Disaster Risk Reduction in School Curricula: Case Studies ... - Unicef

153
Latin America and the Caribbean
School in the Guyami Indian
reserve of Costa Rica.
© UNESCO/Johny Esquivel Tenorio
Pedagogy
The implementation of risk management in the school curricula
has been made through the following activities (DIPECHO,
2008, 16):
Awareness campaigns for teachers and students on disaster
prevention and risk reduction.
Drawings, essays, song and poetry contests with themes
allusive to DRR education.
Drawing of risk maps and vulnerability zones.
Formulation of risk reduction plans.
Designing murals with recommendations for DDR.
Development of evacuation plans.
The Department of Technological Resources for Education of
the Ministry of Public Education has implemented a programme
called Desastres No No (Disasters No No) 95 . Desastres No No
is an online educational and interactive tool about disaster
prevention. Its pedagogical focus is on primary school children
in grades 4 to 6. The online game provides definitions of the
main DRR concepts through quizzes and then continues on to
different kinds of threats (tornados, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, landslides, electrical storms and technological
threats), providing definitions, standard measures to take before,
during and after an emergency, and a learning evaluation. The
site also provides a link to a teacher's guide, Activity Guide for
Pedagogic Mediation in Disaster Prevention for Grades 4-6
(Jimenez et. al. 2008).
Teacher Professional Development/Guidance
DIPECHO (2008) provides an example of teacher professional
development and guidance in Costa Rica. The programme was
designed to improve education on tsunamis in Puntarenas,
a community affected by landslides, hydro-metereologic and
seismic threats. The project provided information about building
good practices to improve organisational, training, prevention
and disaster responses. 230 teachers of grades 4, 5 and 6
received training which they could then transmit to 4,500 students,
thus raising awareness and teaching disaster response strategies.
The students, in turn spread the word among their families,
meaning that the programme ultimately had over 22,500
indirect beneficiaries. Among the main outcomes of the
programme was the creation of educational materials for teachers
and students.
Two other guides for teachers (UNESCO, undated; Jimenez et.
al., 2008) exist but there is no evidence of their implementation.
In addition, seminars, courses and workshops were proposed
in the National Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (see below) but
it is unclear whether any have been conducted. Production of
materials is also proposed in the Plan but has not yet occurred.
Financial constraints are identified as the cause.
Learning Outcomes/Competencies
No list or statement of disaster-related learning outcomes has
come to light.
Student Assessment
No data has been found.
95
http://desastres-no-no.ucr.ac.cr
Disaster Risk Reduction in School Curricula: Case Studies from Thirty Countries