Is your school ready to weather a storm?

Issue: Volume 97, Number 5

Posted: 22 March 2018
Reference #: 1H9i4Y

The Ministry of Education’s Katrina Casey, Deputy Secretary Sector Enablement and Support, provides information about the emergency management support provided to schools in the event of a weather-related emergency.

There have been a number of significant weather events this year including Cyclone Gita. These serve as a good reminder to make sure your school, kura or early learning service is prepared for a weather-related emergency.

Schools, kura and early learning services do a great job responding to these types of events in what can be very difficult circumstances.

All schools, kura and early learning services need to have an emergency plan they practise and review, to make sure staff and students are prepared.

Local civil defence groups play a key role in managing emergency events and can be contacted through your local council/territorial authority for advice and support. They will also help you evaluate your plan.

When developing or reviewing your plan, we encourage you to use the range of resources provided on the Ministry’s website.

Our ‘Emergency Planning Guidance’ document offers a practical approach to emergency management, taking into account a range of considerations when creating or updating your plan.

It includes key roles and responsibilities, communications planning and different emergency responses. We worked with the sector to develop the resource so it’s useful and practical.

We also recommend looking at the`Emergency Management Plan template’, which can be tailored to suit your particular risk scenarios.

Only school boards of trustees and early learning service managers/owners are authorised to decide if a school or early service closes or stays open, taking into account of their local context.

During a civil defence emergency, advice and direction is provided by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, coordinated by local territorial authorities.

Following an incident, the Ministry of Education is also available to provide support for students, staff and the community. The ‘Traumatic Incidents – managing student and staff wellbeing’ resource outlines some key actions a school should take after an emergency, and how the Ministry can assist a school to recover.

Get help preparing for and dealing with emergencies and traumatic incidents(external link) and support from the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management(external link) 

BY Education Gazette editors
Education Gazette | Tukutuku Kōrero, reporter@edgazette.govt.nz

Posted: 12:00 pm, 22 March 2018

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