Even though natural disasters cannot be predicted, Dodo, the headmaster of an elementary school in Cianjur, continues to strive for the best protection for his students through training related to the Safe School Program or Satuan Pendidikan Aman Bencana (SPAB), a national initiative to prevent and overcome the impact of disasters in educational units.
At the end of 2022, the facilities of school led by Dodo were damaged due to the Cianjur earthquake. When the earthquake occurred, the first thing Dodo thought about was how to restore the mental well-being of the students after the earthquake. Dodo’s desire was met when assistance was offered for psychosocial support for his school. Not stopping there, Dodo and his school were also offered education on the SPAB when they met with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and Save the Children.
Save the Children, along with BNPB, assisted Dodo, teachers, and many students in Cianjur in learning about disaster preparedness, including the importance of remaining calm and knowing what to do when a natural disaster occurs.
SPAB is a government-initiated program through the Ministry of Education. This program aims to enhance the abilities of individuals in educational units to address and reduce the risks of disasters.
Initially, Dodo admitted not understanding what the SPAB was, but he already had the intention to equip his school with anticipatory measures in facing earthquakes and other natural disasters. After participating in SPAB socialization with Save the Children from April to July 2022, Dodo implemented everything he had learned.
“In my mind, there is only one thing: how to restore the mental well-being of the children. My students need to recover, they need psychosocial support. Alhamdulillah, by the grace of Allah, help in the form of psychosocial support came for six weeks. After that, we met with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) members, and the Safe School Program (SPAB) was implemented. We didn’t understand what SPAB was at first, but we had the intention. Then we met with the Save the Children team, who explained the concept of SPAB. It was fortunate, Alhamdulillah, and after that, my burden was reduced,” explained Dodo.
After completing the renovation of the school building post-earthquake, the first thing Dodo did was create an evacuation map. Then, he and the school staff created a risk reduction map, evacuation routes, gathering point signs, and disaster alert teams. Now, Dodo and the school staff continuously implement the third pillar of the SPAB by conducting disaster simulations with the students. This training is carried out in line with the Disaster-Resilient Village or Desa Tangguh Bencana (Destana), another government program implemented in the village where the school is located.
Simulations are conducted by directing the children to the gathering point on the school field in an orderly manner, and then moving to the village gathering point.
Bunga and Wulan, both sixth-grade students at the elementary school, share that they learned many things from the SPAB training. According to Bunga, the earthquake simulation begins with the sounding of a siren as a signal. She, Wulan, and their classmates are instructed to immediately protect their heads with large bags, then line up neatly while descending to the gathering point in the middle of the field.
“The earthquake simulation is conducted by pretending to study, then suddenly a siren sounds, and we go down. I know what to do. I have to hold a big bag above my head, line up immediately, and then leave the classroom in an orderly manner,” said Bunga.
Wulan adds that teachers also instruct them to take cover under tables if they cannot leave the room in time. If they have time, she and her classmates must line up neatly, stay calm, and quickly head to the gathering point to form a circle.
Dodo explains that he aims to conduct these simulations every Saturday for six months. This is so that his students are more vigilant and not too panicked when facing natural disasters.. Dodo’s enthusiasm in implementing SPAB is supported by his hope to protect his students as much as possible. According to him, even in real situations, everyone will naturally panic in the face of a natural disaster. However, at least the children in Dodo’s school have been equipped with knowledge on how to act when a natural disaster occurs.