"Journey of School Safety"A Guide for School Communities to contribute
to safe learning environments
This document has been developed by Red India for R UNICEF, Bihar and is a result of learning from the works of vulnerable communities in Bihar at making their schools safer. In a sense therefore, this document is a tribute to their enthusiasm and commitment. Our experience of the school safety programme in Bihar was facilitated by and its partner Non-Governmental UNICEF, BiharOrganizations: Bihar Seva Samiti, Centre for All Round Development, Grameen Development Service, Ghoghardiha Prakhand Swarajya Vikas Sangh, Integrated Development Foundation, Muzaffarpur Development Agency, Samajik Chetna Kendra, and Samajik Sodh Evam Vikas Kendra. Between early October and late November 2012, nineteen villages and eighteen schools were visited; along the way we met students ranging from class 1-8; teachers, principals as well as VSS members. In addition, we were supported by VDMC members and their associated office bearers, task force team workers, village Mukhiya and Sarpanch; Anganwadi workers, ASHA, Gram Rozgar Sevaks and many, many more members of these communities who have helped create safer schools for their children. Their generous sharing of experiences made it possible to develop a deeper understanding of processes and innovations that helped achieve success. Special gratitude to Sarbjit Singh Sahota, Banku Bihari Sarkar and Ghanshyam Mishra of for their persistence and advice. UNICEF
CONTENTS
1
Glossary 2
About the Document 3
1.0 Introduction 5
1.1 Background 5
2.0 The potential of safe schools: Why and who should be concerned? 5
2.1 Our homeland Bihar - History of natural disasters and their impact on Children 5
2.2 What is school safety? 8
2.3 Why should the school community take up school safety agenda? 9
3.0 If a safe learning environment is the ultimate destination, how can we get there? 11
3.1 Choice of a vehicle for embarking on the journey to school safety 11
3.2 Assembling the chasis 12
a. Wheel 1: The Principle of ‘All Hazard’ 12
b. Wheel 2: The Principle of Child-Centeredness 12
c. Wheel 3: The Principle of Inclusion 13
d. Wheel 4: The Principle of Resource Efficiency 13
3.3 Assembling the body of the vehicle 14
3.4 Assembling the steering wheel of the vehicle 16
Wedge 1 : Ownership of the Initiative by the Department of Education and School
Management 16
Wedge 2 : Organizing the School Community for Planning and Action 18
Wedge 3 : Identification of Risks and Vulnerabilities 21
Wedge 4 : Development of the School Safety Plan 24
Wedge 5 : Plan Implementation 27
Wedge 6: Regular Monitoring of Risk andrevision of Plan 29
4.0 Fuelling our vehicle 32
4.1 Adding the Lubricant : Knowledge and Life-skill building of all stakeholders 32
4.2 Fuel for moving forward : Linkage of schools with community and service providers 36
5.0 Getting our co-travellers ready for the journey -
Roles and Responsibilities of Different Stakeholders 37
Web sources and references 40
a
SSA Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan BRCs Block Resource CentersCRCs Cluster Resource CentersVEC Village Education CommitteesJRY Jawahar Rozgar YojanaPMRY, Prime Minister’s Rozgar YojanaMGNREGA Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee ActMP Members of ParliamentMLA Members of Legislative AssemblyHFA Hyogo Framework of ActionNGO Non-Government OrganisationINGO International Non-Government OrganisationSAARC South Asian Association for Regional CoorporationUNISDR United Nations International Strategy for Disaster ReductionBRGF Backward Regions Grant FundVDMC Village Disaster Management CommitteePMGSY Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak YojanaCPR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation SFPT School Focal Point TeacherORS Oral Rehydration SolutionHFL High Flood LevelTB Tiffin BoxNUEPA National University of Educational Planning and AdministrationSPD State Project DirectorNCERT National Council of Educational Research and TrainingNCTE National Council for Teacher EducationSAC School Action CommitteeSCPCR State Commissions for Protection of Child RightsEMIS Education Management Information SystemDEEO District Elementary Education OfficerDSEO District (Secondary) Education OfficerCCE Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation ST Scheduled TribesSC Scheduled CasteCWSN Children With Special NeedsDRR Disaster Risk ReductionSDMA State Disaster Management AuthorityDDMA District Disaster Management AuthorityNBC National Building CodesNDMA National Disaster Management AuthorityIEC Information, Education and Communication materialPRI Panchayati Raj InstituteNDRF National Disaster Response ForceSDRF State Disaster Response ForceDEO District Education OfficerSDMC School Disaster Management CommitteeMeena Manch Adolescent Girls’ forum in middle schoolsBal Sansad Children cabinet in SchoolsFPT Focal Point TeacherVSS Vidyalaya Shiksha SamitiSCERT State Council of Educational Research and TrainingDIET District Institutes of Education and TrainingRTE Act Right to Education ActBEO Block Education OfficerPHED Public Health Engineering DepartmentToT Training of Trainers
GLOSSARY
2
This book is meant for YOU, and since you are holding this, you are someone who is interested in
promoting safety of children and teachers against a variety of risks while they are in the school. This
fact alone makes you a special audience for this book.
In a world where disaster vulnerability is becoming an important dimension of socio-economic well-
being, safety of children is not only a demographic imperative, it is also a moral and legal
responsibility that we have to shoulder as duty bearers. Children account for over 30% of India’s
population and are important stakeholders in reducing their own, as well as their familie's risk to
disasters. They can do this by influencing the nature of risk reduction initiatives as well as contributing
to the process of risk reduction.
Schools have been widely recognized as one of the most fertile grounds for sowing the seeds of
collective values. The concept of School Safety is therefore being increasingly acknowledged as a
strategic approach to ensuring the safety of children during emergencies as well as a vehicle for
promoting the larger ‘culture of safety’ in society.
This document seeks to delineate how the agenda of school safety can be taken forward by all of us;
school children, teachers, parents, school management and any other formal / informal institutions
involved in promoting the well-being of children in the school; a group broadly recognized as the
‘school community’. It is designed as a tool to assist us in understanding the relevance of the school
safety concept and provides a glimpse of its legal and institutional bearings. It also lays down
essential principles of a ‘good’ school safety initiative that has emerged out of the experiences of
UNICEF in Bihar, its partners and other organizations who have undertaken similar initiatives.
Primarily drawing from the experiences of the School Safety Initiative implemented by and UNICEF
its partners in 155 schools of eight districts northern Bihar and urban areas of Patna district. As part of
the Disaster Risk Reduction programme, the document also articulates steps that need to be
followed by effectively pursuing school safety, and the roles that different stakeholders are expected
to play towards this end.
As a primary stakeholder directly involved in the day to day functioning of schools and promoting
value based education, the school community is at the forefront of the safety agenda, not only for
children, but also their families and the larger community. With this acknowledgement of the potential
strength of the school community, it is hoped that this handbook will be useful for them to make safer
schools and homes in their community.
ABOUT THE DOCUMENT
Tilly Smith and The Unsung Heroes of Bihar
Tilly Smith was only ten when she became the saviour of thousands of tourists enjoying the
sea and sunshine on a beach in Thailand in December 2004. She was probably the only, and
certainly the quickest one on the beach to observe the changes in sea levels and warn her
family and others around her of the potential risk of a tsunami. This knowledge was thanks to
a school georgraphy lesson.
Certainly Bihar has similar heroes, only they are not as widely known as Tilly Smith. Does that
make us any less grateful to them for their bravery and foresight, certainly not! What is
common in these stories is the prior understanding that these children have of the risks in
their environment and how they can effectively apply this knowledge at the right time to not
only save themselves but also others around them.
3
As with other infrastructure, schools are subject to damage and collapse in earthquakes, floods and
cyclones. A total of 31 teachers were reported to have died and 95 were injured, 971 students
perished and 1051 were injured in the Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat in 2001. Formal education was
disrupted for a long time as several school buildings had collapsed and many were declared unfit for
use. Similarly, a fire led to the death of about 200 children and many others that were giving a school's
prize distribution ceremony in Dabwali, Haryana in 1995.
In 2004 the South Asian Tsunami tool the lives of thousands of students and teachers, but many of
these deaths could have been preventedif only [we] had paid adequate attention to how safe our
learning environments were, where our children and their teachers meet together in the pursuit of
education.
In emergencies, children suffer not only physically but also undergo psychological stress and trauma
due to the loss of their immediate family, care givers and even their school; their learning materials
and other facilities. In such a situation, schools can be a safe haven for children as it helps them to
slowly move back to normalcy. Within the safe school premises, essential supplementary nutrition for
children can be provided, along with safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, especially for
adolescent girls and boys. Therefore, safe schools are also a strong preparedness mechanism as
children and teachers are made aware of the dangers that threaten their lives and are informed of the
steps that they can take to prevent, mitigate or manage those risks. , with its long history of UNICEF
working with children has been at the forefront of promoting school safety through practice as well as
policy advocacy. As part of the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Project of in Bihar, the UNICEF
School Safety Initiative was undertaken with the following priorities:
1. Risks faced by children and teachers in schools during disasters are identified and incorporated
in the School Safety Plan.2. The School community is organised to work with different stakeholders for addressing the
identified risks.3. Mitigation measures are taken to address identified structural and non- structural risks so as to
create much safer and resilient conditions for children and teachers.4. Strengthening of the Capacity, knowledge and awareness of all children and teachers in order to
address non- structural risks and the dos and don’ts of various disasters. 5. Linkage of schools with appropriate service providers established for sustained capacity
building, service provision and safety audits.
5
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.1 Our homeland Bihar - History of natural disasters and their impact on Children
6
2.0 THE POTENTIAL OF SAFE SCHOOLS: WHY AND WHO SHOULD BE CONCERNED?
Bihar has had a glorious past; historically, it has been a land of agricultural fertility, natural resources,
knowledge and wisdom. However, time and again, these assets have been threatened by hazards
including floods, earthquakes and droughts. Manmade factors such as fire, poor quality
infrastructure have contributed their share to the suffering in Bihar.
