The New Trend of Disaster Mitigation Education in Japan

3-7 Some Suggestions to Make Disaster Mitigation Education more Familiar

As I have mentioned at the beginning of this report, disaster mitigation education is completely remote from our daily life. We need to connect this education with our daily life. Here are some suggestions to make disaster mitigation education more familiar to people.

3-7-1 Disaster Mitigation Education in every Subject and Educational Field

In Japan, new concept of "total study" is introduced to schools. The students in high school, for example, learn Welfare, Environment, International Relationship, and so on one hour or two in a week. These fields are very popular in high school education. I would like to emphasize that these fields have something to do with disaster mitigation education. Slightly changing our point of view, we can make the students more interested in disaster mitigation education through their favorite fields. (Chart 3)

Disaster mitigation education is also related deeply to general subjects. (Chart 4)

In every subject you can find the materials which can be used in the disaster mitigation education. What's important is the teachers' attitude to keep on making ideas.

3-7-2 Connecting the students' dreams with Disaster Management

Students have their own dreams. A boy may want to be a soccer player. A girl may want to be a teacher. One may want to be a doctor or a nurse. One may be interested in foreign affairs. One may want to work as a social worker. Some may major in economy, others may specialize in biology. Their dreams are different. If you succeed to make them notice that their dreams have something to do with the disaster management, they may be interested in disaster mitigation education. Thus disaster management becomes more familiar to them through their dreams. In Maiko High School, special attention is paid to the practices to make them notice the connection of their dreams and disaster management.

3-7-3 Disaster Mitigation Education to be a Survivor a Supporter

The main purpose of disaster mitigation education is to protect ourselves from the coming disasters. Nobody disagree this definition. But how many people encounter a disaster in their long lives? Most of the people in the world surely spend their lives without encountering disasters. They think they don't need the knowledge and skills to survive in the disaster area. But now many disasters are taking place in the world. When you watch the news on TV, what do you feel like doing? You may ignore the news. You may donate. You may visit the affected area to help the victims.

Thus one purpose of disaster mitigation education is to survive in the disaster and another purpose is to make people notice the importance of supporting people in the affected area. You can be not only a survivor but also a supporter even if you live in a city far away from the affected area. In addition, the attitude to support people or to contribute to the society is raised during the daily participation to the society. (Chart 5)

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3-8 Conclusion

Disaster mitigation education has different purposes and goals depending on where the education is implemented. The needs are different from region to region. In a very vulnerable area where a hazard repeatedly attacked the area or is to take place, the direct education of hazard and skills to protect themselves is necessary. This is the education to be a survivor. But this is not enough. Disaster management needs not only specialists but also ordinary citizens to cooperate with the specialists, to help ordinary people. Another purpose of disaster mitigation education is to raise those who can support people. The education to be a supporter is also necessary and I would like to emphasize that one of the method to make children interested in the disaster management is to make their daily lives closer to the disaster reduction by connecting their dreams with the disaster management.

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(2006.6.1)