DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISASTER PREVENTION AND MINIMIZATION EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR RECONSTRUCTION AFTER THE KUMAMOTO EARTHQUAKE

This study developed a disaster prevention education program for children who continued to live in the Aso area after the Kumamoto earthquake with the aim to enhance their disaster prevention capabilities and to help them take active roles in the reconstruction of the region. This study clarified the objectives, teaching materials, learning methods of the disaster risk prevention education program after the disaster, and clarified the educational effects of the program. The study set the evaluation criteria based on the MEXT curriculum guideline called “Zest for Living”. It has become evident that, the knowledge based on the local historical experiences can be a good starting point for the reconstruction immediately after the Kumamoto earthquake. One of the educational effects of the program was, as it became clear that the local children are deeply interested in the wisdom and customs of reading and understanding nature. The program successfully raised children’s level of awareness from the classroom education of disaster prevention to regional disaster prevention in the three years it has been implemented. Furthermore, with the passage of time after the disaster, it has become apparent that the programs called ‘Prediction of Danger and Taking Independent Action’, which aims at recognizing dangers associated with various disasters and ‘Contributing to Society and Basics for Disaster Service Workers’ can also be implemented.