Floods in Bihar
With rivers descending from the Himalayas
carrying water from a large catchment area,
Bihar is highly vulnerable to floods. A
staggering proportion, approximately 76% of
the people in Northern Bihar live under the
recurring threat of devastating floods.
Estimates show that 73% of total land area in
the state is affected by floods covering 28 out
of 38 districts. Thus about 22.1% of the total
flood affected population in India live in the
state of Bihar. The total area affected by
floods is believed to have increased during
the last thirty years. During floods, low lying
areas in the state remain waterlogged for
extended durations, ranging from a few
weeks to three months during the monsoon
season. This compounds their existing
vulnerability and pushes them deeper into
poverty.
During the 2008 Kosi floods, as many as 159 primary and middle schools were completely destroyed in five districts of Bihar (Madhepura, Supaul, Sahrasa, Purnia and Araria). The devastation was so widespread that the start of school term was delayed by more than a month across the region. Another 716 government schools suffered extensive damage, while 1624 faced noticeable damage. Overall 2399 schools out of the total 7480 schools in the five districts were damaged by floodwaters. (SEEDS, 2012)
1: 'Disasters’, have been defined by UNISDR as “a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing
widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society
to cope using its own resources”
Earthquakes in Bihar
Bihar is prone to severe earthquakes owing to its proximity to identified fault lines. In all, About 15.2%
of the total area of Bihar lies in seismic Zone V with a very high risk of earthquakes, covering seven
districts, including large parts of Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Sitamarhi, Dharbhanga, Madhepura,
Saharsa. About 22 districts, 63.7% of the total area of Bihar are reported to be predominantly under
zone IV.
Cyclonic Storm (High-Speed Winds)
As per the Vulnerability Atlas of India, 27 out of the 38 districts of Bihar are severely affected by high
speed winds of over 47 m/s intensity. Included are the districts of Nawada, Banka, Jehanabad, Arwal
and Nalanda that are worst affected.
These hazards are events or occurrences that have the potential to severely damage property,
infrastructure, services, and the environment or has the power to seriously injure or take life.
However, they translate into a disaster when they interface with the vulnerability context of the rural
communities in Bihar, characterised by constraints of(an) economic, social, physical or geographical
nature. This reduces the ability of a community to prepare for and cope with the impacts of hazards.
Children are among the most vulnerable due to a range of factors, including age, physical ability,
health conditions, and other factors including social conditions. Moreover such events cause a
serious disruption in their healthy growth and development as well as overall well-being. Fear,
violence, separation from parents and caregivers, exploitation and abuse, are direct risks that
children face; loss of livelihood of their families can lead to homelessness and extreme poverty.
Education is one of the first things to be affected in disasters and may be suspended/ disrupted for
unlimited periods often resulting in negative and permanent socio-psycho impacts on students.
7
According to various sources about 95.15% of government schools in Bihar are located in rural
areas, however, school attendance in Bihar from age 6 till 14 years is lower than the national average.
There is a difference between school attendance of boys and girls, where girls generally have a much
lower attendance level. Lack of proper water and sanitation facilities, poor infrastructure and limited
accessibility in rural areas increase the vulnerability of children during disasters.
During the 2008 Kosi floods, 7,480 schools across Saharsa, Madhepura, Supaul and Purnia were
reported to be affected; 173 were completely damaged and 481 majorly damaged (RedR, 2012). At
least 32 children were reported to have died due to diarrhoea, vomiting and fever in relief camps.
Sanitation Updates (2008)
Promoting safety in schools in Bihar is therefore important and our responsibility as duty bearers. At
a physical level, this would require efforts to improve the performance of non-structural as well as
structural components of the school facility; in other spheres, it requires modifications in the
functional and pedagogical aspects of the education system. Each of these components has a vital
role to play, first and foremost in order to reduce risk to children and teachers from natural disasters
and indirectly sowing the seeds of the ‘culture of safety’ that is the need of the hour in our society.
2.2 What is School Safety?
"School Safety" has been defined as the creation of safe environments for children starting from their
homes to their schools and back. This includes safety from large-scale 'natural' hazards of
geological/climatic origin, human-made risks, pandemics, violence, as well as more frequent and
smaller-scale risks like fires, road accidents and other emergencies, and environmental threats that
can adversely affect the lives of children. (Ahmedabad Action Agenda for School Safety, 2007)
The agenda of school safety, as is visible in India today aligns well with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
which is the current flagship programme of the government, designed to further the Right to
Education in the country. The mandate of SSA goes beyond the provision of education per se rather it
aims to provide ‘useful’ and ‘quality’ elementary education to all children in the 6 -14 age group.
Besides the much desired efforts to improve the curriculum and provide the necessary training to
different stakeholders involved in the process of education, about 33% funds of SSA are spent on
civil works including construction of schools, additional classrooms, Block Resource Centres (BRCs)
and Cluster Resource Centres (CRCs).
SSA actively hinges on community ownership of school based interventions by the involvement of
womens' groups, Village Education Committee (VEC) members and members of Panchayati Raj
institutions and includes a community based monitoring system. The programme recognises a
‘Habitation as a unit of planning’ and is operationalised through the District Elementary Education
Plans prepared by the district administration to indicate available funds/resources for various
components under schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA), Area fund of MPs/MLAs, State Plan, foreign funding and other resources generated
in the NGO sector.
In 2011, the National School Safety Programme was launched by the National Disaster Management
Authority in partnership with the Ministry of Human Resource Development, covering two districts in
each of the 22 seismically vulnerable states of India. The Vision of the programme is “To promote a
culture of disaster preparedness in the school” through Policy level changes for ensuring safe school
environments and sensitisation and capacity building of children and the school community and other
stakeholders on disaster preparedness. The project also includes non-structural mitigation
measures as well as demonstrative structural retrofitting in select schools.
8
In parallel, several NGOs and INGOs have been working on school safety initiatives that have
provided many useful lessons in developing the substantive aspects of the agenda.
The concept of school safety includes safety issues both inside and outside the school in
addition to issues of child protection that looks at all forms of violence and deprivation that
affect the physical and mental well-being of children. This is a result of the efforts of agencies
specialising on the issues of children such as UNICEF and Save the Children. As it stands
today School Safety is a concept that encompasses the creation of safe environments for
children starting from their homes to their schools and back .
2.3 Why should the school community take up school safety agenda?
Besides the fact that the school community is indeed the primary stakeholder in the effective delivery
of education through schools, there are several arguments in favour of their participation in the school
safety agenda.
a. School community is the first responder in case of an emergency When equipped with the knowledge on what to do when faced with a disaster, teachers and
school staff are the trusted keepers of children’s and their own well-being. Children and teachers
in every school have a right and responsibility to know and understand the dangers that threaten
their lives as well as be prepared to take appropriate action in the event of an imminent or actual
disaster.
b. Upholding Human Rights and Constitutional Rights of Children Our country is a signatory to several global instruments for upholding the ‘Rights of Children’. The
state and school administration have an obligation to uphold an child’s right to education and their
right to life as defined in the constitution of India. “The human rights argument suggests that no
society should tolerate the necessity of choosing between the safety of children’s lives and their
education.”
Right to Education has been enshrined in the Constitution of India as a Fundamental Right in
Section 21. Thus in order that this right can be enjoyed by the children of the country, learning
institutions must be resilient and continue to function without affecting the safety of children,
before, during and after emergencies. Similarly, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
specifically aim to “[e]nsure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able
to complete a full course of primary schooling.” For this goal to be achieved, it is important that
children do not undergo physical suffering at the hands of a natural disaster. Above all, The UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which India is a signatory, requires us to ensure to the
maximum extent possible, the survival and development of the child. The SAARC Framework for
Care, Protection and Participation of Children in Disasters provides an interesting articulation of
why the school community should play an active role in promoting school safety. One of the
Principles of the Framework states that “A comprehensive effort must be made to scale up
disaster management education through innovative and cost-effective interventions… As
children spend a considerable part of their daily lives in schools and other learning centres, it is
essential to make these places safe from multiple hazards. All existing school buildings should
undergo a safety audit and be made resilient ... Similarly, all new school buildings must conform
to these standards ...Safety initiatives should extend beyond schools to address the risks in the
immediate neighbourhoods, identifying and assessing resources available for meeting
emergency needs and developing disaster risk reduction plans. Safety drills should include fire
safety, evacuation processes, earthquake drills (‘duck -cover-hold’), flood safety drills and early
warning signs and communication systems for storms and other hazards. ...”
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A safety aware school can be the harbingers of change to spread the disaster safety message
far beyond the school. “School safety not only protects a community’s children, but educates
a community to protect themselves." (Wisner, 2004)
c. Schools have multiple uses before, during and after crises Schools occupy a unique position within the community they serve. They are a defined landmark
within the locality, mostly accessible from different parts of the habitation as desired under the
Right to Education Act. During disasters, schools may also serve as makeshift vaccination
centres; temporary shelters, and provide a neutral location for relief distribution, first aid or other
disaster response functions in addition to their educational functions. The district administration
in Bhuj functioned out of a school campus for several weeks after the earthquake in 2001. Thus
school safety is a strategic priority for many agencies to address issues related to protection,
basic needs, nutrition as well as psycho-social and trauma counseling of children affected by
disasters.
d. Prevention is better than cure!! The schools that we have in our community are a result of tireless efforts by the community and
some government functionaries. It would be wise to ensure that the school as an asset of the
community lasts a long time and provides a safe learning environment to our children and the
generations that follow. This would only be possible if we take all the necessary actions to ensure
that the impact of disaster risks on the school building and other infrastructure is minimal and
manageable. Also it has been well-established that the expense of new construction increases
only marginally, upto about 8% if safe construction practices are followed (UNDP cited in
GUPTA, 2012) ; however the cost of repair or complete reconstruction of the school is
significantly higher when they are destroyed or damaged due to natural disasters.
10
11
3.0 IF A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IS THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION, HOW CAN WE GET THERE?
3.1 Choice of a Vehicle for Embarking on the Journey to School Safety
A worthy goal that we can set for ourselves as the school community is to make our schools safe. The
goal is far from where we are now, but we can get there with our zeal, energy and joint efforts. While
philosophy is important, we need to pull together all the resources we have and embark on this
journey together. The first and the most important thing we need to move forward is to organize a
vehicle for us to start travelling.
