The Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) has launched the second edition of its Safe School programme for the 2014-2015 academic year, with plans to expand its scope to encompass 25-30 schools across the country.
The programme is being conducted under the slogan “Safe Behaviour, Less Risk and Effective Response.”
Funded and implemented by QRC in co-ordination with the management of the host schools, the programme is held every Sunday at different Supreme Education Council schools, applying an all-day theoretical and practical training scheme with two breaks.
At the end of the day, informative booklets and fliers are distributed and a disaster simulation scenario is practised to further develop the knowledge and skills acquired during the theoretical part.
The purpose of the programme is to promote a culture of safe behaviour and societal risk management in order to prevent, reduce or properly deal with risks by developing practical experience and skills among youngsters, teaching them general concepts of disaster risk reduction and letting them practise emergency plans and evacuation rules as if they were facing a real disaster.
This will help produce a whole generation of Qataris with the highest level of disaster preparedness.
The programme syllabus also covers meaningful topics in relation to the safety and security of society members; raises awareness about the importance of environment protection among schoolchildren, teachers, administrative staff, bus supervisors and even parents (through the students themselves); urges them to adopt safe behaviour as a lifestyle and deepens their sense of responsibility for themselves and for others.
The programme employs a progressive strategy that targets Qatar’s educational institutions to utilise schooling as a way of community education and creation of dynamic and broad-minded personalities rather than a rigid, backward instructional system limited to theoretical textbooks that spread passiveness and inaction among students.
QRC secretary-general Saleh bin Ali al-Mohannadi said: “The project first emerged as an idea in May 2013. It involves several training courses for students over an entire school day to increase their awareness and ability to respond to earthquakes, fires, accidents and other disasters.”
Al-Mohannadi expressed his thanks to Oryx GTL for sponsoring the publication of ‘The Prepared Child’, a brochure distributed to school students with guidelines about what to do during an earthquake, presented by three cartoon characters.
“I invite all government bodies, NGOs, corporations and everyone interested in social and charitable work to support this ambitious developmental programme,” he said.
During 2013-2014, the programme was conducted successfully in 19 schools across the nation, benefiting 6,622 students of all educational stages (KG, primary, preparatory and secondary) as well as 573 teachers, administrative staff and bus supervisors.
