Descriptions:
Special project “Together” about the Great East Japan Earthquake. This time we will talk about “preventing disasters in schools.” These are the results of a survey conducted by the joint association in Tokyo involving 81 teachers nationwide in 2021. “If a disaster occurs under the school’s control, are you confident that all students will be protected?” “, 74.1% of people answered “No”. In the free answer column: “I am busy teaching this subject…”, “I am just repeating the exercises I do every year,” “Only one person is responsible for preventing natural disasters.” , and it takes a lot of effort to move forward with something new” and “Disaster Prevention”. I don’t have enough time to teach.” An online school disaster prevention course for teachers and staff launched in 2021 that “truly” saves lives. Title: “School Disaster Prevention Strategy Update!” ” Teachers across the country are learning from the experiences of Okawa Elementary School and Kamaishi Higashi Middle School in Iwate Prefecture during the Great East Japan Earthquake. The second half of the video contains several images of the tsunami. This is an online course for teachers and staff that started in March 2021, “Updating the School Disaster Prevention Strategy!” “is. “(Lecturer)Is your school’s disaster management able to protect lives?” Teachers from all over the country can take the course. In addition to elementary, middle and high school teachers, anyone associated with schools such as kindergartens and kindergartens can participate. We will discuss disaster management guidelines for each school, the current status of evacuation drills. , as well as any problems they may have, and share their problems “ (Vice Principal of an elementary school in Kanagawa Prefecture) There is a possibility of being hit by a tsunami even if you go up to the roof of the school. Actually, we did not prepare. to this during our training.” “(Elementary school teacher in Hiroshima Prefecture) It was an evacuation drill. Sometimes some children go out and play, and even if you try to talk to them, they will not be able to convey the information.” The course lasts. month and a half and is divided into four sessions of one and a half hours each. By June 2022, 178 teachers from all over the country will participate. A unique feature of this program is that you can hear concrete real-life examples from people familiar with the situation in schools. affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. “(Toshiro Sato)Let’s break down all barriers and talk about life…” This is Toshiro Sato (58 years old) from Ishinomaki City, a member of the organizing organization and lecturer of the course. A former teacher who taught Japanese at a prefectural junior high school seven years ago, he was working at a junior high school in Onagawa at the time of the earthquake. “(Toshiro Sato) My youngest child was in 6th grade at the time and about to graduate from high school, and he was the accompanist for the graduation ceremony, so he trained hard. The graduation ceremony was on March 18th, so I was able to. “Did not attend the graduation ceremony.” Mr. Sato lost his second daughter Mizuho (12 years old at the time), who was in 6th grade at Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki City, in the earthquake. Okawa Elementary School is 3.7 km from the sea. About 51 minutes after the earthquake, a tsunami hit the school and rushed back up the river, leaving 74 children and 10 teachers and staff members dead or missing. “(Toshiro Sato) I’m not saying this because I’m a teacher, but there is no teacher who doesn’t want to save children. I’m sure the dead teacher was disappointed too. But the fact is that this life could not be saved. We definitely need to think about it.” In early June, a “new session for prefectural school principals” was held at Okawa Elementary School. “(Toshiro Sato) If you think about the teachers who saw the tsunami, I want you to think about their “regrets.” This story is told by Mr. Sato during class and exam at Okawa Elementary School.” Among them were many teachers from all over the country, but I feel that the lessons learned are not being put to good use. “(Toshiro Sato)What we should learn from the Okawa Elementary School incident and what actions we should take is still not deep enough. My personal experience is that when it comes to preventing school disasters, if there is even one mistake, only the person in charge of disaster prevention does his best. There were many teachers who were worried and believed that preventing natural disasters was important. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we were wondering if we could do anything online. At the lecture Mr. Sato said he hopes his experience will be used to “prevent school disasters that can actually save lives.” “(Toshiro Sato) I also worked on hazard maps, training and manuals (before the earthquake), but I never thought about my daughter… not once did her face or name come to mind. any connection with the characters. It’s scary because it’s scary to think that you or someone you care about will die in a disaster. That’s what I think. It ends up on my desk. I imagine a future with a happy ending. We can use our fears, regrets and lives from that day as material. I hope this will be an opportunity.” ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ A real case study from Kamaishi Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture will also be presented. Kamaishi Higashi Junior High School, located about 500 meters from the sea, was hit by the tsunami up to the third floor of the school building during the earthquake. The approximately 200 students and faculty who were staying at the school for club activities at the time began evacuating immediately after the earthquake. Eventually, about 600 children from nearby Unosumai Elementary School and local residents were able to escape safely to higher ground about 1.3 kilometers from the school. Kamaishi Higashi Junior High School and Okawa Elementary School suffered severe damage. What is the purpose of studying these two cases together? (Lecturer: Mayu Kamon) Kamaishi is called a “miracle” and Okawa is called a “tragedy”. Instead, we need to clean everything up and think about what we could do to save lives in the next We need to use it as a big food source before the future comes.” Minako Itohitani (44 years old), who works with Mr. Sato as a lecturer. I have been a science teacher at Kamaishi Higashi High School since 2008, and during the earthquake, I evacuated to higher ground with my students. “(Minako Itohitani) When we looked towards the sea, we saw a large cloud of sand coming closer and closer to us. It was me in a beige sweater and like: “Sensei! I asked: “What are you doing?” I was in a panic.” Two years after the earthquake, Itohiya retired and now works in the city of Chiba, which is near her husband’s hometown. And I live with my family. . “(Minako Itohitani)I’m not a good cook. Children are surprised when I do science experiments, but they are not surprised when I cook rice.” The city designated the school as a disaster prevention training school. , and students learn about tsunamis daily.(Minako Itohitani)According to past tsunamis, a tsunami will hit Kamaishi within 30 minutes of the earthquake. The height will be from 13 to 14 meters, and water will flood the ceiling of the third floor of the school building. Speed By the time we reached land, the speed of the tsunami was 36 km/h.” “I tried to race a car that was moving at 36 km/h. I tried to run as hard as I could without holding anything back, but I was still no match. for (car). The tsunami has arrived. I learned the hard way that even if you run away, you won’t make it in time.” (Minako Itohiya) I’m from the inner region, so I didn’t have the opportunity. tsunami knowledge, but by working with children on disaster prevention education, I have acquired knowledge myself, so I am at the starting line with the children. Disaster prevention education seems difficult to overcome, but it is difficult to overcome. it’s not so much that you can enjoy it.” What Tani most wants to convey… It is said that it is “regret” after the earthquake. “(Minako Itohiya)(On the hill where we evacuated) I called to the children and said, “I’m going to take roll call, so please line up.” But the children were not interested in this. The area where they live is being washed away, and many students are crying and saying, “This is no good.” My words to the children: “Quickly line up!” I really regret not doing it!” “(Minako Itohiya)Although many children were rescued at Kamaishi Higashi High School, many parents died. Disaster prevention education never ends, wish I had done more. , my parents would have been saved too.” “(Minako Itohitani)By talking about the things I regret, fewer people will have the same regrets.” Well, then I have a feeling I’d like to tell the school about this. teachers about the “Updated Strategy for Disaster Prevention in Schools.” There are teachers who have taken this course and are taking action in their schools. (To Part Two)