This vehicle cannot be a bullock
cart, we will take a lot of time to reach
our destination.
Let Us Build a Vehicle That
• Is ours – belongs to our own context, so that we can
understand its mechanics and we can drive it
ourselves!• Moves on the ground, and keeps us connected to
reality • Is fast enough for us to reach the destination in the
immediate future but yet not force us to ‘zip across’ the
process of travel• Is large enough for us to travel together with all our co-
passengers and partners.
It cannot be an aircraft as flying may help us reach there
faster but we will miss the joy of travelling and may be
alienated from the ground reality. Also, all our partners in
the journey may not be able to afford to travel that fast.
So what are our options?
Wheel 1: The Principle of ‘All Hazards’The first wheel we put in place stands for, the Principle of ‘All
Hazards’. It reminds us to take cognisance of all kinds of hazards,
both in terms of their origin as well as the remedial action required.
This encourages us to focus attention not only on natural hazards
such as floods and earthquakes but also manmade hazards such
as epidemics due to the absence of toilets, accidents due to fast
moving traffic just outside the school, as well as remedial action that
is required – both structural and non-structural. It reminds us to
approach safety of children, their teachers and parents holistically
to include visible as well as invisible risks that may have a sudden
onset or build up slowly over time.
Wheel 2: The Principle of Child-CenterednessThe second wheel that we need to add stands for the 'Principle of Child Centerdness'. It reminds us
that the perspective of children is central to identifying issues as well as designing solutions for school
safety. This is particularly important because children have different perspectives to things that adults
may perceive as being non-threatening. This principle aligns the efforts on school safety with the
larger goal of Child Led Disaster Risk Reduction (CLDRR) that views children not just as an ‘at risk’
group of people but potentially as a group that can play a leading role in identifying and addressing
some of the most fundamental causes of vulnerability. This wheel thus reminds us that as we move
ahead in the journey towards a safe leaning environment, we need to use Child-centered approaches
and methods that allow children to actively participate in assessing, planning, implementing,
monitoring and influencing policy and practice.
3.2 Assembling the base of the vehicle
Let us put the wheels together and build a sturdy base for our vehicle. The wheels that will make the
vehicle move are essentially four principles that will make sure that we have a smooth ride to our
destination without any breakdowns. These are :
rop ap ca h sdrazaH ll
A
dner ee st sneC-dlihC
12
13
Wheel 3 : The Principle of Inclusion
This wheel stands for the 'Principle of Inclusion'. It reminds us that we – the local stakeholders and
existing institutions are the prime movers of school safety in the journey to school safety. The
Vidyalaya Shiksha Samiti/ Tadarth Samiti, Bal Sansad and the Meena Manch already exist in our
schools that have been set up under different policies and programmes of the Central and State
governments such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme. We need to involve and support these
institutions to take responsibility of school safety planning and action. Such a step will not only ensure
that all development policies and programmes are strengthened but it will also provide the necessary
succour to safety actions as part of their routine mandate through a systematic integration of DRR .
This Principle also requires the inclusion of school safety into the school curriculum so that safety
orientation and understanding of basic concepts can be transferred to children systemically and
through them, to their families and communities. Thus we need to move towards a larger “whole
school development” perspective as also visualised under RTE.
Wheel 4 : The Principle of Resource Efficiency
The fourth and the last wheel we need for the vehicle, stands for the
‘Principle of Resource Efficiency. Drawing attention to the
‘development-disaster continuum’ that is central to the DRR paradigm,
prompting us to refocus and redesign development efforts with a long
term perspective including disaster risk so that scarce human and
material resources can be used effectively. A great deal of investment
has been made by the government in the construction of school
infrastructure that could be a loss if impending risks are not considered
in the design and implementation stage. Above all, these can enhance
the vulnerability of children who are the primary target group of such
efforts. Thus this principle ensures that all development actions taken,
even in non-emergency times are designed with a view in ensuring their
effectiveness during emergencies.
All of these wheels are
equally important for
us to travel safely and
without breakdowns.
So efforts must be
made to ensure that
equal attention is paid
to all of them and not
to any one or two
which might make our
veh ic le weak and
journey bumpy!!
rop ap ca h sdrazaH ll
A
dner ee st sneC-dlihC
3.3 Assembling the body of the vehicle
Now let us build the walls or the external surfaces of our vehicle. While the wheels of the vehicle
carry us towards the desired destination, the body of the vehicle is what will be visible from the
outside. It will ultimately provide a reference to the outside world and serve as a signature for the
entire vehicle.
We will now build the external surfaces. These should be:• Easily recognisable / clearly visible as the ‘signature ‘ element of the vehicle.• Provide immediate protection from different risks, • Should be assembled / executed locally, by our people.
14
Surface 2: Development of a 'School Safety Plan' that includes mitigation measures to address
identified structural and non-structural risks- Systematically identified risks and hazards along with
possible solutions are compiled as a ‘School Safety Plan’. This is finalised in consultation with
various stakeholders such as school management committee members, teachers and students; and
is periodically reviewed. It is a more evolved version of the school development plan as it includes
several issues relating to safety – both direct causes and indirect / underlying causes and therefore
delves deeper into the needs of the school and its inhabitants. The finalised plan is negotiated
through the VSS and PRIs with different service providers and departments for timely
implementation.
Surface 1: Systematic identification of Risks
faced by children and teachers in schools and
the designation of institutions to champion the
cause of school safety- Through participatory
and child friendly exercises such as a ‘Hazard
hunt’, existing areas of vulnerability are mapped
and incorporated in to the ‘School Safety Plan’.
The Plan is taken forward by the synergistic
efforts of existing institutions such as Vidyalaya
Shisksha Samitis, Bal Sansad and Meena
Manch.
The four tangible actions form the signature of the entire effort. They are indeed the four
surfaces of the body of our vehicle that the world will see and recognise it for.
Surface 3: Capacity Building, the creation of knowledge and awareness for different actors and
institutions, teachers and children to address non- structural risks- Training of select students is
undertaken on different aspects of disasters to promote them as peer educators. In addition,
awareness programmes are conducted for children on local hazards and risk reduction with relevant
knowledge and life-skills through various methods of discussions, street plays, drawing
competitions, quiz competitions, essay/ slogan writing and demonstrations; Mock drills are also
conducted regularly in schools. Subjects covered in the training programmes for students and
teachers include basic awareness on local disasters, their effects and mitigation measures, first aid,
fire safety, water quality monitoring, as well as other response skills where deemed appropriate.
Surface 4: Building linkages with schools that have appropriate service providers for
sustained capacity building, service provision and safety audits- Meetings/ consultations between
schools and local service providers including the police, civil defence, fire stations, medical and other
emergency service providers like NDRF/SDRF are regularly organised. Exclusive initiatives are
promoted among children in schools that make them leaders in risk reduction in the community such
as developing child reporters who can write articles/columns on school safety for publication in the
print media.
15
3.4 Assembling the steering wheel of the vehicle
We have just the right wheels that will carry the vehicle forward smoothly, without breakdowns. We
also have in place the four walls / surfaces that will tell the world what the vehicle stands for and in a
way will become the signature of our vehicle. Next we need to install a part that will help us move in
the direction of our destination – that of a ‘safe learning environment’. This is the steering wheel of the
vehicle that will ‘steer’ it into the desired direction.
Our steering wheel will essentially be made of six parts; after all, the bigger the vehicle, the stronger
the steering wheel has to be! The six wedges will form six parts of the steering wheel that will work
together to help the vehicle stay on track. These are :
Wedge 1 : Ownership of the Initiative by the Department of Education and School
Management
The ownership of the School Safety initiative by the Department of Education and the School
Management including the Principal, is very important. This will ensure that all our efforts towards
school safety are supported through the official mandate of the different bodies involved in school
management.
As one of the primary duty bearers of the Right to Education, District and Block Education Officers,
may need to be sensitized to the need for promoting safety in schools. They will identify the schools to
be taken up for school safety. Once a school has been identified and official orders issued to this effect, the school principal /
headteacher is oriented to the need for working towards school safety.
Approval from DEO
and Principals for engaging with
Schools
Sensitization of Education Department
and School Management6 – 8 weeks• ToT of School Safety Focal Point Teachers
School Safety Focal Point Teacher (FPT)
• Identification of Schools
• Inception meeting and nomination of
1
SafeSchool
Risks related to various
Vulnerabilities identified
Development of ?detailed
School Safety Plan
Construction of the desired
infrastructure
Review of achievements and
identification of new risks
SDMC formed and rules formed for
its functioning
o tnlaP f onoisiveR & gnirotinoM ralugeR
eclap' efas' a sniamer loohcs eht erusne
Organizing scho
ol com
mu
nity for p
lanning and action
skeew 06 – 42
2 – 4 weeks
stpecnoc fo tnemecr of ni er s uounit no
C•tidua ytefas no
CM
DS f o gni ni ar T•
tspecnocf o tnemecrofnier suounitnoC
• Introductory meeting w
ith schools,
• Formation of S
DM
C
VS
S, B
S, M
M&
other students.
.tnempiuqe ytefas fo ecn an et ni a
m ci doi r eP•
,srehcaet ,stnedut s eht ll a htiw
.)seetivni( srebme
m sIR
P dna S
SV
htiw etaitogen sI
RP dn a
SS
V • sredivorp e ci vr es
PS
S erahs ot gniteem sezi na gr o
CM
DS
p. u –wlool fdn asdrazah wen fo noitacifitnedI •
ntsdetu sginlvovn iseiscrexel ilrd – kcoM •
rsehcaet dna
ntiotanemlepm iPSS fo ginrotinoM •
25
6
Input
Process
Output
Time Frame
16
A School Safety Focal Pont Teacher (FPT) is nominated to operationally coordinate the initiative at
the school level as part of their routine commitments in the School. The FPT is provided training to
anchor other steps of the process and foster action by different stakeholders responsible for various
activities. Simultaneously, as the mandated bodies for overseeing the development and functioning
of the school, the VSS / School Management Committee are oriented to the need for school safety
and their collaboration secured. This step typically requires 6-8 weeks.
