Level Of Awareness Of Public Elementary Schools On The Drrm Program Along Enabling Environment.
Disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) is a universal agenda integrated in all sectoral programs including education. In the Philippines, the Department of Education (DepEd) provided clear-cut guidelines on how DRRM shall be integrated in school activities and operations. It provided basic categories where to showcase DRRM including an enabling environment, safe learning facilities, school disaster risk management and DRR in education. This research focused on identifying the extent of awareness and implementation as well as the challenges encountered in the realization of these thrusts among the public elementary schools in Tublay, Benguet.
Table 1 presents the level of awareness of these public elementary schools on ensuring an enabling environment along specific and operational indicative areas that include presence of policies and programs in disaster preparedness, budget, conduct of student led risk assessment, presence of rapid assessment and damage report (RADAR), partnership with organizations and among others. These strategies are to ensure a safe environment for the learners where they are free from all kinds of natural and human induced hazards as well as from any physical and psychological pressures that could hinder learning process of the learners.The table highlights thatthese public elementary schools are highly aware (3.88) that enabling environment shall be integrated on school disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) programs. More interestingly, these public schools are highly aware that all these indicators shall be present and or observed in schools.
Finding further divulges that school respondents are most aware of the need to form a School DRRM Team, with a focal person and personnel from different offices and with defined membership and roles and responsibilities/functions. They affirmed similar levels of awareness on the need to establish partnerships that could be tapped to support its DRRM programs and activities, including those during after a disaster, the need to conduct and submission of Rapid Assessment of Damages Report (RADAR) within 72 hours after the onslaught of a hazard in the area and the need to conduct of student-led school watching and hazard mapping and involving students in DRRM planning. These findings summarize that the respondent schools acknowledged the need to established school based DRRMoperation protocol and support system to ensure enabling environment for the learners. This confers with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction [UNISDR] statement that effective DRR education in the basic education curriculum solidifies and strengthens awareness, preparedness, and resiliency among the students.
An enabling environment is a rich and varied space where risks are minimized and well managed, and children are protected from harm and abuse.
Adopted/Adapted/localized at least 3 existing policies relating to DRRM/CCA/ EiE in education/school safety.
3.83 HA 72. Formed School DRRM Team, with a focal person and consisting of personnel from different offices; with defined membership and roles and responsibilities/functions.
4.18 HA 13. Has a comprehensive School DRRM Plan, which includes CCA and EiE measures, covering risk assessment, risk reduction, and rehabilitation and recovery.
3.84 HA 64. School budget supports regular DRRM activities.
3.48 HA 105. Conducted student-led school watching and hazard mapping (DO 23 s 2015), and involved students in DRRM planning.
4.01 HA 46. Incorporated results of student-led school watching and hazard mapping in the School DRRM Plan and School Improvement Plan (SIP).
3.92 HA 57. Data collection and consolidation of programs and activities on DRRM, covering the 3 Pillars to monitor results and impact exist.
3.72 HA 88. Rapid Assessment of Damages Report (RADAR) is submitted to Central Office, within 72 hours after the onslaught of a hazard in the area
The enabling environment includes a set of previously established rules, regulations, procedures and existing conditions that enable undisturbed work and existence of civic associations and all other forms of civic activism in accordance with the law especially in a school setting.The DepEd highlighted enabling environment as its primary concern while providing quality learning experience to learners as emphasized on its Vision “to ensure an enabling and supportive environment for effective learning to happen”.
Significant amount of researches affirmed that presence of an enabling environment supports better learning and development.Themane and Osher (2014) for instance, affirmed that children and youth need safe and supportive schools if they are to succeed in school, to develop in a healthy manner, and to thrive. Moreover, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] reiterated that learners in supportive environments have high levels of self-efficacy and self-motivation and use learning as a primary transformative force. Other researches affirmed that schools can create supportive conditions for learning and development of learners. In a study, Osher and Jackson (2004) affirmed that schools can create strong environment where students feel and are physically and emotionally safe. Significant efforts been made by the Department of Education to realize an enabling environment among schools including institutionalization of DRRM and climate change adaptation programs.In 2007, the Department issued Department Order No. 55, series of 2007 that provides for the mainstreaming of Disater Risk Reduction Management in school system and implementation of programs and project relative thereof. This provision highlights adoption of activities that reduces risks of learners from impending natural and human induced hazards. Moreover, in 2011, it institutionalized Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) within its operation system to ensure culture of safety at all levels, to systematize protection of education investment and to ensure continued delivery of quality education services. The Department understands that managerial efforts are not enough to ensure resilient schools hence; it innovated on engaging the students. It issued Department Order 23, series of 2015 mandating the conduct of student-led school watching and hazard mapping and inclusion of learners in the DRRM planning . The institutionalization of DRRM and CCA in the educational system and the continuing efforts of the DepEd in awareness and capacity building among learners bear positive results. In a study, Mamon, Suba and Son (2017) among young learners in the country, they confirmed that they have high levels of knowledge, preparedness and readiness, adaptation and awareness on disaster. This positive level of awareness on safe learning environment can highly contribute in the development of risk perception among learners that eventually increase their preparedness.
