World Bank Disaster Risk Management Hub, Tokyo Safer Schools Making Schools Resilient at Scale: The Case of Japan Solutions Brief FEBRUARY 2017 The experience of Japan in bringing its schools to In the last 13 years, the country has made earthquake-resistant standard offers key lessons for tremendous progress in seismic resilience. Due developing countries across policy development, to its frequent experience with earthquakes and program design, financing modalities, and program other natural disasters, Japan has developed new implementation. and revised earlier policies, building standards, and other guidelines to help manage the impacts of the hazard events, including the retrofitting of Earthquakes threatening schools around school buildings. In Japan, schools are not only the the world place for student education, but also a place for local community activities and evacuation during Each year, natural disasters have devastating disaster. effects on children’s education in developing countries. The 2015 earthquake in Nepal resulted in the collapse of 5,000 schools, damaged 30,000 Japan’s knowledge and expertise in classrooms, and disrupted the education of seismic retrofitting 1 million children while Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 damaged over 730 schools in Haiti. • The Japan-World Program for Mainstreaming These setbacks in educating children and keeping Disaster Risk Management in Developing them safe while in school are not inevitable. Japan Countries produced a report documenting accelerated a large-scale retrofitting initiative over the experience of Japan in making school the last decade to improve the structural safety of infrastructure more earthquake-resistant over a thousands of schools across the country, building short period of time, with a focus on activities on previous incremental efforts. from 2003 to 2015. • In Japan, policies and guidelines for safer school The World Bank Disaster Risk Management facilities, school disaster management, and Hub, Tokyo supports developing countries to disaster risk reduction education are formulated mainstream DRM in national development planning by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and investment programs. As part of the Global Science and Technology (MEXT). As described in Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and in the report, this is aligned with national disaster coordination with the World Bank Tokyo Office, the prevention plans. These policies and guidelines DRM Hub provides technical assistance grants and are subsequently implemented at the school and connects Japanese and global DRM expertise and community level. solutions with World Bank teams and government • The report sheds light on how the central officials. More than 40 countries have benefited government has evolved to establish policies from the Hub’s technical assistance, knowledge, and create a mechanism for school retrofitting. It and capacity building activities. The DRM Hub was also describes the local government’s efforts to established in 2014 through the Japan-World Bank implement these policies and overcome challenges Program for Mainstreaming DRM in Developing of limited budgets, among others. Countries – a partnership between Japan’s Ministry of Finance and the World Bank. Comprehensive School Safety Framework P ILLA R 1 Safe Learning Facilities Safe site selection Building codes Performance standards Building Structural safety maintenance Disaster resilient design education Non-structural Builder training Construction as mitigation Construction supervision educational Quality control opportunity Fire safety Remodeling Retrofit PI LLA R 2 P ILLAR 3 School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Resilience Education Assessment & Planning Formal curriculum Physical & Environmental Protection Integrations & infusion Response Skills & Provisions Teacher training & staff development Representative/participatory Consensus-based key messages SDM committee Extracurricular & community-based Educational continuity plan informal education Standard operating procedures Contingency planning Household disaster plan Multi-hazard risk assessment Family reunification plan Education sector analysis School drills Child-centered assessment & planning A program for earthquake-resistant 5. Important to develop a comprehensive and flexible school buildings: lessons for other program with clear priorities and targets countries In Japan, MEXT developed a program with clear priorities and target setting. Additionally, it designed The experience of Japan in making its schools implementation strategies that were feasible from the earthquake-resistant offers key lessons in policy technical, managerial, and financial points of view, development, program design, and program contributing to the success of the Program. School implementation for developing countries. As outlined heads and community members were consulted to de- in the report, these lessons include: termine the urgency and design of retrofitting projects, making sure that the interference of school retrofitting 1. Disasters can create momentum for increased with educational activities is minimized. This has con- action tributed to raising awareness and ownership among Past experience of Japan, including the 1995 Great schools and communities on retrofitting projects. Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and other disaster events later, were leveraged to provide momentum 6. The advancement of engineering research should to accelerate the school retrofitting program. The serve as a basis for developing a school retrofitting program on making schools safe was strongly program supported by many political parties, as it was a In Japan, retrofitting technology was accumulated politically appealing agenda in Japan. It was also and further improved on a regular basis. MEXT policy favored because it contributed to the local economy and strategies were built on accumulating this engi- and had tangible results. neering research and knowledge. The engagement of engineers, private engineering firms, institutions, and 2. Information disclosure is key to raising public other technical experts contributes to the efficient awareness and encouraging program implementers implementation of the school retrofitting. In Japan, the disclosure of hazard risk information and the analysis of damage by past earthquakes 7. Proactive support by the national government, have been the most powerful tools to raise public strong initiative by program implementers and clearly awareness on need for seismic retrofitting of schools defined role and function of schools within disaster because it both stimulates and supports local management context are critical to school facility government efforts in the program. retrofitting and improvements needed MEXT provided technical support to encourage local 3. The roles and functions of schools in disaster government action by responding to their needs. management must be clear Additionally, as the responsible institutions for In Japan, a school is the core of the community, and implementing the retrofitting program, municipalities many school facilities are designated as evacuation in Japan took initiative to secure the safety of school centers. buildings. 4. Data has a powerful role in the design and 8. Combining seismic retrofitting with general promotion of a retrofitting program modernization of school is cost-efficient Availability and usage of data on school facilities, To achieve retrofitting targets each year, MEXT some- progress of the program, analysis of damages by past times postponed general improvement of existing earthquake, and the hazard risks contributed to the schools. As a result, some schools – mostly older development and promotion of the school retrofitting buildings – will have to go through further rehabil- program in Japan. itation about 10 years after the seismic retrofitting has been carried out. This approach turned out to be expensive and burdensome to schools. Additional resources • GFDRR, The World Bank, “Making Schools Resilient at Scale: the Case of Japan” (2016) • MEXT, “Guidelines for Promotion of Earthquake- resistance School Buildings” (2003) • MEXT, “Seismic Retrofitting Quick Reference: Schools Facilities that Withstand Earthquakes” (2006) • MEXT, “Protecting Children from Falling and Tumbling Objects due to an Earthquake: Guidebook for Earthquake Protection for Nonstructural Members of School Facilities” (2010) • Investigative Commission on School Facility Improvement in Light of the Damage Caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, Urgent Recommendation “Concerning School Facility Improvement in Light of the Damage Caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake” (2011) • MEXT, “Ideal State of Disaster- Resilient School Facilities: Tsunami protection measures and enhancement of disaster prevention function as evacuation shelter” (2014) • MEXT, “Guidebook for Earthquake Protection for Nonstructural Members of School Facilities Protecting Children from Falling and Tumbling Objects due to an Earthquake: Implementing Earthquake Resistance Inspection (Revised Edition)” (2015) • The additional resources given above are available from National Institute for Educational Policy Research. (www.nier.go.jp) The Japan-World Bank Program for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Contact: helps developing countries drive large-scale investment to increase their disaster World Bank Disaster Risk Management Hub, Tokyo resilience. Through the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, the Phone: +81-3-3597-1320 World Bank DRM Hub in Tokyo connects officials, practitioners, and development Email: drmhubtokyo@worldbank.org professionals with leading Japanese and global DRM expertise and solutions. Website: http://www.worldbank.org/drmhubtokyo