In the experience of the school safety initiative in Bihar by , it was observed that the already UNICEF
tightly planned school time table and paucity of time with the teachers was a common reason cited by
many schools for not undertaking school safety actions. Limited understanding of the teachers on the
school safety issue was also a factor that affected interest from schools. It was then decided to
engage with the Department of Education at the District and Block levels for generating interest in the
issue at institutional level. Once the necessary orders were issued by the DEO / BEO, the
programme could take off easily.
The chart below explains the process involved in this step
Start STEP 1
Engagement with Education
Department and School
Management
Is the
School Principal
willing to
pursue SS?
Approach DEO
for official approval
Training of FPT (ToT)
to anchor SS initiative
No
Yes
Identification of FPT Sensitize VSS
through meetings
17
Wedge 2 : Organizing the School Community for Planning and Action
We, the members of the school community are an equally important stakeholder for promoting safe
learning environment. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has recognized our strength and instituted defined
structures at the school level to manage the school affairs. It is imperative that we work with and
strengthen these structures at the school level and adequately tap their potential for ensuring well-
being of children and teachers.
The following institutions have been fostered under the SSA for effective functioning of schools and
for playing a key role in promoting school safety:
a. Vidyalaya Shiksha Samiti (VSS):The VSS has been designated under SSA as the body
responsible for managing the affairs of the school in a transparent “bottom – up” participatory
manner. The V S S is headed by the Ward member of the ward in which theschool is located and also includes parents of children doing very well academically. The presence of
the Ward Member as the head of the VSS provides an opportunity to build strong linkage of the
schools with the community and especially in leveraging funds from plans/ schemes of Panchayat
Raj Institutions (PRIs) for the development of the school and its precincts.
b. Bal Sansad (BS) : The objective of the Bal Sansad (BS) is to develop leadership skills in children
so that they can effectively participate in the development of their schools. As part of the Bal Sansad,
in addition to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, ten other ministers are elected to
manage a given aspect of the school. The portfolios include key issues such as education, cultural
affairs, library, sports, health and hygiene.The entire effort is geared towards engendering life and
leadership skills in children. Although not formally included in the School Management Committee
constituted under SSA, it has been observed that the BS children have emerged as active and willing
stakeholders in school development when included in the decision making processes. They have
tremendous potential in terms of highlighting the pressing issues of concern to children as well as
taking the necessary initiative from students in promoting safety. Given their leadership potential, the
BS children have demonstrated tremendous potential as peer educators / trainers for transferring
and for the follow up of specific knowledge and skills to other children regarding safety issues .
SDMC formed and rules formed for
its functioning
Organizing scho
ol comm
unity for plann
ing and action
2 – 4 weeks
• Introductory meeting w
ith schools,
• Formation of S
DM
C
VS
S, B
S, M
M&
other students.
2SafeSchool
Approval from DEO
and Principals for engaging with
Schools
Risks related to various
Vulnerabilities identified
Development of ?detailed
School Safety Plan
Construction of the desired
infrastructure
Review of achievements and
identification of new risks
Sensitization of Education Department
and School Management
o tnlaP f onoisiveR & gnirotinoM ralugeR
eclap' efas' a sniamer loohcs eht erusne
6 – 8 weeks
skeew 06 – 42
• ToT of School Safety Focal Point Teachers
stpecnoc fo tnemecr of ni er s uounit no
C•tidua ytefas no
CM
DS f o gni ni ar T•
tspecnocf o tnemecrofnier suounitnoC
School. Safety Focal Point Teacher (FPT)
• Identification of Schools
• Inception meeting and nomination of
.tnempiuqe ytefas fo ecn an et ni a
m ci doi r eP•
,srehcaet ,stnedut s eht ll a htiw
.)seetivni( srebme
m sIR
P dna S
SV
htiw etaitogen sI
RP dn a
SS
V • sredivorp e ci vr es
PS
S erahs ot gniteem sezi na gr o
CM
DS
p. u –wlool fdn asdrazah wen fo noitacifitnedI •
ntsdetu sginlvovn iseiscrexel ilrd – kcoM •
rsehcaet dna
ntiotanemlepm iPSS fo ginrotinoM •
1
5
6
Input
Process
Output
Time Frame
I nput
Pro
cess
Ou
tput
Time Fram
e
18
c. Meena Manch: This is a platform for adolescent girls to express themselves and develop critical
leadership and collaborative skills to address the needs of adolescence from the perspective of girls.
Experience indicates that Meena Manch as a forum has a strong potential for correctly identifying and
seeking solutions to practical issues experienced by girls.
In order to ensure that school safety issues are truly identified and responsibilities shouldered jointly,
we need to engage with these structures and support them. The existing SMC / VSS created may be
expanded to include BS and MM children. Alternatively, a School Disaster Management Committee
(SDMC) can be formed with representatives from VSS, BS and MM who can take the school safety
agenda forward. By involving these institutions, not only are we leveraging on their strengths but also
empowering them further.
In the experience of the School Safety Initiative in Bihar, the SDMC must include: President UNICEF
of the VSS i.e. the ward member of the concerned school, School Safety Focal point teacher officially
designated by the Principal, six ministers from Bal Sansad, Meena and Sahayak Meena as well as a
number of active children from different classes.
The SDMC has a key role to play in the pursuit of making school safety sutainable it is thus a good
practice to form a shadow SDMC comprising of additional children who can take over once the senior
students in the existing SDMC move out of the school.
Once the SDMC is formed, the School Safety Focal point teachers and SDMC members are oriented
on School Safety Intervention so that they can lead the process in their respective schools. This can
be done through specific training programmes by the Department of Education through BRC/CRC.
This step typically requires a period of 2-4 weeks for induction and eventual implementation.
The chart below explains the process involved in this step
Start STEP 2
Organizing the School Community
Does a
functioning VSS
exist in
school?
Encourage
and
support
school to
form these
bodies
No
Yes
Form and Train SDMC as per suggested Byelaws
Does a
functioning BS
exist in
school?
Does a
functioning
MM exist
in school?
Move to STEP 3
Identification of Risks
and Vulnerabilities
NoNo
YesYes
19
• To serve the school community to ensure their safety in the face of any kind of risks that threaten their physical well-being and access to education.
• To spearhead all the activities related to disaster risk reduction in the school.
• To support others in the school to play an active role in promoting safety of everyone
Remain a neutral, apolitical and secular body of representatives of the school community that will act in a non-partisan manner in the interest of the safety of the school community.
• The SDMC should have 15-20 Members nominated from within the school community.
• Members should also be co-opted from VSS, Bal Sansad and Meena Manch;
• 6 ministers from Bal sansad
• Meena & Sahayak Meena should be included as members of SDMC;
• Focal point teacher of the school, nominated by the Principal
• Ward member/President of VSS could be nominated as the head of the SDMC
• Representation from all the classes should be ensured, at least two students from each class will be selected for the SDMC.
• The SDMC should meet twice a month to review the status of planned activities as well as identify new and emerging issues in relation to the safety of children and teachers.
• The meetings of the SDMC will be convened by the Focal Point Teacher.
• The proceedings /minutes of the meeting should be documented in a separate register.
• The SDMC should coordinate with the PRIs/ Village Disaster Management Committee of the village to ensure that all the activities and tasks planned for safety are executed in a planned manner.
Purpose of the Committee
Essential Principles of Constitution
Constitution
Working of the SDMC
Middle school, Hiropatti in Bisfi Block of Madhubani District has 1002 students studying in class 1 - 8. The school has 6 teachers of which 5 are women. The SDMC of the school includes students from class 6 onwards so that when senior students move out, the younger ones have already been trained in participating in the SDMC. The present SDMC has the following members :
Suggested Bylaws for SDMC
School Disaster Management Committee, Middle School, Hiropatti, Bisfi, Madhubani
S.N. Name of members Age Class Member of BS/ MM
1 Vikash kumar 15 8th Prime Minister Bal Sansad
2 Saurav kumar 13 7th Dy. Prime Minister Bal Sansad
3 Pravesh kumar 14 7th Education minister Bal Sansad
4 Nitish kumar 13 7th Health Minister Bal Sansad
5 Soni kumari 15 8th Sports Minister Bal Sansad
6 Priti kumari 15 8th Sanitation Minister Bal Sansad
7 Rakhi kumari 14 8th Meena Meena Manch
8 Pinki kumari 14 8th Sahayak Meena
9 Jolly kumari 12 6th
10 Om prakash 12 6th
11 Vivek kumar 13 6th
12 Amit Kumar 12 6th
13 Raushan kumar 13 7th
14 Sarita Devi 24 President Vidhyalay Shikshha Samiti
15 Meena Devi 48 School Safety Focal Point teacher
20
Wedge 3: Identification of Risks and Vulnerabilities The SDMC members, children and teachers being the primary users of the school are in the best
position to identify hazards and risks that may threaten their safety. Once the SDMC has been
formed and oriented, a trained and dedicated group of individuals is available to lead the process of
identifying risks and vulnerabilities.
As the first step in this process, the SDMC initiates a broader engagement with the entire school
through meetings and child friendly exercises like drawing competitions and plays. The next step is a
‘hazard hunt’ exercise that is a tested method in identify risks, both inside and outside the school
precincts that may threaten the safety of the school community.
Structural :
Non-Structural :
Dilapidated structures, poorly designed structures, faulty construction,
loose building elements.
Loosely hung heavy objects such as almirahs, infestation of the campus by
snakes, broken or no boundary walls, uneven surfaces, blocked evacuation
routes, poorly designed and placed furniture that may cause accidents and
injury, inadequate sources of water.
A Hazard hunt exercise involves identifying
all kinds of hazards including those that
could cause physical harm such as deep
potholes, a lack of a boundary wall,
contaminated water sources, absent or
inadequate toilets and hand-washing
facilities; as well those factors that are
outside the school like fast moving traffic on
the road outside, low-lying access-ways
that are prone to flooding during monsoons.
