Gakko Anzen Poketto Hikkei (Essential Pocket Guide to School Safety)

This book is designed to provide school educators with the critical knowledge needed to prevent various crises and to respond effectively when such crises arise in elementary, junior high, high schools, and special needs schools. Drawing from nearly a decade of experience in disaster education following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the authors highlight the importance of elevating the "minimum essential" knowledge and skills required for school safety. These experiences, particularly in the disaster-stricken region of Miyagi, emphasize that effective crisis management in schools is not just about responding to an immediate threat, but about being prepared with a deep understanding of the various scenarios that could unfold.
 
The book covers a wide range of topics, from disaster safety and heatstroke prevention to responses to food allergies, intruders, crime threats against schools, and traffic accidents. By addressing these issues in a structured way, focusing on the three phases of crisis management—before, during, and after—this book provides a comprehensive resource that school staff can use to prepare themselves and their schools for potential crises.
 
The editor, who has developed educational and training programs aimed at enhancing school safety knowledge, stresses that crisis management requires making informed decisions based on a variety of information and circumstances. Because there often isn’t a single clear answer in such situations, training is needed to anticipate and develop the judgment necessary for rapidly evolving situations. However, the author argues that without a solid foundation of basic knowledge and understanding, these decisions can be undermined, making it essential for teachers to both acquire and continuously update their knowledge.
 
Recognizing the busy schedules of Japanese teachers, the book is designed to be both portable and accessible, allowing teachers to review knowledge and procedures during their spare moments. Inspired by the pocket books published by the same company, which are used by police officers, firefighters, and paramedics as quick references for crisis situations in Japan, this book aims to serve as a similar resource for school staff. The content has been carefully curated and includes selected illustrations and diagrams from national and local government materials on school safety, which have been re-edited to fit the context of school-based crisis management.
 
Furthermore, the book emphasizes the importance of adapting crisis management strategies to the specific circumstances of each school, including its organizational structure, location, district characteristics, and the unique systems of the respective municipality. To facilitate this, the book includes sections where schools can record their specific conditions and plans, providing a practical tool for school-based adaptation.
 
Overall, this book is not just for teachers but is a valuable resource for a wide range of stakeholders, including administrative staff, boards of education, and PTA members. The author hopes that it will serve as a vital tool in ensuring the safety of schools across Japan, helping those responsible for school safety to effectively fulfill their roles in protecting the lives of students and staff alike.
 

(Written by ODA Takashi, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences / 2024)