The Education Ministry will make changes in curriculum of schools and colleges through including themes on emergencies, natural disasters and trauma management.
The official sources said that the curriculum especially of Social Studies, Geography, Languages, and Literacy would include themes on emergencies and natural calamities.
The curriculum will be based on latest international best practices and will include information about response in an emergency or disaster. Teacher education and training curricula will include provisions to enable the teacher to teach in emergencies. A repository of all emergency related materials, manuals, guidelines, minimum standards and research pertaining to education will be maintained at the teachers training institutions, schools, colleges and universities. Pakistan has endured serious emergent situations in recent years in which collateral damage was caused at a large scale.
The schools have been the worst victim in absence of required infrastructure to bear the tremendous shock of earthquakes and the school administration as well as the students were not prepared to meet such kind of challenges.
Although there were some provisions in the school curriculum and learning materials to address crisis and disaster management related issues but due to non-availability of a proper mechanism the concepts could not be enforced appropriately. The country's education system has now recognised the need for preparation of individuals and groups to grapple with the demands of emergencies through organised and effective responses.
Credible rehabilitation and disaster management plans need to be put in place to ensure early restoration of education service in disaster hit areas. According to the new education policy, awareness will be raised amongst the students regarding emergency situations, natural disasters and school safety so as to enable them to take appropriate preventive measures and informed decisions in emergencies or crisis.
National Disaster Management Authority plans to step forward and provide guidelines and code of conduct to the building departments to construct school infrastructure according to the international standards. The sources said the authorities at Federal Ministry of Education, Planning Commission and Provincial Planning and Development Departments will examine that guidelines and code of conduct for construction of school infrastructure regarding disaster have been followed while recommending the education projects for approval.
National Disaster Management Authority will make available the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the educational institutions to follow pre and post-emergency situations. Disaster Management Plans will include education delivery mechanism for rehabilitation.