21
Risks related to various
Vulnerabilities identified
SafeSchool
Approval from DEO
and Principals for engaging with
Schools
Development of ?detailed
School Safety Plan
Construction of the desired
infrastructure
Review of achievements and
identification of new risks
SDMC formed and rules formed for
its functioning
Sensitization of Education Department
and School Management
o tnlaP f onoisiveR & gnirotinoM ralugeR
eclap' efas' a sniamer loohcs eht erusne
Organizing school co
mm
un
ity for plann
ing and action
6 – 8 weeks
skeew 06 – 42
2 – 4 weeks
• ToT of School Safety Focal Point Teachers
stpecnoc fo tnemecr of ni er s uounit no
C•tidua ytefas no
CM
DS f o gni ni ar T•
tspecnocf o tnemecrofnier suounitnoC
School. Safety Focal Point Teacher (FPT)
• Identification of Schools
• Inception meeting and nomination of
• Introductory meeting w
ith schools,
• Formation of S
DM
C
VS
S, B
S, M
M&
other students.
.tnempiuqe ytefas fo ecn an et ni a
m ci doi r eP•
,srehcaet ,stnedut s eht ll a htiw
.)seetivni( srebme
m sIR
P dna S
SV
htiw etaitogen sI
RP dn a
SS
V • sredivorp e ci vr es
PS
S erahs ot gniteem sezi na gr o
CM
DS
p. u –wlool fdn asdrazah wen fo noitacifitnedI •
ntsdetu sginlvovn iseiscrexel ilrd – kcoM •
rsehcaet dna
ntiotanemlepm iPSS fo ginrotinoM •
1
25
6
Input
Process
Output
Time Frame
The suggested Process of Hazard Hunt Exercise includes the following steps:
i. Orientation of SDMC members and Focal point teacher on definition of risk and vulnerabilities-
the SDMC members and FPT are oriented to the perception of risk from the perspective of
children and trained on the risk identification process.
Some of the common risks identified by children in rural schools include :• Drowning and physical harm due to flooding within the school precincts• Drowning and physical harm due to flooding of the access way to the school• Physical harm by animals straying into the school where a boundary wall is absent / broken• Injuries due to falling in low lying areas within the school precincts• Physical injury due to potential damage to school building during earthquakes• Physical injury due to falling of heavy objects in the school during earthquakes• Absence from school because of health issues due to water borne diseases as a result of
contaminated water sources• Absence from school because of health issues because of inability to wash hands before meals
in the absence of adequate hand washing facilities• Loss of dignity, health and absence from school due to absence of toilet facilities in school• Loss of dignity, health and absence from school during menstruation in the absence of toilet
facilities in school (adolescent girls)• Physical harm by parasites / insects / snakes in derelict areas and debris within / near the school • Physical harm by antisocial elements hiding in derelict areas within / near the school precinctsii. Discussion with the school community on various hazards and risks that affect the physical well-
being of children and school community; this includes discussion on disruption of schools,
access to education, structural and non-structural risks in the school. iii. Organization of the group into smaller groups for a Hazard Hunt. On the agreed date for the
hazard hunt exercise, children are divided into smaller groups of 5-7 and asked to walk through
the school premises and make a list of hazards they see / fear, on a sheet of paper given to them. iv. Identification of risks and vulnerabilities inside and outside the school by separate groupsv. Presentation by the groups: each group documents their findings on a chart and presents them to
the larger group including the Focal point teacher. The suggested format for documentation of
Hazard Hunt exercise is :
S.No. List of Vulnerabilities that exist inside or outside the school
Risks involved
Probable Extent of Severity
Any past incident(s) relating to this risk / vulnerability
vi. Compilation of risks: the findings are finally consolidated from the presentations through a
discussion with everyone present.
22
Identifying risks and hazards is only a start... We can also overcome them, Together!
Hajipur Basant school in Runnisaidpur block of Sitamarhi, has about 600 students studying in classes 1 – 8. In the hazard hunt exercise at the school, one of the main issues that was identified was the risk of being hurt by stray cattle that often enter the school compoundas a result of an absent boundary wall.
The teachers viewed the same issue as critical as younger students sometimes slip out of the school and climb the high tree surrounding the school putting themselves at risk. This was shortlisted as one of the top risks that the school community wanted to address immediately. Another issue that came up during the hazard hunt exercise was the absence of urinals / toilets in the school for girls. “We would find a secluded place outside the school …” Once these issues were identified through the hazard hunt exercise, the school community devised immediate solutions that they could execute at their end, while for the longer term, permanent solutions were being pursued.
“The articulation of hazard and risk itself was an empowering experience where we realized that we ourselves can also do something to alleviate them." As soon as the hazard hunt exercise was completed, students requested their parents to contribute some bamboo for making a temporary urinal for girls and a bamboo fence as a temporary boundary wall. The labour for assembling these bamboo enclosures was paid for by the school management. The hazard hunt exercise was not a mechanical exercise limited to the listing of risks and vulnerabilities, it was an empowering experience for both students and teachers where the search for a solution was also born!
The chart below explains the process involved in this step
Use Games,
Drawing
competitions,
Quizzes, Plays,
etc
Start STEP 3Identification of
Risks and Vulnerabilities
Children walk
in and
around the
school to
identify
Start STEP 4Development of a School Safety Plan
Fix a day for conducting
a Hazard Hunt exercise
Finalise Risk
Assessment format
Conduct
larger meeting with students and teachers
on various risks and hazards that affect physical well-
being and disrupt education Include both Structural and
non structural issues
Form mixed groups of 5-6 children for Hazard Hunt
Identification and documentation of risks and hazards by Children
Plenary Presentations by Groups
Compilation of risks by FPT based on consensus23
Wedge 4 : Development of the School Safety Plan Once hazards have been identified and prioritised by the school, the SDMC developes a detailed
“School Safety Plan” (SSP) including measures to be taken both within school premises and in the
immediate neighbourhood. The list of risks and vulnerabilities identified is reorganised to identify
areas of priority based on potential risk and damage. The minimum benchmark followed under the
UNICEF and partners School Safety initiative has been the inclusion of at least one flood resilient
hand-pump and flood protected toilets in addition to ensuring that all existing hand-pumps and toilets
in the school are functional and maintained properly. In addition, the prepositioning of Emergency
Education Materials in the schools is also pursued.
In the plan, a tentative estimate of the cost
of works and an indication of the possible
sources of funding is also indicated. Against
each item of work, responsibility of follow up
is indicated from among the SDMC
members.
This exercise is followed by meetings with
VSS to get the action plan whetted; the plan
i s a l s o s u b m i t t e d t o t h e s c h o o l
management for incorporating in School
Development Plan. In parallel, the plan is
also presented to the village Panchayat.
This step typically requires 4-6 weeks.
The format used by and partner UNICEF
NGOs is available as Annexure for
reference.
Development of detailed
School Safety Plan
SafeSchool
Approval from DEO
and Principals for engaging with
Schools
Risks related to various
Vulnerabilities identified
Construction of the desired
infrastructure
Review of achievements and
identification of new risks
SDMC formed and rules formed for
its functioning
Sensitization of Education Department
and School Management
o tnlaP f onoisiveR & gnirotinoM ralugeR
eclap' efas' a sniamer loohcs eht erusne
Organizing school com
mu
nity fo
r planning and action
6 – 8 weeks
skeew 06 – 42
2 – 4 weeks
• ToT of School Safety Focal Point Teachers
stpecnoc fo tnemecr of ni er s uounit no
C•tidua ytefas no
CM
DS f o gni ni ar T•
tspecnocf o tnemecrofnier suounitnoC
School. Safety Focal Point Teacher (FPT)
• Identification of Schools
• Inception meeting and nomination of
• Introductory meeting w
ith schools,
• Formation of S
DM
C
VS
S, B
S, M
M&
other students.
.tnempiuqe ytefas fo ecn an et ni a
m ci doi r eP•
,srehcaet ,stnedut s eht ll a htiw
.)seetivni( srebme
m sIR
P dna S
SV
htiw etaitogen sI
RP dn a
SS
V • sredivorp e ci vr es
PS
S erahs ot gniteem sezi na gr o
CM
DS
p. u –wlloo fdn asdrazah wen fo noitacifitnedI •
s ntdetu sginlvovn iseiscrexe lilrd – kcoM •
srehcaet dna
ntiotanemlepm iPSS fo gnirotinoM •
1
25
6
Input
Process
Output
Time Frame
School safety plan consists of:
1. Short term: Non-structural and structural activities2. Long- term: Non-structural and structural activities3. Training plan: For students and teachers4. Knowledge building plan: Weekly plan for each class (including mock-drill)
24
We made our first school safety plan ever !!
Middle school, Pota, Ram Nagara is situated in village Ram Nagra, Tilaktajpur Panchayat of District Sitamarhi. The school has a total of two rooms, both of which are secure from flooding. But did this fact alone make the school ‘safe’ for use by children and teachers? The hazard hunt exercise by the students revealed that there were other ‘ invisible’ hazards lurking in the background that were affecting their safety and well-being, especially that of the children. The school had only one potable water point-a shallow hand-pump which was not elevated and also did not have a proper outlet and soak pit.
Furthermore, the school did not have a toilet, neither an emergency exit or safety equipment required in case of an emergency. To top it all, the school had a total of 281 students and four teachers of which one was a lady.
The school undertook an exercise for preparation of School Safety Plan. As a first step, the focal point teacher organized all the students and the teachers of the school to discuss on the subject of Disaster Risk Reduction. This was followed up by an transect walk where students were paired up; Together they prepared a map of the school indicating key features including building location, playground, and main entrance. After this a list of probable risks and hazards was prepared by children. This included things and factors that affected their physical safety and overall ability to access education on a daily basis. These risks were enlisted and prioritized during the discussion.
