Managing natural disasters in school settings

A specialised training programme on managing natural disasters in school settings was completed with great participation, under the auspices of the 4th Primary Education Directorate of Athens.

With particular interest and strong participation, the specialised in-service programme on managing natural disasters in school settings was completed. It was organised under the auspices of the 4th Primary Education Directorate of Athens, in cooperation with the Sub-directorates of Environmental Education and Health Education.

The seminar is based on the strict protocols for managing natural disasters and gave participants knowledge and tools that are vital for the safety of students and staff.

The goal: a safety roadmap

The programme was informative in nature and focused on practical application: creating a roadmap for each school. Teachers, and above all the Principals of the school units, were trained in a three-part approach to crisis management:

Organisation and preparation: how the school prepares to deal with a crisis arising from a disaster.

Actions during the event: the immediate, correct and collective response steps of the teachers at the time of the crisis.

Actions after the event: the organised management of the consequences, aiming to minimise health losses and to assist the work of the competent authorities.

The critical mission of the Principal

The seminar was addressed to all teachers, giving priority however to the Principals of the school settings. The reason is obvious: the Principal is called upon to become the manager of the crisis until the official services arrive. Their proper training means an immediate response and the effective coordination of dozens, or even hundreds, of people in conditions of panic.

Through the programme, the value of the organised, collective effort of the teachers was highlighted: the first and most effective link in the chain of rescue.

We congratulate above all the officers of the 4th Primary Education Directorate of Athens, Mr Nikos Stefanopoulos and Mrs Dimitra Bekatorou, as well as all the participants for their interest and their dedication to the safety of the school community. We are committed to continuing similar educational initiatives.