Publication: Education
Date
2010-12
ISSN
Published
2010-12
Author(s)
Wu, Kin Bing
Abstract
In the aftermath of the Wenchuan
earthquake, measures to restore education will be a critical
part of the recovery efforts in Sichuan province. The
education system can play an important role in both: (i)
minimizing the impact of the disaster on children; and (ii)
improving disaster preparedness. To help restore normalcy
for children and provide them with physical and
psychological assistance after such a traumatic experience,
restarting schools as quickly as possible is an immediate
priority. To help strengthen disaster preparedness and
management, a number of measures can be undertaken, such as
rebuilding better school infrastructure and integrating
school safety programs into the education curriculum. This
note will review international experience in using the
education sector to pursue the dual objectives of promoting
short-term recovery and ensuring better disaster
preparedness over the medium term. In particular, the note
draws upon examples from the countries of India, Iran, and
Japan, which have all experienced devastating earthquakes in
recent years that have resulted in loss of life and
extensive damage to school infrastructure in the affected
areas. In all three countries, swift actions were taken in
the education sector to assist students and rebuild schools,
offering useful examples that China may wish to consider in
shaping its own earthquake recovery efforts going forward.
Citation
“Wu, Kin Bing. 2010. Education. EAP DRM Knowledge Notes; No. 7. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/5318d8d1-563b-5f5a-a7f7-873d8edc32b5 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”