MAINSTREAMING CCA/DRR INTO BASIC SCHOLS IN GHANA presented by: Andrew Osei, UNICEF Ghana

CONTEXT The Ghana Education Service (GES) is implementing a Child Friendly School (CFS) programme. Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk reduction (CCA/DRR) is an integral part of the CFS programme for these explicit reasons: 1.The National Disaster Management Service Bill in 2009 states that teaching of disaster should be positioned as an important component of any disaster risk management in the country 2.The Education Reform policy provides for the integration of CCA/DRR into the curicula It is also known that: 3. Children can be powerful agents of change/reinforcement, provided they have knowledge about how to prepare in advance, how to act on warnings and how to reduce risks at home and in their communities 4. The lack of disaster preparedness may lead to - damage or destruction of the physical infrastructure of schools, disruption of schooling, cause great economic loss for many children, death and injury of school children and staff

Subjects with Disaster Components at Primary School Level Subjects Pages with Requisite DRR Concern Citizenship Education2-81 Creative Arts Primary Creative Arts Primary English Language Primary English Language Primary Ghanaian Languages And Culture1-71 ICT Primary Integrated Science Syllabus Primary Mathematics Syllabus Primary Natural Science Syllabus Primary Physical Education Primary

Subjects with Disaster Components at Junior High School Level Subjects Pages with Requisite DRR Concern English Language JHS 1 JHS 2 JHS Ghanaian Languages And Culture ICT JHS Integrated Science Syllabus JHS Mathematics Syllabus JHS Physical Education JHS Social Studies JHS Source: MOE Office (2011)

Actions taken by GES include: 1. Lead a stakeholder meeting in November to Pilot the CCADRR Resource Manual 2. Constituted a working group to develop road map to implement the mainstreaming initiative 3. Developed an integrated in service teacher training manual on 3 pillars. i. Teachers will receive skills and competencies to deliver lessons to promote behaviour change/reinforcement ii. Schools will use Parent Teacher Association /School Management Committees (PTA/SMC) as platforms to : -Establish School Disaster Management Committees -Conduct Risk Mapping -Develop community specific Disaster Management Plans iii. Strengthening/formation of school clubs to reinforce child led learning, simulations and demonstrations 4. CRDD is collaborating with Teacher Education to introduce CCA/DRR issues into pre- service teacher training programmes

Way Forward Ghana Education Service sustained commitment Improving inter sectoral collaboration on CCA/DRR Strengthening monitoring, review, information sharing and integration into EMIS Providing basic supplies/ logistics to support implementation of School Disaster Management Plans Strengthening private sector participation in CCA/DRR in schools e.g. media Identifying champions of DRR in schools e.g. sports icons