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Further
Rationale to Aims |
The series aims to contribute towards addressing many of
the important conceptual, practical and policy issues surrounding
disaster education in the UK. The rationale for the introduction of
disaster education in schools has already been advanced by a number of
scholars (Radu, 1993; Kuroiwa; Arya, 1993; Frew, 2002; Kaji, 1992; Shaw
et. al, 2004; Twigg, 2004; Izadkhah and Hosseini, 2003; Kumar et. al,
2005). Shaw et. al. (2004), for example, suggest that school education,
coupled with self, family and community education, can help a student to
develop a "culture of disaster preparedness", which, in turn, provides
them with a guiding framework within which they are able to act as
responsible adults. However, to date, most studies of disaster education
have been conducted outside the UK, and mainly in relation to earthquake
education. Those studies that have been carried out in the UK, have
typically been limited to school security, school trips and fire safety
(Kible, 1999), rather than 'disaster education' per se. At a policy
level, meanwhile, the current UK curricular does not include disasters
in terms of contemporary understanding of the issue. However, the lack
of a significant evidence base renders the design and implementation of
disaster education programmes respectful of differing contexts, a
difficult challenge for disaster planners (Twigg, 2004). In short,
therefore, a widespread awareness of the underlying causes and basics of
integrated ways of preventing and responding to disaster remains,
despite mounting demand, for the large part seriously neglected.
The overall objectives of the series are to:
i) Explore the conceptual challenges of disaster education
An examination of disaster education policy design demands exploration
of the conceptual challenges of disaster education. The starting point
will be to examine how disaster education is perceived by academics and
practitioners in the UK as compared with those in other European
countries, Asia and Africa throughout Europe, the Far East such as Japan
and other parts of Europe. The series will seek to examine the extent to
which elements (if any) of disaster education are integrated into the
national curriculum, or informally, in UK education practice as
contrasted with others parts of the world.
ii) Build an inter-disciplinary network of academics and
practitioners
The series builds on the successful Japan—UK link and a series of
initial 'agenda-setting' seminars undertaken in Edinburgh, Tyne and Wear
and London in 2007. The series intends to encourage debate among
academics and practitioners interested in disaster education from a
variety of disciplinary perspectives and, in so doing, help foster the
emergence of an international network of scholars spanning not only this
initial community, but other international groups with an interest in
such matters.
Recognising the complexity of the challenges outlined elsewhere, an
interdisciplinary approach will necessarily be adopted, with academic
and practitioner participants from the fields of disaster risk
reduction, emergency management, climate change, education, risk
management and sociology.
iii) Identify disaster education policy options in the UK
The six seminars are designed to bring together academics, practitioners
and policy makers in the UK in order to accomplish this objective. The
seminars — to be held in Tyne and Wear, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester,
Belfast and London — will provide a flexible forum within which to
examine conceptual, theoretical and policy issues surrounding disaster
education. Outcomes from each of the seminars will be collated,
synthesised, and disseminated to relevant stakeholders. All materials
will, together with additional materials such as educational resources,
links to other disaster education websites and publicity materials, be
deposited on the dedicated website, and those of the various
partner-organisations such as the Japan-UK Disaster Risk Reduction Study
Programme (http://www.drs.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/jp-uk/).
Some of the key questions that form a part of the series are:
a) What is the pedagogy of disaster in the UK?
b) What can be learnt and taught in an educational environment?
c) What is the prospect for social learning in relation to state,
private, corporate and individual responsibilities to disaster risk
reduction?
d) With regard to disaster education in the community, how do children
engage community risk awareness?
e) What are the opportunities for adapting school curricula to disaster
prevention and response, and what are the boundaries of this topic for
UK schools?
f) Which practical aspects of the education process can be incorporated
into the learning experience and how might these be facilitated?
g) To what extent is there an endogenous UK disaster experience that
might form the mainstay of UK disaster education, and what knowledge,
innovation and educational experiences should be imported from other
parts of the world and other cultures?
h) What is multicultural disasters education, and how might it be
applied in the UK education system in the interests of wider issues
(i.e. such as future conflict avoidance within and between communities)? |
