Maiko Method’ aiming to raise experts
and citizens who can be the leaders at the disastertime.
At the end of the visit I was fortunate to engage with the students and ask them couple of questions andget genuine feedbacks of their academic course. When discussed about the how much the students
apply what they learn from school at the household and community level, students responded saying,
now they often discuss about the disasters, emergency kit, assembly points and evacuation routes athome in case of an emergency or disaster. Also some students responded by saying that they use
emergency stock piling medium and practice ‘rolling stock’ method in their homes.

Page | 37

Collaboration and Partnerships
The importance of collaboration and partnerships between key stakeholders has been emphasized over
the years. ‘Disaster education take the world of education and curriculum into new and unfamiliar
territory, which calls for alliance and partnership’ (UNESCO, 2014). Collaboration and partnership
between a wide range of key stakeholders from the emergency management and education sectors,
private sector, academia, non-governmental and NGO’s and community based organizations are
required to effectively implement disaster resilience education to the children and to the public.
Drawing on the expertise and partners working together increases the capacity of producing greater
results that putting individual efforts.
A three-year Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Ministry of Education and Maldives
National Defence Force (MNDF) as the organizer and facilitator was agreed upon 08 February 2018 towork collaboratively with the technical assistance from National Disaster Management Center, where
the parent organization is the Ministry of Defence and National Security.
The memorandum of understanding (2018) highlights collaborative actions to be taken jointly with:
Educational Supervision and Quality Improvement Division (ESQID) and Maldives National Defence
Force, Fire and Rescue Service (MNDF, FRS)MNDF FRS technical team to identify and facilitate the implementation of School Emergency
Operations Plan (SEOP) to the selected school and Implementation of emergency drills in theschool identified by ESQUID.

Educational Supervision and Quality Improvement Division (ESQID) and National Disaster Management(NDMC)


Identification and selection of schools by NDMC’s technical team with ESQIDYearly implementation of disaster risk reduction training workshop, for the focal points of theselected schools.



Monitoring of emergency drills and evaluation

Page | 38

Educational Supervision and Quality Improvement Division (ESQID) Role

Identification of schools to implement disaster risk reduction activities with technical guidancefrom MNDF FRS and NDMC and notifying the selected schools.



Monitoring and provide guidance to the schools on the implementation of School Emergency
Operations Plan (SEOP)

Participation of ESQID staff during the implementation of emergency drills by MNDF FRS andproviding necessary support.

Provide support to NDMC in the implementation of disaster risk reduction training workshops
conducted to the school focal points.



Formulating of coordinating committee with all the stakeholders involved in the school
emergency operations plan.

Provide support in conducting school SEOP and emergency drills at the schools.



Arrange logistics required for travels and provide support in the implementation of school SEOP
and emergency drills in the Atoll schools.

Composing SEOP and emergency drill activity calendar and ensuring schools does comply.

Emergency response teams at the school to conduct emergency drills with support and guidancefrom MNDF FRS.

Environmental education and community mobilization surveys have been carried out in the past withassistance from several donor agencies. Achieving sustainable development through education isimportant to develop a national momentum while engaging different sectors and institutions in disastereducation and community mobilization are fundamentally cross-sectional.

Page | 39

Actions for Disaster Resilience Education
Disaster resilience education (DRE) is the development of knowledge and skills which enable learners toassess danger in the environment and take protective action before, during and after a potential
disaster or emergency event. Community resilience for disasters could be improved with stakeholders
coming together to deliver the same goal.
These organizations include government and inter-governmental, UN bodies and local communities that
already are promoting DRR or could be involved in the promotion of disaster prevention.
Name of Agency

Summary

Ministry of Education•

Lead agency in formulating andimplementation of all education policies

National Disaster Management CenterMain coordinating body for disaster risk
reduction activities
Implementation of Disastermanagement policies, programs andguidelines
Primary responsibility of conducting fire
emergency operations, carrying out
rescue operations and providing
protection to property.
Promotion of DRR activities at the school
and community level
Independent, voluntary, humanitarianorganization in the Maldives.
Implementing DRR activities acrossMaldives
Knowledge, expertise and funding
facilitating the students with disasterrisk reduction knowledge and exposure
Involvement of PTA members in the DRR
activities
heighten awareness of critical thinking
among students and teachers
pioneer new research areas in DRR
Advocacy
Engagement in DRR activities
Engagement and Advocacy
Disseminating DRR awarenessinformation