Start STEP 4
Development of a School Safety Plan
List out needs for training, knowledge, etc
The chart below explains the process involved in this step
Organise meeting of SDMC to discuss risks and hazards identified by children in Detail
Categorise and Prioritize Risks
Discuss possible solutions/measures
for addressing identified risks
(structural and non-structural)
Integrate into School
Safety Plan
Start STEP 5
Plan Implementation
25
After prioritisation, the students deliberated on the possible solutions for these problems which were
compiled in the school safety plan that included :
• Raising problems related to water and sanitation Aam Sabha, and seeking the help of the
P.H.E.D. for construction of toilet, increasing the height of the Chapakal (hand-pump).• Take up earth filling in the school premise for the approval Aam sabha for further work to be done
as approved the panchayat.• Arrangement of first aid kit and Soaps with the help of the school development committee.
The school safety plan exercise helped the school community articulate their own risks and
empowered them to take these up within the existing fora.
S. No Problems/Risks Priority
1. Submerging of Chapakal (Hand pumps) during floods 3
2. Absence of Toilets 2
3. Low height of the road that restricts mobility during times of floods 4
4. Fewer number of rooms as compared to the number of students 1
5. Inadequate number of teachers in school 6
6. Inadequate space in the school because of an old, unused building 5
7. Absence of Soaps for hand wash 10
8. Absence of a Kitchen 8
9. Absence of a First Aid Kit 9
10. Low Plinth height of School building 7
26
Wedge 5 : Plan Implementation
The SDMP can be taken forward when it is detailed out as a micro plan that enlists possible sources
of funding for different components of school safety including SSA, BRGF, MNREGA, PHED.
This detailed plan is shared with all the students, teachers, VSS and PRIs members as special
invitees. Activities are segregated based on the responsibilities of different stakeholders and the
proposed source of funding. Thus, activities that need to be taken up by PRIs and VSS are
separately listed, as are those that need to be taken up with the DEO / BEO and those that need to be
included in the School Development Plan.
The chart below explains the process involved in this step
SafeSchool
Approval from DEO
and Principals for engaging with
Schools
Risks related to various
Vulnerabilities identified
Development of ?detailed
School Safety Plan
Review of achievements and
identification of new risks
SDMC formed and rules formed for
its functioning
Sensitization of Education Department
and School Management
o tnlaP f onoisiveR & gnirotinoM ralugeR
eclap' efas' a sniamer loohcs eht erusne
Organizing school co
mm
un
ity for planning and action
6 – 8 weeks
2 – 4 weeks
• ToT of School Safety Focal Point Teachers
tspecnocf o tnemecrofnier suounitnoC
School. Safety Focal Point Teacher (FPT)
• Identification of Schools
• Inception meeting and nomination of
• Introductory meeting w
ith schools,
• Formation of S
DM
C
VS
S, B
S, M
M&
other students.
p. u –wlool fdn asdrazah wen fo noitacifitnedI •
ntsdetu sginlvovn iseiscrexel ilrd – kcoM •
rsehcaet dna
ntiotanemlepm iPSS fo ginrotinoM •
1
2
6
Input
Process
Output
Time Frame
Construction of the desired
infrastructure
skeew 06 – 42
stpecnoc fo tnemecr of ni er s uounit no
C•tidua ytefas no
CM
DS f o gni ni ar T•
.tnempiuqe ytefas fo ecn an et ni a
m ci doi r eP•
,srehcaet ,stnedut s eht ll a htiw
.)seetivni( srebme
m sIR
P dna S
SV
htiw etaitogen sI
RP dn a
SS
V • sredivorp e ci vr es
PS
S erahs ot gniteem sezi na gr o
CM
DS
5
Inp
ut
Pro
cess
Ou
tput
Tim
e Fr
a me
Segregation of Activities for:
PRI’s VSS
BEO/DEO SDP under SSA
Start STEP 5
Plan Implementation
SDMC organises large meeting with all students, teachers, VSS, PRI’s to share School Safety Plan
VSS and PRIs negotiate with BEO/DEO for addressing structural risks
Follow up with
BRC/CRC for training
needs
Periodic checks and maintenance
of safety equipments in
school
Start STEP 5
Monitoring of Risks and Revision of Plan
27
The VSS apprise and negotiate with the BEO/ DEO for addressing structural risks. Non-structural
risks that include the such as the allocation of precariously stored objects that could cause injury; the
clearing of evacuation routes are just a few of the activities that are simultaneously taken up by the
school. Periodic checks and the maintenance of safety equipment such as fire extinguishers are also
undertaken by the school.
Some components of the SSP are also shared with the Panchayat for inclusion in their plans. These
are then followed up by the PRIs and VSS with the relevant departments so that they are executed in
a timely fashion with the desired quality– with a focus on children and their safety. Typically lasting
about 24-60 weeks, this is the longest phase of the process as energies and resources from different
quarters converge in the pursuit of school safety. This is also the phase where a continuous
reinforcement of concepts to children and teachers becomes necessary while the desired
infrastructure is being constructed.
In the experience of in Bihar, in places where the School Safety Programme was UNICEF
implemented in the backdrop of the on-going Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR)
Programme, the SDMC could draw upon the strength of the Village Disaster Management
Committees (VDMCs); in many cases there were members who were common to both these
committees also. This factor served as a major facilitator in the implementation of the School Safety
initiative as the VDMC could also make additional follow ups on activates that needed Panchayat
support.
And finally the school construction begins…
District Education Department, had sanctioned funds for the construction of a school building for Fatehpur village, Basantpur Gram Panchayat, in April, , but owing to a lack of available land the school construction project could not be properly initiated. In the July of the following year, this issue featured prominently in one of the village DRR planning meeting's; consequently it become an action point in the DRR plan itself. Several meetings were organized within the community to formulate a strategy to take up this issue. In the November, a larger village meeting was held wi th part ic ipat ion f rom the c o m m u n i t y , V D M C m e m b e r s , contractors, landowners and the Block Education Officer in order to take action.
During the meeting the land issue was amicably sorted out, disaster resilient features were agreed upon and on the 16th November, 2011 land was registered in the name of the Government. The construction of the school began in December 2012; as of present the building is taking significant shape with supervision from the village community.
28
Wedge 6: Regular Monitoring of Risks and The Revision of the Plan
To ensure that schools indeed remain ‘safe’ for the students and the teachers, it is important that the
SDMPs are updated regularly by the SDMC through identification of new hazards and follow-up on
activities that could not be completed as planned / desired.
There could be cases of unaddressed hazards and additional new hazards that emerge in the course
of the of implementing the SDMP. These will be integrated into the SDMP through the process of
review and updation. In addition, there may be risks that have to be monitored periodically to
safeguard the health and well-being of children such as the cleanliness of toilets and the quality of
drinking water.
Pursue training and Capacity Building plan suggested
Start STEP 5
Monitoring of Risks and Revision of Plan
Monitoring of SSP by SDMC
Is there a need for a
new/more active SDMC?
Are there any new
risks/needs?
Move to STEP 2
No
YesYes
No
SafeSchool
Approval from DEO
and Principals for engaging with
Schools
Risks related to various
Vulnerabilities identified
Development of ?detailed
School Safety Plan
Construction of the desired
infrastructure
SDMC formed and rules formed for
its functioning
Sensitization of Education Department
and School Management
Organizing school co
mm
un
ity for p
lanning and action
6 – 8 weeks
skeew 06 – 42
2 – 4 weeks
• ToT of School Safety Focal Point Teachers
stpecnoc fo tnemecr of ni er s uounit no
C•tidua ytefas no
CM
DS f o gni ni ar T•
School. Safety Focal Point Teacher (FPT)
• Identification of Schools
• Inception meeting and nomination of
• Introductory meeting w
ith schools,
• Formation of S
DM
C
VS
S, B
S, M
M&
other students.
.tnempiuqe ytefas fo ecn an et ni a
m ci doi r eP•
,srehcaet ,stnedut s eht ll a htiw
.)seetivni( srebme
m sIR
P dna S
SV
htiw etaitogen sI
RP dn a
SS
V • sredivorp e ci vr es
PS
S erahs ot gniteem sezi na gr o
CM
DS
1
25
Input
Process
Output
Time Frame
Review of achievements and
identification of new risks
ot nalP fo noisiveR & gnirotinoM ralugeR
ecalp 'efas' a sniamer loohcs eht erusne stpecnoc fo tnemecrofnier suounitnoC
. p u– wollof dna sdrazah wen fo noitacifitnedI •
tsneduts gnivlovni sesicrexe llird – kcoM •
srehcaet dna
niotatnemelpmi PSS fo gnirotinoM •
6
Input
Process
Output
Time Frame
Move to STEP 3
29
Kumar and his friends in Hajipur Basant School of Runni
Saidpur Block in Sitamarhi are water safety warriors in the
school and their village. Ranjan proudly shares his ‘Do-It-
Yourself’ way of testing water for the presence of iron that is
widely prevalent contaminant in many water sources in Bihar.
He takes some water from the source that has to be tested in a
clear, transparent tumbler and adds some crushed guava leaves
in to the water. When water contaminated with iron comes in to
contact with guava leaves, the tanin in the leaves reacts with the
water, turning it black; conversely, if their is no contamination
the water remains clear. This knowledge was given to them by
their teacher after he came back from one of the trainings on
school safety.
Kiran Kumari and Gunja Kumari, students of Teerapurvi Middle
school, Kalyanpur block of Samastipur district have learnt
about water quality testing using H2S vials.The VSS members
bring H2S vials from PHED that are used by children to test
water. If the water is found to be contaminated, they carry out
chlorination of hand-pumps.
Children Monitor Water Sources in Their School
After they gained this knowledge, they tested all the water sources in their village and the
ones that were contaminated have now been painted red to inform people that they should not
be used for drinking water. This knowledge and the process of water testing around the
village has given them a new identity amongst their peers and the community. 30
And here is our steering wheel!!!
It will help us stay on course and reach our destination in a timely manner. With a good steering wheel
we can be sure that the people in the driving seat, i.e. our school community are not exhausted at the
end of the journey.
