|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
| |
| Ensuring safer learning environments |
By Suguna Nair, Dy. Manager, SEEDS |
|
|
|
| Continuing with its commitment towards development of building a safer learning environment for school children our organization recently started work on an ambitious school safety project which covered 2000 schools across 7 states of the country. Although school safety programs are an integral part of the organizational work at SEEDS and are regularly implemented either as parts of other projects or as standalone projects, the coverage of the current project can be considered to be a big leap since it has given a fillip to the School Safety Program. The first phase of the project consists of training of trainers on the subject of school safety. The second phase would focus on actually implementing the program in the schools in 7 states. The |
 |
|
implementation would also serve as a demonstration to our partners who would then be able to take the program forward to cover more schools.
|
Working on the project has been a very interesting and enjoyable experience. The 7 states, under the project, where we conducted the training of trainers were Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa. All the states are vulnerable to major natural disasters and some of these experience major disaster occurrences almost every year. The training covered issues in school safety and environmental management. Sharing the importance of school safety, integration of various topics and relating them to day to day risks is giving school safety a new turn. It is exciting to watch participants understand how day to day problems which usually appear insignificant can worsen under stressful conditions and appear monstrous. The frequent topics that kept coming up during discussions on stressful conditions faced by children were those of WaSH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), structural and non-structural problems, health, child protection and quality education. The project also helped me to understand the varied hazardous and dismal conditions that many children around the country have to affront to attain education. It dawned upon me that the path ahead is long and there is a lot that still needs to be done.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
SEEDS in its effort to make the children and the school resilient to disasters have launched a new initiative in Delhi where schools in the city have been selected for implementation of school safety activities. These activities would not only make them resilient to disaster but also help to develop capacities to face any eventuality. The selected schools include both Government and private schools which have also been designated to act as relief shelters for East Delhi. Hence it becomes more obligatory to make them resilient as it would also address the need of the community at large.
|
Delhi being an urban and complex scenario; requires a more detailed and practical planning and school being the most vulnerable building type requires special attention in vulnerability reduction efforts.
While undertaking the project we were acutely aware of the need for the project. Our first and primary objective was to ensure protection of the children while studying. Then we began teaching them how to think ahead: how to react when danger threatens; what to do when the ground begins to shake; where to run when the river inundates; where to take shelter or how to act during and post earthquake, above all the changing climate which induces disaster with higher frequency and impact.
Response from school children has been overwhelming. Not only that the children, especially the younger ones listen carefully when told about the basic do s and don’ts during disasters, they also narrate their personal experiences with relation to experiencing emergencies. These sessions have been appreciated by teachers as well and they agree to have gained information which they never knew before.
Climate change sessions have always been fruitful! Children participate in the climate change quiz with lot of zest and the discussion following the activity is something to be captured. Most of them realize that the knowledge they had on climate change and environment management was half baked. The movies shown in the last session are thoroughly enjoyed, as well as taken seriously by them. The proof is the drawings by the children at the end of these sessions. The response in Government schools is especially heart warming. Older children from other classes show a lot of interest and ask for permissions from their teachers to attend these sessions. Over all, conducting DRR and climate change modules in schools was a satisfying experience. It gave me immense amount of pleasure and a sense of achievement of having made a difference!
The awareness generated through the intervention is of utmost convenience that the other schools in the nearby location of the schools are calling SEEDS to provide them similar support to make their school resilient too. SEEDS is now in process of supporting these schools.
|
|
|
|
Leave a Reply
Safer Schools
|
| Name |
|
| Email ID |
|
| Comment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|