Maldives National Defence Force, Fire & Rescue Service
Maldivian Red CrescentUNDP / UNICEF
Schools/PTA and Teachers

Academia (Higher Education Institutes)



Local Communities
Business Communities
Other groups (Women’s Groups/Disability Groups etc)
Media







Page | 40

CHAPTER 5
Basic Principles for Successful Disaster Resilience Education
Education and public awareness are the cornerstone of approaches aimed at reducing people’svulnerabilities to natural hazards. However, most countries worldwide are missing out on the mostimportant aspects such as introducing primary disaster risk mitigation, the physical protection of people
and property, environmental stewardship and recognizing underlying vulnerability connected withtenuous livelihoods (Petal, 2007,2008). Disasters result from the interaction of social vulnerability andnatural hazards, which combine to put certain groups of people at greater risk than others.
The best evidence of success for disaster risk reduction education is the disasters avoided. The
effectiveness of disaster risk reduction education can be assessed at micro, macro, and macro levels ofsocial organization in the targeted population. This means that there are indicators and measures ofeffectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, and satisfaction to be taken from individuals and families,
organizations and institutions, communities and local governments, and then tested against social
policies19
Micro Level
Assessing risks and holding regular planningmeetings.
Identifying an out-of-area-contact, and having
meeting places and reunification plans(including young children knowing their full nameand address).

Macro Level
Widespread consciousness of hazards,
vulnerabilities and capacities (knowledge ofmeasures to be taken before, during, and after adisaster).
The applications of effective early warning
systems.

Maintaining insurance.

Responsible land-use planning.

Buying/renting in safe location.
Building/retrofitting disaster resistant housing.
Taking measures to secure building contents andbelongings.
Taking fire prevention methods.

Structural safety standards and their enforcement.
Other physical risk reduction measures.
Environmental stewardship.
Community-based planning and assessment.

19 Disaster Risk Reduction Education: Material Development, Organization, Evaluation. Available from:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277821824_Disaster_Risk_Reduction_Education_Material_D
evelopment_Organization_Evaluation
Page | 41

Learning disaster response skills (for example,
first aid, fire suppression, wirelesscommunications, light search and rescue, water
rescue, incident command systems)
Maintaining survival provisions and emergency
kits.
Maintaining emergency communication systems
and local applications of early warning systems.

Community-based risk reduction activities.
Community-based response preparedness skills
development.

Reducing, reusing, and recycling
SOURCE: PETAL, MARLA 2008 (SAVE THE CHILDREN)

Implementation of Holistic Education in The Formal Education Process
The holistic education movement does not have a single source, a predominant proponent, or a major
form of expression. Consequently, it is difficult to define holistic education20. The greatest limitation toformal education and training occurs when facts and knowledge are transferred from teachers tostudents without any related development of skills or understandings of certain issues.
Holistic education brings positive impact on the transformation of students’ character values, byproviding development-oriented focus such as: students’ values of intrinsic religiosity by instilling valuesof faith deeply and affect students’ daily behaviors, instilling students’ emotional quotient, able tocontrol emotion well, self-motivation, caring others (Sutarmen, Tjahjono & Hamami 2017), As thisapproach gives the possibility of appealing to what students already know and at the time create ways
where the children can enhance their knowledge and understanding of their surroundings.
Forbes (1996) states, in “holistic education the classroom is often seen as a community, which is within
the larger community of the school, which is within the larger community of the village, town, or city,
and which is, by extension, within the larger community of humanity”.

20 Paper on “Whose values are shaping education?” For the Third Annual Conference on Education,

Spirituality and the Whole Child at the Roehampton Institute, London

Page | 42

Holistic educators feel that schools must be places
where the relationships we want as adults exist forthe students as much as possible - where open,
honest and respectful communication is the norm;
where differences between people are appreciated;
where interaction is based on mutual support and not
on competition and hierarchy; where the common
weal is the responsibility of each individual; andwhere the decision making process (if not engaged inby everyone at some level) is at least accepted byeveryone.

SOURCE: URBAN MONTESSORI EDUCATION,2017

Although capacity building activities have been undertaken in the Maldives at different levels in thepast, a long term educational strategy is required to achieve widespread understanding of the hazards
and vulnerabilities of the surrounding environment. This is essential to boost individual knowledge on
disasters as it would provide individuals and communities with better disaster risk reduction mechanism
and life improving, self-help strategies in the face of emergencies and disasters.