SafeSchool
Approval from DEO
and Principals for engaging with
Schools
Risks related to various
Vulnerabilities identified
Development of ?detailed
School Safety Plan
Construction of the desired
infrastructure
Review of achievements and
identification of new risks
SDMC formed and rules formed for
its functioning
Sensitization of Education Department
and School Management
ot nalP fo noisiveR & gnirotinoM ralugeR
ecalp 'efas' a sniamer loohcs eht erusne
Organizing school co
mm
unity for planning and action
6 – 8 weeks
skeew 06 – 42
2 – 4 weeks
• ToT of School Safety Focal Point Teachers
stpecnoc fo tnemecr of ni er s uounit no
C•tidua ytefas no
CM
DS f o gni ni ar T•
stpecnoc fo tnemecrofnier suounitnoC
School. Safety Focal Point Teacher (FPT)
• Identification of Schools
• Inception meeting and nomination of
• Introductory meeting w
ith schools,
• Formation of S
DM
C
VS
S, B
S, M
M&
other students..tne
mpiuqe ytefas fo ecn an et ni am ci doi r e
P•
,srehcaet ,stnedut s eht ll a htiw
.)seetivni( srebme
m sIR
P dna S
SV
htiw etaitogen sI
RP dn a
SS
V • sredivorp e ci vr es
PS
S erahs ot gniteem sezi na gr o
CM
DS
p. u– wollof dna sdrazah wen fo noitacifitnedI •
tsneduts gnivlovni sesicrexe llird – kcoM •
srehcaet dna
notiatnemelpmi PSS fo gnirotinoM •
1
25
6
Input
Process
Output
Time Frame
31
4.0 FUELLING OUR VEHICLE
Any vehicle needs some kind of input to move forward. This fuel provides the vehicle the energy and
power to move forward. Besides the fuel, the vehicle will also need some kind of a lubricant that will
ensure that the different moving parts do not get worn out, but rather they keep moving smoothly and
last for a long time.
What would be the lubricant and what would be the fuel in our case?
Yes, you are right, the lubricant is all the knowledge and capacity building inputs that we need for
different people involved in helping us get to our destination of a ‘safe learning environment’. The
fuel, is of course all the financial resources that we will be leveraging to move towards our destination.
4.1 Adding the Lubricant : Knowledge and Life-skill building of all stakeholders
As we move forward towards our destination, the different parts of the engine start to heat up there is
a need to keep them lubricated so that they perform well without getting worn out. This lubrication in
our vehicle will be provided by the efforts necessary for developing the capacities of different
stakeholders for various stages of the process and beyond.
Awareness programmes for children on local hazards and risk reduction with relevant knowledge
and life skills through various methods of discussion, street play, drawing competition, quiz
competitions, essay/ slogan writing and demonstrations are proven and meaningful ways of involving
children. Trainings and regular practice through mock- drill exercises, involving teachers together
with children are critical for sustaining the impact of safety initiatives.
In addition, the SDMC is trained on safety audits which is to be followed through rigorously. This
includes periodic checks to ensure school’s facilities and resources resources like first aid kits and
fire extinguishers are maintained regularly.
GNILE GV AER
TRAINING
32
The strategy of Peer-to-Peer education has been successfully applied in the School Safety UNICEF
initiative in Bihar for transferring knowledge and skills to cover all the children in the schools. Since it
is important that each and every child is aware, practices and understands the dos and don’ts of
various disasters and techniques for saving lives. This strategy has been devised, as a quicker and
more effective alternative to direct one to one transfer of knowledge and skills that may not always be
possible given the large number of children being targeted. Moreover, often the child-to-child method
is a more appropriate form of skill-transfer, hence, Peer Educator approach has a strong potential for
building the capacity of a large number of children and through them, their families and larger
community on safety issues.
Suggested steps for Peer-to-Peer education on school safety are given below:
a. Select 2 - 3 students from each class and promote them as School Safety Peer Educators/
Monitors
b. Provide School Safety Peer Educators/ Monitors with hands-on training/facilitation,
demonstrations with handouts on safety issues. This can be best done by the School Safety
Point teachers with support from NGOs on a routine basis when required. Issues that may be included are: Dos and don’ts of various disasters; Understanding the use of
safety equipment for different disasters; health and nutrition, road safety and other safety issues.
School Safety issues – knowing evacuation routes, crowd control during the mid-day meal,
organised entry and exit for children in school. Water, sanitation and hygiene-skillsets, first aid,
CPR, child protection related issues.
c. School Safety Peer Educators/ Monitors make other students aware of the dos and don'ts of
disasters and conduct mock-drill exercises (Duck, Cover & Hold And Stop, Drop & Roll and First-
aid skills) once a week , preferably during cultural activity class every Saturday
d. Awareness programme for children on hazards for garnering relevant knowledge and life skills
through other methods –focussed group discussions, plays, drawing/ quiz competitions, essay/
slogan writing, games and demonstrations, to take place at least once a month.
e. Promote initiatives among children that make them leaders in risk reduction in the community like
develop child reporters who can write articles/columns on school safety for publication in print
media.
It is also important to ensure that appropriate techniques are used in the process of skill building. Use
of songs, skits/ puppet shows, street plays, drawing competitions, quiz competitions, essay/ slogan
writing and demonstrations) are proven ways to enhance the understanding and the practice of DRR
in an integrated manner throughout the curriculum and in extra-curricular activities.
IEC materials used in the programme are provided Annexure. UNICEF
Additionally, relationships between the schools, BRC / CRC and the nodal departments, ie education
department play a valuable role in terms of motivating children and developing their capacity of self-
help. A possible strategy could be to promote exclusive initiatives among children in schools that
make them leaders in risk reduction in the community like develop child reporters who can write
articles/columns on school safety for publication in the print media.
33
The Sun and the moon together make the future bright!
The middle school in Lakshrampur Village of JitwariaPanchayat in Samastipur district has developed an innovative strategy to encourage children to undertake effective hygiene practices. Each morning, during the assembly, the most neatly groomed boy is chosen as the “sooraj” (sun) and, the best, most neatly dressed girl chosen as the “chanda” (moon) of the school. These children are given a packet of biscuit by the school as a reward in recognition of their effort to maintain personal hygiene including well washed and tied hair, clean clothes and clipped nails.
S.N.
1
2
3
4
Training title
ToT of School
Safety Focal
Point Teacher
(SFPT)
Training of
SDMC
Training of Peer
Educators
Training on First
Aid and Life-
saving skills in
School
Contents
Hazards, Risks (with focus on children of various age groups) & Vulnerability.
DM ACT and Policy, institutional Framework
Safe school, safe learning environment and quality education
Structural & non Structural safety in schools.
Hazard hunt
Preparation of school safety plan
Integration of disaster preparedness measures in curricular and co-curricular activities
Mock Drills for various hazards
School safety concept,
Functioning of SDMC and roles/ responsibilities,
Orientation on school safety planning
Facilitating lifesaving skills in the class
Do’s& Don’ts during an earthquake (Duck-Cover & Hold), fire (Stop-Drop & Roll), floods, road safety.
Preparation of ORS (Diarrhoea management)
First-Aid skills
Water Quality Monitoring and disinfection
First Aid for common injuries, snake bite CPR.
Carrying wounded persons
Diarrhoea management
Making rope ladders
Participants
School Safety
Focal Point
Teachers
(SFPT)
SDMC
members
Selected
students from
each class
SDMC
members,
SFTP, peer
educators
Responsibility
BRC / CRC
with external
Resource
Persons if
required
SFPT with
external
Resource
Persons
SFPT with
external
Resource
Persons if
required
SDMA /
NDRF, St.
John
Ambulance
Stage
During initial
phase
after SDMC
formation in
schools
3-4 months
after SDMC formation
6-8 months
after SDMC
formation
A broad list of capacity building (lubricating) inputs during the different stages of our journey:
34
In the experience of , possible capacity development input at the school level can be: UNICEF
Weekly Knowledge Building Plan
• Pre-flood family
preparedness checklist• Dos & Don’ts during
flood
Diarrhoea prevention/
control:• Water contamination• Water testing & HP
chlorination• ORS preparation
• Sharing of pre- flood
family preparedness by
children• Dos & Don’ts during
flood
• Road safety• organised entry & exit of
children in school
Water:• Safe storage handling of
drinking water• Water purification
• Sharing of pre-flood
family preparedness by
children• Dos & Don’ts during
flooding
• Child protection issues
during floods
• Dos & Don’ts -
earthquake
Personal hygiene:• Hand washing• Nail checking/ cutting
Sanitation:• Safe disposal of excreta• Campus/ classroom
cleaning
• First aid and life-
saving skills • CPR
• Non-structural safety in
schools & homes• Family preparedness
checklist for EQ
• Drawing/ quiz
competition
• Games/ demonstration
and identification/ use of
safety equipment
• Games/
demonstrations and
identification/ use of
safety equipment
• Personal hygiene• Mock-drill: Stop-drop &
roll and Duck-cover &
hold
July August Sept OctoberWeek
1
2
3
4
Mo
nso
on
• Dos & Don’ts of fire • Fire safety plan
• Dos & Don’ts – severe
cold• Prepare checklist for
winter
Water:• Safe handling of
drinking water• Water purification
• Road safety• organized entry & exit
of children attending
the school
• Dos & Don’ts - EQ • Essay/ slogan writing Diarrhoea prevention/
control:• ORS preparation
• Health and nutrition
issues
• First aid and life-
saving skills
• First aid and life- saving
skills
• Non- structural safety
in schools & homes• Family preparedness
for EQ
• First aid and life-
saving skills
• Evacuation mock-drill
in case of fire
• Personal hygiene• Mock-drill: Stop-drop &
roll and Duck-cover &
hold
• Games/
demonstrations and
use of safety
equipment
• Drawing/ quiz
competition
November Dec January FebruaryWeek
1
2
3
4
Win
ter
• Dos & Don’ts of fire • Fire safety plan checklist
• Dos & Don’ts of fire • Fire safety plan checklist
• Pre- flood family preparedness
checklist• Dos & Don’ts during flood
Water:• Safe storage handling of drinking water• Water purification
Sanitation:• Safe disposal of excreta• Campus/ classroom cleaning
• Health and nutrition issues
Sanitation:• Safe disposal of excreta• Campus/ classroom cleaning
• First aid and life- saving skills • CPR
• Non- structural safety in schools
& homes• Family preparedness checklist
for earthquakes
March April May
• Personal hygiene• Mock-drill: Stop-drop & roll and
Duck-cover & hold
• Games/ demonstrations
and use of equipment
• Personal hygiene• Mock-drill: Stop-drop & roll and
Duck-cover & hold
Week
1
2
3
4
Su
mm
er
35
4.2 Fuel for moving forward : Linkage of schools with community and service providers
The movement towards the destination of a safe learning environment needs fuel. This fuel is
essentially the resources leveraged form different departments for executing each little activity that
we have envisaged in the School Safety Plan.
