Educational Management in Emergency Situations

Learning is one of the basic human rights and should be ensured and encouraged even in cases of emergency. However, crises, be it such natural disasters as floods, conflict, and epidemics, mean destruction to the educational systems. The schools are commonly burned down, the teachers displaced or murdered and the student’s denied education. However, in 2020, UNESCO revealed that there were over 258 million out of school children and adolescents around the world, most of whom were as a result of emergency situations.

In this situation, when faced with these challenges, educational management in the emergent events has been a concern of international focus. In 2004, a program named Education in Emergency and Crisis Situations initiated by UNESCO resulted in the development of Inter-Agency Network of Education in Emergencies (INEE). Such an initiative has assisted in cutting down the out of school children and set a minimum standard of education in the emergency situations. The preparedness, coordination, and technical capacities of educational response to an emergency are further enhanced also by the Global Education Cluster, built in 2006.

United Nations Convention on rights of Children (1989) points out the need to have all children access to education even during crisis times. The states parties should take the corresponding actions to safeguard and wellbeing of children during the emergencies. It should also come up with national laws and policies that would help in emergency situations of education. To illustrate, the law ndeg 2018-1021 of November 23, 2018, on combating school dropout, in France has certain provisions in case of emergency to students.

Besides educational infrastructure, emergency cases affect the mental condition and well-being of students and teachers. Research indicates that learners who have undergone traumatic events are unable to focus on and learn. In the case of emergency, it is, therefore, necessary to consider both the student and student psychosocial needs. Psychosocial support activities should be integrated into education programs in order to assist the students in dealing with trauma.

The role of education in emergency situations can also be one of the determinants of resilience of the concerned communities. With inclusion of disaster risk reduction in education, schools would be secure and safe environments to students. The teachers should be trained in how to cope in cases of emergencies and should incorporate the disaster risk reduction in the learning process. Planning and implementing education programs in case of emergency situations also require the involvement of the communities.

Enhancement of readiness and response capabilities of educational systems during cases of emergencies is crucial. Governments, international groups and NGOs have to collaborate in order to extend resources and assistance to schools and the victims. They should also carry out research and evaluations so as to enhance practices and policies of educating in cases of emergency. This is the goal of this book because it addresses the challenges and opportunities of educational administration in the case of emergency.

I would strongly recommend this book to educators, policymakers, researchers, and interested people on education during emergency cases. The exemplified insights and arguments in this book are crucial to comprehending problems and possibilities of education when faced with crisis scenarios and to come up with efficient measures to sustain the students and impacted communities. The book is highly recommended to the individuals who require enhancing education during emergency cases and foster resilience and well-being of the student bodies and communities.