Page | 43

Case Study (BOKOMI) – Disaster Safe Welfare Communities
Japan is a country that experiences the most frequent natural disasters in the world. Experiencing one
after the other, they have accumulated enough knowledge than any other country. They have also
developed skills of responding and preparing for disasters through its past experiences. In January 1995,
Hyogo Prefecture experienced ‘The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake’ an unprecedented disaster thatkilled over 6400 people, with extensive damages registered up to 10 trillion yen.
The citizens of the Kobe City created ‘Disaster Welfare Community’’ hoping that they would not have tosuffer another tremendous disaster or neither others have to suffer from such disasters, During the past
15 years Kobe citizens have developed these systems by trial and error. Irei, (2010) Director General of
JICA Hyogo states that it’s a good example of community based disaster management ‘that Kobe city canproudly present to the world21.
Director General, Kobe City Fire Bureau, Onoda,(2010) “In japan, disaster education in schools is
mostly teacher oriented”. He also states that theeducational programs are resident oriented andthat involves the entire community in preparing for
and working towards disaster prevention.

SOURCE: ADRC, 2015

During one of the study visits, I had the chance to encounter a BOKOMI community leader Mr Haddorifrom Tsurukabuto community. He shared his experience of the evolution of the BOKOMI moment in the
Tsurukabuto Community from the 1950s. BOKOMI is a volunteer moment, with autonomous community
groups, annually receiving 200,000YEN by the government for the activities of BOKOMI depending on
the size of the community. Some BOKOMIs have bigger funds if the communities have private property
business or timber business. The main members of these groups are people from local resident’s
association, women’s association, senior citizen’s associations, PTA Members, business members andlocal volunteer fire brigades
Kobe City Government provide assistance in terms of provision of disaster reduction machinery andmaterials, partial aid for activity expenses, training of trainer courses and other support measures which

21

BOKOMI – Guide Book (Sharing Lessons Learned by the City of Kobe from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake)https://www.jica.go.jp/kansai/drlc/ku57pq000005kh18-att/01_bokomiguide_en.pdf

Page | 44

include dispatch of firefighters, volunteer fire fighters, fire engines and loan of disaster prevention
equipment’s to the disaster drills22.
The disaster-safe welfare community not only carries out disaster risk reduction activities. But also
welfare activities to encourage relationship building-between neighborhood residents with the main ofcreating groups which can help each other in time of emergencies.

Headquarters
Planning Disaster Drills
Comprehensive Trainings
Information Exchange etc

Information Section
Firefighting Section
Rescue and Aid Section
Evacuation Guidance Section
Nourishment Section

Activities of BOKMIACTIVITIESDisaster Reduction Camps

Junior Disaster Reduction Teams

Tsunami Evacuation Drill of 2 BOKOMIs
Evacuation Drill for Vulnerable Citizens

Community Hazard Map

Introducing BOKOMI to the WORLDSUMMARY
Disaster reduction drills and overnight stays takeplace in elementary schools which also act as
refuge shelters
Junior high school students play a leading role in
the formation of junior disaster reduction teams,
carrying out various disaster reduction activates
Seaside BOKOMI has evacuation drills to outside
one BOKOMI area, hilltop BOKOMI
Gather information on vulnerable citizens in thelocal communities and implement evacuation andrefuge shelter based on this information withschools
Residents take walking tours of their local
neighborhood creating a map of dangerous areas
and local resources, etc.
Kobe city government has created a training
course ‘community based disaster risk
management ‘ with JICA which introduced
activities of BOKOMI to Participants overseas.
SOURCE: BOKOMI, FIRE PRVENTION DIVISION, KOBE CITY

22

BOKOMI – http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/

Page | 45

Integrating Disaster Resilience Education in The Community
To achieve widespread understanding of the interdependence and fragility of ecological systems, longterm education mechanism is essential that will lead to the adoption of new behaviors. This is importantin the protection natural and water resources as well as in the human development in the Islands.
Furthermore, educating the public on the vulnerabilities, hazards and risks that they are exposed will
provide the communities with better knowledge and risk reduction mechanisms and life improving selfhelp strategies in the face of new disasters.
UNESCO & UNICEF (2014)23 has identified active learning approaches that can be adopted in developing
and engaging student and community centered DRR and learning activities.