The broader institutional context of the school has a vital role to play in ensuring safety since the
school precincts and the facilities therein are provided through different schemes and programmes.
The reason that these investments are often perceived to be sub-optimal from a safety perspective is
that the effort and resources from different departments are rather ‘sectoral’ in their approach. They
are rarely executed with the end client, ie children in mind and often lack convergence of thought and
execution with other complimentary efforts. This makes it necessary that a strong working
relationship is fostered with these different institutions and actors.
In the experience, such linkages are critical for the school community to not duplicate the UNICEF
efforts of the service providers but in a way help them deliver better on their own mandates. The
CBDRR programme of made an average investment of about INR 25000 (USD500) in UNICEF
each village; this investment helped the VDMCs and SDMcs leverage a lot more form ongoing
programmes of the government by actively engaging with the service providers. Further, continuous
engagement and periodic meetings/ consultations between schools and local service providers
including police, civil defence, fire stations, medical and other emergency service providers like
NDRF, have proved to be effective not only in service delivery but also for taking the safety agenda
forward.
Ek aur ek gyarah! Converging efforts and resources for school safety in Middle School, Jirwa, Gram
Panchayat- Parmanandpur, district-Supaul
S.N. Activities Amount Mobilized (INR)
1 Construction of School Boundary wall 500,000.00
2 Construction of Disaster resilient class room (7 nos.) 700,000.00
3 Raising of school play ground 200,000.00
4 Repairing of two toilets in the school 10,000.00
5 Raising height of two Handpumps with proper drainage system 25,000.00
6 Construction of water tank with eight water points 50,000.00
Grand Total 1,485,000.00
36
School administration/ VSS and teachers need to:
• Allocate time for weekly knowledge and life-skill building activities. • Incorporate measures to be taken to ensure school safety in the
school development plan • Ensure that teaching and non-teaching staff receive appropriate
training in disaster risk reduction.• Involve PRIs all line departments in school safety planning
exercises. • Ensure that relevant norms and standards for school safety are
applied in their own school building and functions. • Ensure active and equitable participation of the school community,
including children and elected representatives for preparing and
implementing SDMPs.• Deploy ‘out-of-the classroom’ strategies to orient children and build
their capacity on safety. • Deploy appropriate strategies to encourage and support children to
participate in spreading disaster risk reduction knowledge to their
families and communities.
The experience of the School safety Programme in Bihar has highlighted our potential as the school
community to evolve a DRR language of our own that goes beyond the distinction between primary
(floods, earthquakes) and underlying risks (vulnerabilities) that singularly define ‘safety’ as a well-
being issue. Our communities understand and stand for convergent action for our well-being and feel
disconnected with the traditional sectoral and programmatic mandates that distinguish different
departments. We are indeed the drivers of the vehicle to reach the destination of school safety. There
are others around us who are our co-passengers. They need to take some critical actions that can
help our vehicle reach the destination smoothly and swiftly, and are as follows :
37
5.0 GETTING OUR CO-TRAVELLERS READY FOR THE JOURNEY-
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS
School Children need to:
• Enthusiastically participate in and learn DRR principles and practices being taught in school and
outside. • Take cognizance of disaster risks in their own community and actively seek solutions to reduce
them• Participate in preparing and implementing SDMPs. • Participate in mock-drills and appropriate response strategies available in their school or
community• Actively spread the knowledge on DRR acquired in school to their families and communities.
PRIs and Line departments need to:
• Effectively participate in the school safety planning exercises• Ensure that all infrastructure and installations routed through them for schools and even outside
are resilient to local disasters.
District and Block level Education Authorities need to:
• Designate/ allocate responsibility for ensuring the safety of school children to BEO/BRC/CRC.• Issue relevant orders so as to ensure the smooth implementation of school safety initiatives.• Establish the responsibility of school management to take prevention, mitigation, preparedness
and response actions regarding the safety of children and teachers.• Ensure that all new schools/ classrooms being constructed are disaster resilient and child-
friendly • Allocate resources for the retrofitting of schools to make them disaster risk resilient and child
friendly. • Incorporate disaster risk reduction in teacher training programme across institutes and
universities.• Instruct DIET to include school safety training in the curriculum for training of teachers, BRC and
CRC.• Include indicators relating to ‘school safety’ in the monitoring formats of all schemes and
programmes like Learning Enhancement programme (e.g. ‘Samjhe’ ‘Sikhe’ in Bihar). • Expand the scope of the existing ‘School Development Plans’ to include safety issues. The plan
may be suitably renamed.• Work with other departments to ensure that their resources when applied in and around
educational institutions are designed with a ‘safety’ lens. • Facilitate and orient CRC / BRC on issues of school safety• Conduct Training of Master Trainers from each District Institute of Education and Training (DIET)
through SCERT using interesting teaching material for teachers and students to engage them on
school safety issues; master trainers of each DIET would in turn impart training to BRC/ CRC of
their respective districts. • Regularly monitor the progress of school safety initiatives
Cluster and Block level Resource Centres need to:
• Orient teachers and Principals on the issues of school safety• Ensure that the school authorities create space in the school curriculum and timetable for
disaster risk reduction training and education in all the classes.• Ensure that schools allocate time for follow up actions on school safety at least once a week. • Incorporate disaster risk reduction in teacher training programme • Include indicators on safety as part of routine monitoring• Support schools to prepare School Safety Plans as part of their annual development plan
exercise. • Promote cross-learning between schools with regard to their initiatives for promoting safety.
38
Non-Governmental Organizations (local, regional and international) need to:
• Sensitize schools on the need for school safety and advocate for a systemic commitment to
safety.• Promote school safety in schools in their project areas.
Media needs to:
• Take a lead in building the necessary momentum on school safety through adequate coverage of
issue and solutions. Print media are encouraged to publish weekely articles on school safety in
their weekly editions such as the Bal Jagran by Dainik Jagran and Telekids by Telegraph.
39
WEB SOURCES AND REFERENCES
2011, Working Group Report On Elementary Education And Literacy
12th Five Year Plan, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India
2011, SAARC Framework for Care, Protection and Participation of Children in Disasters, SAARC
Disaster Management Centre, New Delhi
2012, Terms of Reference Sixteenth Joint Review Mission of SSA, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
2007, State of Environment Report, Bihar
Bihar state pollution control board, Patna & department of environment & forest Govt. of Bihar
2007, Safe Schools and Learning Environment - How to Prevent and Respond to Violence in
Refugee Schools, UNHCR
[Introduction to] Bal Sansad, UNICEF and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
2011, Guidelines of School Safety Plan for Safe Learning Environment, District Administration,
Dhanbad, Government of Jharkhand and UNDP
2005, Gujarat School Safety Initiative - Inception Report , Prevention web
Hirano Seki, 2010, ‘Processes of design prioritisation, standardisation and customization -
Experiences from recent UNICEF consultancies in Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and
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2010
Model School DM template (hindi)-NSSP
Zomerplaag et al., 2005, Child-Friendly Hygiene and Sanitation Facilities in Schools: Indispensable
to effective hygiene education, IRC and UNICEF
Minutes of the 190th PAB meeting held on 21st May 2012 for approval of the Annual Work Plan &
Budget of Bihar 2012-13, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource
Development, Government of India
Gupta Manu, 2010, Global initiative towards safe schools for all, focus on south Asia India Pakistan,
Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh & Lanka, SEEDS
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New Delhi
2011, Providing Safe Schools for Our Students, Washington State Seismic Safety Committee,
Washington
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International
2012, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools - A companion to the Child Friendly Schools
Manual, UNICEF
2011, Approaches to school support and improvement Ministry of Human Resources Development,
Government of India, Delhi
40
(undated) Status Report on Standardization Efforts in the area of mitigation of natural hazards,
Bureau of Indian Standards
2007, Monitoring Report on SSA ForBihar State( April 2006 - September 2006), Jamia Milia Islamia,
New Delhi
2008, Second Half Yearly Monitoring Report on SSA for Bihar State (October 2006 -March 2007), A.
N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna
OECD, 2004, School Safety and Security, Keeping Schools Safe in Earthquakes, Proceedings of the
ad hoc Experts’ Group Meeting on Earthquake Safety in Schools, Paris, 9 to 11 February 2004
(undated) Culture of Safety in Schools - Mandatory or a choice, working Paper, Action Aid and ADPC,
Bangladesh
2004, Wisner et al., School Seismic Safety: Human Rights, Cost, and Community, DRAFT online
document.
Ahmedabad Action Agenda for School Safety 18th - 20th January, 2007 Ahmedabad, India
2009, Making Schools Safer – Training material, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, Ahmedabad.
2012, Practicing Disaster Risk Reduction in Schools in India, SEEDS, New Delhi
Arya et al, 2007, School Safety – A Handbook for Education Officers, School Principals& Teachers,
Administrators & Emergency Officials, UNDP and Ministry of Home Affairs - Government of India,
New Delhi
2009, Building safer communities through schools - Case studies on mitigating disasters in Asia and
the Pacific, Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program
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Operational Guidelines for Strengthening and Revitalization of BRCs and CRCs, Submitted to
Ministry of Human resource Development, Government of India.
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Research and Interviews by Red India: Mona Anand, Mandar Vaidya and Aahna Srikanth RConcept and Content: Mona AnandDesign and Layout: Ashok NirgulkarIllustrations: Bhaskar Tipnis Cover page: Dhiraj Singh, Mona Anand and Sam Spickett; Photography: Dhiraj Singh p5, 30a; Manish Gangal p10, p26;Mona Anand p6, p25, p30a; Sam Spickett p4, p22, p28, p36© 2013
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