Over 30 teachers from schools across Dominica are participating in a safety workshop which gets underway on Monday morning.
Officials from the Ministry of Education, Police, Fire and Physical Planning are also taking part in the workshop which is taking place at the Emergency Operation’s Center of the Office of Disaster Management.
The two and a half day workshop will cover topics such as Risks and Resources, Fundamentals of Risk Management, School Safety Plan, School Emergency Management Plan and Table top and Simulation Exercises.
The training is being coordinated by Former National Disaster Coordinator Cecil Shillingford who is also a facilitator of the training along with Francisca Joseph of the Adult Education Unit and Joanna Ogilvie – Disaster Risk Management Consultant from Jamaica.
“Discussions have been taking place with the Ministry of Education here to ensure that Risk Management is mainstreamed in the Education Sector and that this training reaches all school in the country,” Shillingford said.
He noted that this is the second group to benefit from this type of training; the first was done last year with private schools.
The next phase following this week’s training is to provide Instructor Training to teachers who have completed the School Safety Course. “These teachers will then demonstrate their instruction skills in delivering the course before a team of evaluators,” Shillingford said.
He added that following that phase these teachers can then train their peers to ensure that the program quickly spreads around the island.
The two and a half day training is being funded by the United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) – The Humanitarian arm of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This week’s training will conclude with a drill at a pilot school with the participation of all those attending the course.
i do hope after that emergency drills can be put in place at schools across the island as mandatory…..too many school are at risk ,in case of emergency no one knows what to do.
Hope that first aid training is part of this workshop, since it is a critical component of any safety and emergency response plan
Hope first aid training is part of this workshop which is important in any safety and emergency response plan