LEARNING TYPE
Interactive Learning

Inquiry Learning

Affective Learning
Surrogate Experimental Learning
Field Experimental learning

Action Learning

Imaginal Learning

ASSOCIATED LEARNING ACTIVITIESBrainstorming, pair and group discussion exercises,
interactive multimedia presentations by students,
teachers community members, DRR experts
Individual and team case study research andanalysis, project work, undertaking surveys andinterviews, internet searching
Sharing feelings, hopes and fears around hazards
and disasters through multiple media
Board games, digital games, role plays, and drama,
simulation gaming
Field visits to emergency management agencies,
hazard mapping, hazard vulnerability and capacity
assessments, transect walk, emergency drills andsimulations
Student and community initiatives to raise hazard
awareness, participating in DRR and resiliencebuilding initiatives
Visualizing what to do in crisis situations, writing
fictional stories

23 Towards a learning culture of safety and resilience technical guidance for integrating disaster risk

reduction in the school curriculum. Geneva, UNESCO/UNICEF

Page | 46

USE OF DISASTERS RELICS
Historically, with the intention of passing on lessons learnt from disasters, victims of disasters leavebehind structures, natural objects, records, activities and information that the future generations canlearn.24 One form of disaster education or warning too was the disaster relics. Normally disaster relics
are located in local familiar places where people could see. According to the white paper, Disaster
Management in Japan 2016, published by the cabinet office gives an example of Miyako City, Iwate
Prefecture.
In March 2, 1933, Miyako City was struck with an 8.4

SOURCE: AGE FOTO STOCK, MIYAKO CITY

magnitude earthquake which killed nearly 1522 people
leaving behind many casualties and physical damages.
Later named as Sanriku Earthquake, the survivors kept astone stele inscribed with the lessons learned from thetsunami. Homes built on higher ground than this stone
stele remained safe from the tsunami triggered by the2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

From the case of Miyako City, we know theimportance of using relics to pass on the lessons
learnt from disasters onto future generations tominimize the damage and loss of human lives. Not
only Miyako City, but other cities practice thismethod dating back to centuries to warn the people
who will live after them.
A similar stone tablet stands in Aneyoshi, a coastal
SOURCE: MARTIN FACKLER, THE NEW YORK, STONETABLET IN ANEYOSHI, JAPAN TIMES (2011)village in Japan which inscribes ““Do not build yourhomes below this point!” and thus, faithfully the

24 White Paper, Disaster Management in Japan 2016 (Summary) page 26

Page | 47

residents of Aneyoshi town have obeyed their ancestors warning25.
However, with the modernization these relics are diminishing in Japan, these structures were a mean ofdisaster education. Fackler (2011) wrote in The New York Times, ‘tsunami warnings, written in stone’ For
most Japanese today, the stones appear relics of a bygone era, whose language can often seem
impenetrably archaic. However, some experts say the stones have inspired them to create newmonuments that can serve as tsunami warnings, but are more suited to a visual era of Internet andtelevision. Thus getting more attention from the public.
In the current era, to enhance the public knowledge on disasters require engaging and interactive
methods of delivery. One method used by governments is citizen led initiatives.
Rising above the landscape the captivating design of the
Tsunami Monument has a story to tell as well. The balls
made of steel represent the twenty atolls of the Maldives,
while the upward design is to show the mounting watersof the tsunami. At the heart of the monument are ironrods that have been placed vertically. Each of themsignifies a life that was lost and the name of each victim isengraved on them.
TSUNAMI MONUMENT IN MALDIVES

25

Tsunami Warnings, Written in Stone - https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/world/asia/21stones.html

