School Drills in the Philippines: Effective or not?

BEING prepared and alert is one of the priorities to enhance in times of emergency.

The Department of Education (DepEd) aims to generate the student's awareness on unpredictable emergencies. They encourage both private and public schools to conduct unannounced fire and earthquake drills.

Based on DepEd order (DO) 53, signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, these drills ensure students' disaster preparedness.

Big one

The so-called "Big One" on the Earthquake could affect different regions in the Philippines due to its large amount of pressure on ground-shaking.

The Environmental Effects of the Earthquake may lead into surface faulting, tsunamis, soil liquefactions, ground resonance, landslides, aftershocks, and ground failures.

STORY BY GEORGIE DOMINGUEZ

Was it really worth it?

Emergency Drills is one of the normal happenings on a School Curriculum, something that makes this exercise predictable and common on both students and the school.

Everytime the drills start, teachers and staff raise a different kind of concern. "I don't like the drills because they take a lot of time, and half of the students don't listen," one teacher said.

If teachers have a concern, so do the students.

"The students don't take them seriously enough. While the Philippines is a hotbed for earthquakes, a majority of the students have never experienced actual life-threatening earthquakes. That is not to say that, I want the students to experience trauma. I am merely saying that the majority of students are disconnected from the dangers of an earthquake and are thus disinterested in participating in the drill. While students may be taught

Out of Bounds

STORY BY VINCE LOUIE ZARA the importance of earthquake drills and the devastation that earthquakes bring, it is difficult to impart that sense of danger towards earthquakes to the students," the one student raised.

Notable Problems

During the drill, numerous problems were always encountered, including, confused students, unresponsive radio, and dead fire alarms.

Most students also find the drill boring and common, as it was always conducted every academic year, that's why, they tend to be distracted and uninterested. Either, they're answering their unfinished activities because they were interrupted by the drill, laughing, and don't take the drill seriously.

The concept of these drills are ineffective because of some students that just memorize the procedures for their personal grade. The drill should be effectively strategic, not to be inessential.

Will it still be worth it after all?