LET’S MAKE OUR SCHOOL SAFE

LET’S MAKE OUR SCHOOL SAFE

(ABSTRACT-Today children are the most vulnerable part of any hazards-it may be natural or manmade. As they are small and innocent it’s our (we, the teachers, parents, managements and community) responsibility to give safeguard and train them how to face hazards as challenges. They must be built as confident, bold and courageous. Our future nation can only be saved if the present children are safe.)

                                                                                               BY HAREKRUSHNA BEHERA, MA, M.Phil, B.Ed             

                                                                                              TGT, SOCIAL SCIENCE, CHINMAYA VIDYALAYA,

NTPC, UNCHAHAR, DIST-RAEBARELI, UP

PH.NO-9936726090, E.MAIL. hare_321ku@rediffmail.com

Today’s Earthquake, tomorrow’s collapse of a school building and next day’s a deadly fire- all they happen. They are obvious. Accidents cannot be avoided. But we can say, hazards can be minimized. But when we discuss about the effects of hazards on children, we scare to discuss even. Then many questions sprang up in every citizen’s minds. Are the children, the future representative of the advanced nation like India, really safe? If not, then how can I expect a safer India? Can school be created a safe environment for the children? Can the children be trained so that they can save them as well as others? All these questions put at the heart rending sites of the school children time to time. Still we are lagging behind in securing the future citizens. As children are small, innocent, growing we all must take the vow to save them from these miss happenings and hazards.

            Just, the event of Kumbakonam fire tragedy which took 93 lives of children awakened us to think frequently the tips, trainings and safeguards for the school children. These are only the examples of the natural hazards. But several manmade hazards happened to children like corporal punishment leading to the physical deformities of the children, sexual harassment to girl child in many remote residential schools, mental and emotional pressures such as the burdens of examinations, books and school activities, terrorism and many more. Are they not danger to their life? Now a days, children are the most vulnerable one not only in the schools but also outside.

Broadly Hazards can be divided into two types:

1. Natural and
2. Man-made

Natural hazards are like earthquake, flood, storms, landslides, etc

But man-made hazards are like terrorism, violence, chemical hazards, fire problems, sexual harassments, corporal punishments, etc

To secure children from both the hazards many more safety and awareness programmes should be arranged.

            The most vulnerable is the child himself. Thus proper training to children should be given at home and school. The first priority in school should be to build a child as confident, knowledgeable and helpful. Prepared children are the safe children in any circumstances.

            Thanks to CBSE for making the learning of Disaster Management compulsory in secondary level and orienting the children practically to face the challenges of society and save others from the scourge of disasters. Life skill education trains the children to learn the skills like leadership, faith, confidence, friendship, courage etc.

Following steps can be taken in the school to minimize hazards on the children:

• School is a community concern. There must be good relationship of the administrator of the school and local community. Local community also must be highlighted with disaster management programme. School will be a safe place only when the whole community will know the rescue operation.
• Each school should prepare a school building-emergency preparedness and response plan. Building level school safety team must be appointed by the Principal and shall include key administrators, teachers, parents, school personnel and community members, local law enforcement officials, local ambulances and other emergency agencies.
• Develop a school safety literature database on school safety issues. Prepare a school safety public information brochure. Explain important local issues and their ways to mitigate.
• Establish Disaster managers clubs in the schools and promote the activities about disaster control and students volunteerism.
• Contact other schools to set up inter school Disaster Management programmes. To these Inter schools meetings business groups and government officials can be called for discussions.
• PREPAREDNESS WEEK can be celebrated by parades, exhibitions, seminars, cycle ally, painting competitions, etc to motivate the students and promote awareness among the people.
• Students are the better saviors of themselves. So they must be trained how to boldly face any situation without panic. They must be built with adventurous spirit to face the challenges any calamities. Braveness always shows the path. Fear always takes one to death.
• Teachers must build themselves as sadhakas. They are the examples before the children. They must guide the children and properly counsel the children of adolescence to save them from any unknowing miss happenings.
• In any students’ conflict teacher must play the role of a spiritual master to check the violence so that students will learn the reality of life and stop selfishness, conflict and criticism.
• In any sexual harassment to girls or violence, punishment must be given properly so that further incidents will be minimized.
• School must train the pupil with proper ideas and universal outlook so that the children will be build with love, respect and sacrifice with them. Adding value education in the subject by teachers while teaching and moral science classes help a lot.

Thus, teachers, administrators, parents and the local communities all play a very important role in minimizing hazards in the school. Children are the innocent beauties of the world. They must be saved anyhow. Safety of the children will create a safe nation tomorrow. The time has come right now to unite our hands to save these innocent beauties of the world. If we are conscious right now, the day is not far away when, we will definitely create every school safe and build a safer India.

BY HAREKRUSHNA BEHERA

CHINMAYA VIDYALAYA,

NTPC, UNCHAHAR

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