Schools, Teachers, and Training in Risk Reduction After the 2011 Tohoku Disaster

Abstract

This study examines recent changes to training teachers in disaster risk reduction in school settings and changes in preservice and in-service teacher training between the 1995 Kobe disaster and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and after the 2011 disaster. Evidence from the 2011 disaster suggests that schools are important to disaster risk reduction education, community-based disaster preparedness, and as emergency shelters during disasters. Based on lessons from the 2011 disaster, Japanese policymakers and educators are focusing on the numerous roles that schools could fulfill and calling for preservice and in-service training in disaster risk reduction. This study outlines the policy changes related to training teachers at schools, students in teacher-training programs, and future orientation toward more institutionalized training programs.