This document discusses initiatives for integrating disaster risk reduction education into school curricula. It provides an overview of a mapping exercise of DRR curricula in 30 countries and identifies common approaches and gaps. Specifically, it finds limited subject areas for DRR, a lack of integration across grades and subjects, and no comprehensive list of learning outcomes. It then presents knowledge, skills and attitudes that could be covered, and provides a guidance tool for curriculum developers with five dimensions of DRR learning and ways to vertically and interdisciplinarily integrate DRR into school systems. The guidance has been piloted in several countries including Barbados, Jamaica, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Nepal.

1. Initiatives for Comprehensive Safe Schools
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
DisasterRiskReduction Education: In School Curricula
Jair TORRESJair TORRES
UNESCOUNESCO
Earth Sciences andEarth Sciences and Geo-hazards RiskReductionGeo-hazards RiskReduction
On behalf of the Section on Education for Sustainable Development of UNESCOOn behalf of the Section on Education for Sustainable Development of UNESCO
andand
UNICEFUNICEF

2. 1.1. OverviewOverview
2.2. Mapping ExerciseMapping Exercise
3.3. GuidelinesGuidelines
Disaster Risk Reduction Education:
In School Curricula

3. OverviewOverview
• A contribution of:
• To:

4. Mapping Guidelines

5. Research Aims
To capture key national experience
in the integration of DRR in primary
and secondary school curricula
To identify good practice and
current gaps in provision
To review DRR learning outcomes

6. Research
Methodology
• Meta-research of available
documentation
• (Documentary) case study research

7. The 30 Case Study
Countries
Angola
Armenia
Bangladesh
Benin
British Virgin Islands
Cambodia
Chile
Costa Rica
Cuba
Egypt
Fiji
France
Georgia
Indonesia
Kazakhstan
Lao PDR
Lesotho
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Myanmar
Nepal
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Peru
The Philippines
Russian Federation

8. DRR Curriculum
Development and Integration
• Limited subject carriers for DRR
• The problem of thematic scope
• Lack of horizontal and vertical integration
• The problem of curriculum/co-curriculum
interface
• Infusion? Vs. Dedicated subject?
• No comprehensive list of DRR-related
knowledge, skills and attitudinal learning
outcomes
• Lists of outcomes connected to specific
Identification of gaps

9. DRR Curriculum
Development and
Integration
• Textbook-driven approach
• Pilot project approach
• Centralized competency-based
approach
• Centrally developed special subject
approach
• Symbiosis approach
• ‘Special event’ approach
Approaches found

10. DRR Learning Outcomes
• Knowledge and Understanding
• Development of Skills
• Attitudes/Dispositions

11. Knowledge and
Understanding
• Self and others
• Hazards and disasters
• Key DRR concepts and practice
• Basic safety measures
• Disaster management mechanisms and practices
• The environment and the environmental/human
society interrelationship
• Climate change
• Differential and disproportionate impacts of hazards
on people
• The conflict/disaster risk reduction interface
• Human rights/child rights aspects of disasters

12. Development of Skills
• Information management
• Discernment and critical thinking
• Coping, self-protection and self-management
• Communication and interpersonal interaction
• Affect (responding to/with emotion)
• Action
• Systemic skills

13. Attitudes/Dispositions
• Altruism/valuing
• Respect
• Compassion, care and empathy
• Confidence and caution
• Responsibility
• Commitment to fairness, justice and
solidarity
• Harmony with the environment

14. Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction
into the Curriculum:
A Technical Guidance Tool

15. Purposes of the Guidance
Tool
• To introduce DRR into education sector policies,
curricula and assessment for primary and secondary
school-age children
• To provide policy-makers and curriculum developers
in governments, NGOs and UN agencies with
guidance on how to effectively integrate DRR into
school curricula
• To promote ESD as a framework for teaching DRR in
school
• To include planning, discussion, monitoring and
evaluation tools plus case studies

16. The DRRE/CCE/ESD
Interface

17. The Five Essential
Dimensions of DRR
Learning
1. Understanding Mechanisms
2. Becoming Safety Wise
3. Understanding Risk Drivers and How
Hazards Can Become Disasters
4. Building Community Risk Reduction
Capacity
5. Building an Institutional Culture of
Safety and Resilience

18. Key Approaches to DRR
Curriculum Integration
• Infusion into subjects
• Interconnected provision
• Interdisciplinary provision (Ded. &
Cross)

19. Vertical Integration of DRR

20. The School as Learning
Organization for Safety and
Resilience
• Close integration of DRR curriculum
and safe school practice and
management
• School as focal point of safe territory
• Shift from closed expertise to
amenable expertise (who is the
teacher?)

21. Countries where the
guidelines have been piloted
Caribbean
• Barbados
• Jamaica
Asia
• Laos
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Nepal

22. THANK YOU!
Looking forward
to receive your comments:
j.torres@unesco.org
JairTORRESJairTORRES
UNESCOUNESCO
Unit for Disaster RiskReductionUnit for Disaster RiskReduction
Earth Sciences and Geo-hazards RiskReductionEarth Sciences and Geo-hazards RiskReduction