Sikkim schools to have intensive Disaster Management classes

Gangtok, 26 December, 2013:

An orientation programme on School Safety Measures was organized by Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority on 19th December 2013. This is an annual feature whereby school authorities are made aware of preventive and safety measures during natural and man made calamities. The main focus of such programmes is to safeguard the lives of school going children.

During the programme the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling directed the Human Resource Development Department to immediately prepare books on Disaster Management for various levels of school children so that even the primary level children are equipped to face any calamity.

At present Disaster Management is taught in Class IV and above. The HRD Department in collaboration with SSDMA now proposes to introduce the concept of disaster management, preventive measures and rescue operations for various types of natural and man made calamities like earthquake, landslides, forest fires, avalanches, flashflood, mud slides etc. from the primary level of education itself. The main aim is to sensitize the children on safety measures to be adopted in the event of any calamity.

The Chief Minister also directed the department to introduce moral lessons in the school curriculum. Government schools follow the CBSE curriculum where moral and value education lessons are an integral part of the syllabus. The department is now taking steps to incorporate more value education lessons in the school books prepared by SCERT to inculcate ethical values in our children.