The Japan to Increase Support for Introducing Nursing Care Robots”>Education Ministry in Japan has announced plans to establish a system that will dispatch teams of teachers and school staff to areas affected by major disasters. The objective is to ensure the safety of students and enable them to continue their education even in the midst of a disaster. This decision was made following valuable lessons learned from a powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in January.
Similar to the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), which sends doctors and nurses to disaster-stricken areas, these education teams will be known as the Disaster Education Support Team, or D-EST.
In the event of a disaster, officials from the education ministry will visit affected regions to assess their needs. If assistance is deemed necessary, they will request for these teams to be deployed. Currently, five prefectures in Japan—Miyagi, Mie, Hyogo, Okayama, and Kumamoto—already have their own school support teams. The ministry aims to encourage other prefectures by showcasing how these existing teams operate effectively.
Furthermore, the ministry plans on allocating funds for this project in next year’s budget. The support teams will consist of teachers, school officials, and counselors who will provide learning support and mental health care for students in disaster-hit areas. Additionally, they will assist with cleaning up schools and ensuring safe access routes so that classes can resume promptly.
Following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake earlier this year, school support teams from Hyogo and Kumamoto were dispatched to aid those affected by the disaster. Local governments are often overwhelmed with recovery efforts and attending to immediate needs during such crises; consequently causing delays in reopening schools. This new system aims at expediting recovery by swiftly deploying trained teachers and staff members who can facilitate a prompt return to learning for students impacted by disasters.
