3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
[G01-02] Development of training materials aimed at improving the safety response capabilities of teachers in the event of an earthquake
-Practice and analysis using Simulation Drills-
Keywords:earthquake, simulation drills, teacher training
1.Background of the Study
In the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, 74 students and 10 teachers lost their lives in the tsunami at Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Since most of the children and teachers in Okawa Elementary School died, even the third-party verification committee have not been able to clarify the reason why they could not decide to evacuate to the adjacent mountain. In 2018, the court ruled that Prefecture and City were required to pay approximately 1.4 billion yen due to inadequate disaster prevention. This case has brought into question the crisis management system at schools in the event of a disaster.
2.Awareness of the problem
MEXT(2021) points out the importance of implementing measures to improve the safety response capability of teachers. Although there are many examples focusing on allergies and heat stroke, there are very few previous studies and initiatives in the field of earthquakes. Therefore, we decided to develop new simulation drills for teachers by referring to the findings of disaster drills for medical personnel and the tabletop exercises. The objectives of the drills are: 1) to simulate the events that could occur at the school in the event of a disaster, 2) to make judgments and respond to the events and situations in cooperation with other teachers. During the drills, the teachers are given cards describing the behavior and injuries of the children and they consider how to respond to them.
3.Practice and Analysis at Schools
We conducted drills at four public elementary and junior high schools in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture and Chuo Ward, Tokyo. We analyzed all the words and actions of the teachers during the drills (666,838 words/2,550 minutes). As a result, although the teachers acted with the child in front of them as their first priority, many confusing events occurred in other aspects. Specifically, the response to parents and evacuees could not keep up, the infirmary was overflowing with injured people, and information sharing among teachers did not function. We held discussions with the schools on how to resolve these events. In addition to informing parents and local residents about the situation of the school at the time of the disaster, we created an index for transporting students to the infirmary based on expertise and established specific methods for collecting and sharing information.
4. Voluntary efforts by each school
We prepared a simplified manual and distributed to the schools. As a result, all four schools voluntarily conducted some kinds of training using the simplified manual to confirm whether they could quickly collect information. In addition, based on the knowledge gained from the training, teachers discovered new problems and sought ways to solve them. For example, they decided to check from the gymnasium when gathering information, which is far away from the classrooms and is difficult to reach for help. Based on the new issues identified through the training, each school held lectures for parents and local residents, and implemented new disaster prevention measures such as improving evacuation drills. In other words, the simulation drills and the simplified manual triggered a cycle of discovery of issues and new practices.
5. Future Prospects
In the future, we aim to spread the project to schools nationwide. It is important for each school to select the necessary disaster prevention training and drills according to the status of its disaster prevention efforts and objectives.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank schools for their cooperation in conducting this study. We would also like to thank Associate Professor Kensuke Suzuki of Japan Physical Education University and an active nurse for their advice in defining the criteria for transport to the infirmary.
References
・Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2021), "Current Status of Disaster Prevention Education in MEXT ".
In the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, 74 students and 10 teachers lost their lives in the tsunami at Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Since most of the children and teachers in Okawa Elementary School died, even the third-party verification committee have not been able to clarify the reason why they could not decide to evacuate to the adjacent mountain. In 2018, the court ruled that Prefecture and City were required to pay approximately 1.4 billion yen due to inadequate disaster prevention. This case has brought into question the crisis management system at schools in the event of a disaster.
2.Awareness of the problem
MEXT(2021) points out the importance of implementing measures to improve the safety response capability of teachers. Although there are many examples focusing on allergies and heat stroke, there are very few previous studies and initiatives in the field of earthquakes. Therefore, we decided to develop new simulation drills for teachers by referring to the findings of disaster drills for medical personnel and the tabletop exercises. The objectives of the drills are: 1) to simulate the events that could occur at the school in the event of a disaster, 2) to make judgments and respond to the events and situations in cooperation with other teachers. During the drills, the teachers are given cards describing the behavior and injuries of the children and they consider how to respond to them.
3.Practice and Analysis at Schools
We conducted drills at four public elementary and junior high schools in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture and Chuo Ward, Tokyo. We analyzed all the words and actions of the teachers during the drills (666,838 words/2,550 minutes). As a result, although the teachers acted with the child in front of them as their first priority, many confusing events occurred in other aspects. Specifically, the response to parents and evacuees could not keep up, the infirmary was overflowing with injured people, and information sharing among teachers did not function. We held discussions with the schools on how to resolve these events. In addition to informing parents and local residents about the situation of the school at the time of the disaster, we created an index for transporting students to the infirmary based on expertise and established specific methods for collecting and sharing information.
4. Voluntary efforts by each school
We prepared a simplified manual and distributed to the schools. As a result, all four schools voluntarily conducted some kinds of training using the simplified manual to confirm whether they could quickly collect information. In addition, based on the knowledge gained from the training, teachers discovered new problems and sought ways to solve them. For example, they decided to check from the gymnasium when gathering information, which is far away from the classrooms and is difficult to reach for help. Based on the new issues identified through the training, each school held lectures for parents and local residents, and implemented new disaster prevention measures such as improving evacuation drills. In other words, the simulation drills and the simplified manual triggered a cycle of discovery of issues and new practices.
5. Future Prospects
In the future, we aim to spread the project to schools nationwide. It is important for each school to select the necessary disaster prevention training and drills according to the status of its disaster prevention efforts and objectives.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank schools for their cooperation in conducting this study. We would also like to thank Associate Professor Kensuke Suzuki of Japan Physical Education University and an active nurse for their advice in defining the criteria for transport to the infirmary.
References
・Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2021), "Current Status of Disaster Prevention Education in MEXT ".