Page | 48

CITIZEN-LED INITIATIVES
The cabinet office of Japan, focuses on raising awareness of disaster risk reduction among the public due
the frequent occurrence of natural disasters and the vast loss of people in the disasters. In Japan, under
their ‘Tsunami preparedness initiatives, formulating ‘local disaster management plans’ is taken as a highpriority. Their rational behind is that, citizens must have an understanding of their surrounding before
disaster strikes. In the model project (FY2016) conducted for 3 years, 23 of 44 districts drafted
community disaster management plans and it was identified that an effective way to achieve this is forthe citizens to independently formulate action plans and share them with their neighbors before
disaster. Also to bring more community involvement, cabinet office of Japan decided to select model
districts from among prefectures (municipalities).
Moreover, community disaster management plan forums, citizen’s disaster preparedness council aresome ways the cabinet office reaches to the public. In order to integrate DRR education, local citizens
with different levels of awareness and interests in disasters were asked to participate in the meetings toinvestigate how to foster awareness during these sessions. According to the ‘White paper on disastermanagement in Japan (2017)’, a pre and post-project questionnaire of participants in the citizen’s
disaster preparedness council was conducted which asked how prepared they are for disasters. The
cabinet office put together its findings from the trial citizen’s council and compiled a list of similar
examples. Which it published in March 2016 as the Guide to initiatives to increase awareness of disaster
preparedness among local citizens via random sampling” where they hope that the guide will be used topromote initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of disaster preparedness among local citizens.
It is said that in the 10 minutes following Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake (GHAE), a total of 54 fires
broke out across Kobe. Firefighting and police support was unable to reach timely because of thecollapsed buildings and high number of casualties. However, citizens proactive action in firefighting andrescue saved lives of many people. Mostly in mega disasters, victims are rescued by the neighbors withlittle or technical knowledge they have.

Page | 49

MAKING COMMUNITY PEOPLE MORE RESILIENT
Apart from these initiatives Japan government in making an effort to conduct disaster drills inaccordance with the 2016 comprehensive disaster management drill framework, which prescribed thebasic policy on conducting disaster management drills and details of the government ‘s comprehensive
disaster management drills.
Different people define community in different ways. A group of people living in one place? A small
society that shares same ideologies and goals? However, In Kobe City community size is defined as thesize of an elementary school (Kaneko, 2018).

And thus conduct disaster prevention activities incombination with other community activities, since more people will participate in the activities
enabling to raise awareness of more people in the community about disaster prevention.
Integration into welfare activities (welfare activities + disaster prevention activities)Integrating disaster element in the sports events at schools, colleges, officesConduct disaster prevention programs using a community festival

Page | 50

CHAPTER 6
Disaster Management in Japan
Japan experiences the highest number of earthquakes and active volcanic incidents being located in thecircum-pacific mobile belt (Ring of Fire)26 where seismic and volcanic activities occur constantly becauseof the countries geographical, topographical and meteorological conditions27.
Over the years Japanese Government has made efforts to reduce the number of casualties in the large
scale disasters. However, with laws and guidelines in place natural disasters remain a menacing threat tothe safety and security to the people of Japan. The turning point for strengthening the disastermanagement system came in to effect in response to the immense damage caused by Typhoon Ise-Wan
in 1959 which lead to the enactment if the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act in 1961. Disaster
Countermeasures Basic Act, addresses all the disaster management phases which includes prevention,
mitigation, preparedness and response. Followed by the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act, disastermanagement system has been reviewed with the lessons learnt.
Furthermore, after the catastrophic Great East Japan Earthquake, a new chapter was created in
December 2011 for Tsunami Disaster Countermeasures and amendments were made in 2012 and 2014
January. Japanese government also bas a Basic act on education (1947, 2006) and School education act(1947)

26 A precise geodetic survey in Japan, (1983)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0040195183901324
27 Disaster Management in Japan, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

Page | 51

Outline of The Disaster Management System

National Level

Prefectural Level

Prime Minister

Formulating, promoting& implementing BasicDM PlanCentral DM Council*Designated government organizations*Designated public corporations

Formulation andimplementation of the
DM operations plan

Governor

Formulation andpromoting
implementation ofpredecture DM plan DM
operations plan

Prefectural DM council
Designated local governmentorganizations
Designated local public organizations

Municipal Level

Mayors of Cities, Town and Villages
Municipal DM council

Residents Level

Residents and enterprises

Formulation andpromoting
implementation of
Municipal DM plan DM
operations plan
Formulation andpromoting
implementation ofCommunity DM plan

Designate Government Organizations: - 24 Ministries and agencies designated
Designated Public Corporations: - 66 organizations including independent administrative agencies, bank ofJapan, Japanese Red Cross Society, NHK (Japan public TV Channel), Electric and Gas Companies and NTT(Telecommunication)
Source: Disaster Management in Japan, Cabinet Office

