Question : Disaster Management Education in Schools

(a) whether disaster management education are being given to school children, both in
Government and private schools of the country including Delhi to be prepared for any
kind of eventuality in the school premises during disasters;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether the Government has been providing training and use of certain gadgets to
students in schools to avoid stampede, to make them aware about fire escape routes,
and quick response during disaster like situation in the country, if so, the details thereof
and if not, the reasons therefor;
(d) the details of discussions held with disaster management institutes of other countries
for imparting disaster management education to students in schools during each of
the last three years and the current year; and
(e) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government in this direction?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ''NISHANK'')
(a) & (b): The National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005 developed by National
Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) emphasizes on providing space for
the awareness and management of natural and human generated disasters in school
curriculum across the subject areas at all the stages in its syllabi and textbooks. Disaster
Management and natural calamities are not taught as separate subjects in schools; instead
their references are integrated across the disciplines viz Social Science and Science at upper
primary, secondary and senior secondary levels. As education is in the Concurrent List of the
Constitution, majority of the schools are under the jurisdiction of respective States/UTs.
(c): The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource
Development (MHRD) has written to all the States and UTs vide letter dated 01.09.2017
regarding the National Disaster Management Guidelines on School Safety. It was
emphasized that the guidelines on School Safety Policy, 2016 prepared by the National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are statutory in nature and are required to be
complied without any deviation. The NDMA guidelines provide for conducting quarterly
safety audits by the School Management Committee (SMC) in schools including fire safety
and food safety. The guidelines are in public domain and hosted on www.mhrd.gov.in.
The Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools developed by the National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also identified authorities at
different levels such as School Management Committee, Parent Teacher Association, School
Management, authorities at Block, District, State and National levels to monitor the
implementation of the manual. The details are in public domain and hosted on
www.ncpcr.gov.in.
All schools under Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti
(NVS) and Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA) conduct mock-drills, training,
and use of certain gadgets like fire extinguishers for the benefit of students.
(d) The Department of School Education & Literacy, MHRD has not held any
consultation with disaster management institutes of other countries for imparting disaster
management education to students in schools.
(e) The MHRD has issued detailed guidelines on safety and security of children vide
letter dated 09.10.2014 to all State and UT Governments suggesting preventive institutional
mechanisms and procedures that should be put in place in the schooling system along with
the relief and redressal strategies in case of such incidents. The guidelines cover various
aspects related to the safety and security of school children including infrastructure which
includes physical structures of school building, play ground, water bodies, electrical and fire
safety mechanism, school transport etc. health and hygiene which includes drinking water
hygiene, toilets hygiene, food safety and hygiene in mid-day meal; psychosocial aspect which
includes elimination of corporal punishment, eveteasing/sexual abuse, school environment;
role and responsibility of teachers in monitoring, Monitoring and implementation mechanism
of the guidelines is also provided.
The Department of School Education & Literacy has again advised all States and UTs
on 11.09.2017 to sensitize the entire administrative and monitoring machinery towards
effective implementation of the guidelines on safety and security of school children; and
institutionalizing and ensuring a safe, secure and vibrant environment in schools for children.
Also the schools affiliated to CBSE are required to follow the guidelines relating to
safety of children in schools, including the following:-
<pre>
(i) The guidelines issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition
(Civil) No. 483 of 2004 in the matter of Avinash Mehrotra (Petitioner) Versus
Union of India & Others (Respondents);
(ii) The guidelines on School Safety Policy, 2016 issued by the NDMA which is
statutory in nature;
(iii) Manual on Safety and security of children in schools developed by NCPCR &
(iv) National Building Code-2005, as amended from time to time.
</pre>
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