Overall, awareness of school stakeholders in creating enabling learning environment propels programs and activities favorable to safety and learning development of learners.Comparative Analysis of the Level of Awareness of School DRRM Committees and Coordinators along Enabling Environment. Table 2 on the other hand, highlights the comparison of the level of awareness of the school DRRM committee chairs and coordinators along Enabling Environment. It presents that overall; there is no significant difference in the level of awareness of these stakeholders as denoted by the Fcv of 3.018 and Significant Error (Sig.) value of 0.085. It is therefore, null hypothesis is accepted. The entire personnel respondents have high level of awareness on the need of an enabling environment for learners and personnel to ensure attainment of quality education and learning experiences. This finding affirms that all the respondent personnel are provided with equitable opportunity to learn and further their knowledge on DRRM. Also, the respondents mentioned that their schools have DRRM capacity building plan for personnel, which is highly relevant in increasing the individual capacities of school personnel. In a report to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction [UNISDR] by Carrera (2015), engagement and capacity development among stakeholders are keys in risk reduction. The table however presents that there is a significant difference in the level of awareness among the teacher respondents in the incorporation of results of student-led school watching and hazard mapping in the School DRRM Plan and School Improvement Plan SIP) as denoted by the Statistical Analysis (Fcv = 4.995; P(0.05) = 0.028). Particularly, the finding highlights that Medical Supply/Health Team has lower level of awareness with a mean of 3.00 compared to the Table 2.
This finding can be related to the risk perception between these committees, wherein, each group is influenced by their level of engagement to certain circumstances as well as their experiences and familiarity of the risks. Kasperson et al as mentioned by Renn (2004) explains that risk perception strongly influenced by various factors including familiarity of the risk source and sensory perception of danger. Health Teams are often the ground personnel whose main tasks to provide medical assistance to stakeholders during disasters and emergencies, which is a very challenging task. According to these respondents, their priority is the safety of the patients, which can be threatened by even small hazards. This difference in the context of safety contributed in the difference in the level of awareness. As mentioned by Themane and Osher (2014) mentioned that safety includes both actual and perceived risk. Understanding the complications of medical assistance during disasters and emergencies would normally put the personnel in-charge to a higher level of expectation of preparedness. In this finding, the Health Teams affirmed that the level of integration of the results of the student – led hazard assessment to school activities should be implemented to a higher level to always ensure safety and protection of learners and school stakeholders.
An enabling environment is a set of interrelated conditions that together should provide and then to facilitate the smooth and continuous inclusion of citizens especially school learners and civil society organizations in the process of public policy creation and also overall social development in a sustainable and efficient manner. Level of Awareness of Public Elementary Schools on the DRRM Program along Safe Learning FacilitiesThe DepEd to ensure resiliency building among schools instituted the Comprehensive DRRM in Basic Education Framework in 2015 underscoring three pillars in attaining resilient schools that are
- Safe Learning Facilities;
- School Disaster Management;
- DRR in Education.
Table 3 presents the extent of awareness of schools on safe learning facilities as critical component of school DRRM program. It showcases that overall; the respondent schools are highly aware (4.01) that safe learning facilities shall be an integral part of school DRRM.
The DepEd through Order 37, series of 2015 provides that safe learning facilities pertains to the physical and other related structures of the schools as well as the establishment of temporary learning spaces that can be used during possible displacement brought by disasters and or emergencies, this shall also involve education authorities, architects, engineers, builders and school community members in safe site selection, design, construction and maintenance including safe and continuous access to facility.
The table further reveals that respondents are most aware of particular indicators to ensure safe learning facilities among schools that include undertaking regular inspection and repair of minor classroom (includingfacilities) damages (4.14), clarity among School Heads with the roles and functions of the schools in camp management (4.08), and taking appropriate action with respect to unsafe school buildings.