Page | 52

Application of Disaster Education in Japan
Discussed earlier in chapter 2, Case Study of Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture and Chapter 3, Case Studyof Maiko High School, Maiko City. Application of disaster resilience education in Japan school systemvaries from prefecture to prefecture and school level.
Integration of Disaster Education in schools began in the early 1958 with the School Health and Safety
Act. Over the years, more laws and regulations have been formulated and curriculum revisions made tostrengthen disaster education in Japan.
Figure (11) describes the evolution of DRR education in Japan. With the lessons learnt from Great
Hanshin Awaji Earthquake (GHAE), reference document ‘’Zest for Life” was formulated to enhance andnurture school DRR.
The course of study ‘zest for life’ by Ministry of education, culture, science and technology (MEXT). Is a
‘broad standard’ for all schools to organizes their programs in order to ensure a fixed standard ofeducation throughout the country for kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, senior highschool and special needs school. It emphasis on the promotion of safety education and DRR topics to be
included in existing subjects. I.e. Science, social studies, physical exercise, art, ethics and etc.
Evolution of school DRR education in Japan

Source: ADRC, 2018

Page | 53

Reference document ‘’Zest for Life” can be taken an example for small island
nation countries like Maldives, where the success stories and components
could be integrated in to the education system for the betterment of thestudents and the community. Since Japan is a country with frequent disasteroccurrence, the people of Japan learn from each one of those incidents andalign their policies accordingly.
March 2013

Components in the ‘’Zest for Life” guidebook is as follows: Chapter 1

Purpose and Objectives of School
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

Chapter 4

Systems and Organization for
Disaster Management

 Purpose of School DRR

 Establishment of Promotion System

 Challenges for Disasters and Promotion of the
School DRR

 Provision of Systematic Training for
School Teachers and Staffs

 School Safety and School DRR

 Cooperation System with Households
and Local Communities

Chapter 2

DRR Education in School Safety Education and DRR Education
 Objectives of DRR Education

 Establishment of Promotion System
 Provision of Systematic Training for
School Teachers and Staffs

 Consideration for Promoting DRR Education

 Cooperation System with Households
and Local Communities

 DRR Education in Subjects (Corse of Study)

 Establishment of Promotion System

 DRR Education in cooperation with family
and communities

Chapter 5

Examples of School DRR
Education

 Development of Teaching Plan for DRR
Education
 Evaluation of DRR Education
Chapter 3

Disaster Management in School

 Disaster Preparedness (before disasteroccurrence) Emergency Management (in case of adisaster) Disaster Response (after disasteroccurrence) Development of Emergency Management
ManualPage | 54

Components of the School DRR

While Japan has 47 prefectures, each prefectural school education is based on their own prefecture andfocus on hazards only prone to their areas. Also in each prefecture they have their own Board of
Education. As for Kobe City, Kobe board of education and Hyogo board of education makes all thedecisions related to the city’s education system. The same mechanism applies for each prefecture in
Japan.

Ministry of education,
culture, science andtechnology (MEXT)
Stakeholders in
disastereducation

National

Ministry of education,
culture, science andtechnology (MEXT)

Prefectural Education
Board

Board of Education in eachprefecture

Prefectures (47)

Municipal (1117)

Municipal Education Board

Schools

Board of Education in each Municipalty

Source: ADRC, 2018

Page | 55

Japanese Education System
6

12

15

18

Elementary school

Junior High School

Senior High school

6 Years

6 Years

3 Years

20

Combined Junior and Senior High School

Compulsory Education

6 Years

Technical College
5 Years
18

20

22

24

College/University

Graduate School

2 – 4 Years

2+3 Years

27

Source: Maiko High School

Higher Education

The Japanese Government in accordance with the disaster countermeasures basic act, every year
submits to the National Diet (Japan's bicameral legislature, composed of a lower house called the houseof representatives, and an upper house, called the house of councilors) report ‘THE WHITE PAPER’ which
include overview of disasters occurring in Japan, and various statistical data and disaster management
measured taken by the government and shared by other organizations and international agencies as
well.

