ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has started pilot project of Pakistan School Safety Framework in 68 selected public and private schools across the country.

Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Gahkuch

The project is being implemented in different schools including Beacon house, Fazaia School System, Bahria School System, APSACS, City School System.

The schools selected for the pilot project are based in Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Islamabad Capital Territory, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit.

The purpose of the pilot programme is to determine the challenges in the implementation of the framework and to modify the framework accordingly, said a news release issued here.

The NDMA signed a joint work plan last year with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) where the partnership aimed at enhancing disaster preparedness, response and recovery with a special focus on children.

The Gender and Child Cell (GCC) of the NDMA, with the support of UNICEF and British Council thus pursued Pakistan School Safety Framework (PSSF) to remain prepared for effective and efficient response against natural or man-made hazards.

The Pakistan School Safety Framework was developed after a series of National level consultative meetings with government and private sector stakeholders and it was also reviewed by international consultants.

A consensus was developed in the Final National Consultative Meeting on August 17-18 that Frameworks should be pretested through a Pilot Programme and its findings should be reviewed through another Consultative Meeting to refine the Framework before its implementation.

Before the start of pilot programme, 68 Schools were selected through the involvement of respective education departments and secretariats of the Private School Systems.

From amongst these schools nominations were obtained for School teachers all over the country to be trained by the expert trainers on School Safety.

The pilot programme comprises four phases. During the First Phase, a core group of 30 members was trained at Lahore as Trainer of Master School Trainer & Quality Supervisors.

In the second phase, the core group is now responsible for training three teachers and one head teacher from each of the nominated 68 schools on the PSSF.

These trainings are being conducted from November 22 to December 10.

The same trainers will also train the officers of district education department, building department, fire department and police in carrying out evaluation of schools to ascertain School Safety Standard. These trainings will be conducted in December, 2016.

The third phase of the pilot project will be the roll out of the School Safety Framework to the schools in the month of Dec, 2016 and Jan, 2017.

The trained teachers will go back to their schools to develop respective school safety plan, raise School Safety Organisations, undertake the self-assessment of the School Safety Standards in accordance with Pakistan School Safety Framework and also prepare school community for response against disasters.

The final phase of the pilot programme at end Jan, 2017 will envisage the evaluation of School Safety Standards through the team of evaluators of district departments of education, building, fire and police along with representatives of the NDMA and PDMAs.

During evaluation, the schools will share their self-assessment of safety standards and their school safety plans.

The evaluation team will ascertain the School Safety Standards as per the Pakistan School Safety Framework as a second party evaluation.

The Gender and Child Cell of the NDMA is coordinating the pilot programme through the team of experts of British Council with support of UNICEF Pakistan.

All stakeholders are on board and it is expected that this Pilot Programme will bring in much needed input to finalize the PSSF.(dnd)