Emphasize The Importance Of Disaster Education, Education Experts: Maybe Some Teachers Don't Understand Disaster Mitigation

The students of the Al-Azhar Kudus Play Group (KB), Central Java, underwent the March 2019 disaster education program. (Antara)

JAKARTA - The implementation of a disaster education program for students is considered important following the deaths of three students who were crushed by a falling wall at Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) Negeri 19 Jakarta.

Education expert from Lambung Mangkurat University Prof. H Ahmad Suriansyah, MPd, PhD assessed that the disaster at MTs 19 Jakarta caused death, showing the importance of education regarding mitigation being conveyed to students.

"Here, teachers also play an important role in supervising, or perhaps many of the teachers also don't understand disaster mitigation," he said, quoted from Antara, Sunday, October 9.

He revealed that the low understanding of mitigation made the students at the school play in the schoolyard during the flood. Even though playing outside during floods and rains can endanger their safety.

"What should be done when a flood hits a school, for example, or when other disasters occur such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and fires," he said.

He said that disaster mitigation education should be included in school activities so that students understand the actions that must be taken to minimize the impact of disasters.

According to him, schools can cooperate with the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in implementing disaster mitigation education for students.

Disaster mitigation education, he continued, can be carried out in intra-curricular and extra-curricular activities at schools.

"So in principle, disaster mitigation education must be programmed properly, not only once during the introduction of new students or never at all," he said.