Page | 56

Disaster Education Integrated Between Communities and Schools28

SOURCE: BOKOMI GUIDEBOOK(PAGE10)

28 BOKOMI – Guide Book (Sharing Lessons Learned by the City of Kobe from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake)https://www.jica.go.jp/kansai/drlc/ku57pq000005kh18-att/01_bokomiguide_en.pdf

Page | 57

CHAPTER 7
Conclusion
Based on the discussions above, it can be concluded that, incorporating disaster resilience into school
curricula and community takes creative thinking and lot of planning. This also requires application of
the basic principles for disaster resilience education as noted in the Implementation Handbook for
Disaster Resilience Education at the Regional Level 29
1. Learn about the problems and peculiarities of a community, as well as its past experiences insuffering disasters
2. Act on your own initiative, witness everything first hand
3. Setting smart and realistic goals
4. Be proactive in associating with key people in various fields and disciplines
5. Keep your approach positive, fun and light hearted
Disaster resilience should be included in the design, implementation and evaluation phase with the 6
key elements that includes people, governance, place, money, material and knack to get a positive
output. Disaster resilience education would facilitate how the communities perceive DRR knowledge
and can be used to change attitude, behaviors and values of those people.

29

Implementation Handbook for Disaster Resilience Education at the Regional Level, Cabinet Office,
Government of Japan
Page | 58

Recommendations
Based upon the best practices of Japan, its identified as a crucial element to enhance disastermanagement appreciation amongst teachers and the public to initiate an environment to influence andmake an impact on disaster education to children more effectively by promoting a culture of disaster
preparedness.

In implementation of disaster resilience education in the Maldives, the following

significant areas need has to be considered.
 Increase capacity of schools and students to respond to disasters.
 Bring needed changes to the curriculum and revise it, which would allow the students to be
more independent make their own decision shifting from a teacher centered classroom tostudent centered class room.
 Children should also be exposed to real-life situations to make them more aware of thesurrounding they live in, this would instill them with quick response and decision making skills
which can be used in the event of emergencies and disasters. These exposure levels can bebased on the developmental levels of the students.
 Produce effective Information, Communication and engagement materials (audio and visualaids)
 Career guidance should be provided to students from secondary level in order to inspire
students and allow them to explore the different career paths available after secondary
education.
 Apprenticeship programmes or work-based exercises should be integrated as part of thelearning experience in schools.
 Incorporating DRR activities in the regular community festivals and occasions.
 Replicating activities like ‘’Iza! Kaeru Karavan”? / Disaster survival camps.
 Develop new strategies to incorporate public and children in disaster preparedness with therelevant stakeholders.
 Implementation of a structured DRE program in Maldives with extensive components of disaster
resilience where the teachers, students and parents of those schools can be trained withguidance from NDMC, MRC and relevant agencies. Where they will be eligible to conduct
programs by themselves in the long future while NDMC can monitor with event/program
reports from schools to maintain the quality of the program.
Page | 59

References
Arora, B & Kaur, J (2014). Inclusive Education – An Integrated Approach IMPACT: International Journal of
Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature. Vol. 2, Issue 2, Feb 2014, 59-64. Retrieved fromhttps://en.unesco.org/themes/inclusion-in-education
Armstrong, T. (2004). 7 Ways to Bring Out the Best in Special-Needs Students. Education week teacher.
Barry, D. (2010). The Inclusion of students with disabilities into mainstream. Waterford Institute ofTechnology.
Callan, L. (2013). A case study examining the inclusion of children with special education needs inmainstream primary schools. Dublin: Trinity College.
Cassady, J. M. (2011). Teachers; Attitudes Towards the inclusion of students with autism and behavioral
disorder. Electronic journals of education.
Elias Avramidis, p. b. (2000). Student teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of children with special
educational needs in the ordinary school. UK: St Luke&#39;s School of Education, Research Support Unit,
University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, .
Easir, E. K. (2016, April 10). Training teachers to handle special kids.
Retrieved from The star online: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2016/04/10/trainingteachers-to-handle-special-kids/
Forbes, S, (1996). Values in holistic education. 28 June 1996, http://www.holisticeducation.net/articles/values.pdf
Sutarmen, Tjahjono & Hamami (2017) The Implementation of Holistic Education in Muhammadiyah’s
Madrasah Indonesia. Vol. 17 No. 2, 2017
Lewis, J. R. (2003). Qualitative research practice. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Youk, B. (2014). Know the Child: The Importance of Teacher Knowledge of Individual Students; Skills(KISS). Stanford cepa

Page | 60