Noticias

Every child and adolescent has the right to keep learning, even when an emergency disrupts life in their community. Preparing schools before an adverse event occurs is essential to protect continuity of education, reduce risks and enable a timely and safe response.

Through the European Union-funded Horizontes Seguros project, Save the Children supported school communities in strengthening their capacity to anticipate risks, organise and respond promptly. Developing and updating school contingency plans, identifying risks, defining response procedures and conducting drills help teachers, students and families know what to do, strengthening continuity of education, protection and the resilience of the education system as a whole.

This is particularly important because emergencies can increase the risks of violence and other situations that affect children and adolescents. Strengthening skills in self-protection, collective care and risk identification helps create safer learning environments and clear response mechanisms.

The experience also shows that a prepared school is built through more than classroom work alone. It requires the participation of students, teachers, families, education authorities, municipal governments and stakeholders applying protection and gender perspectives. Students and the wider school community have a key role in this process: understanding risks, taking part in preparedness activities and developing skills in self-protection and collective care.

In the municipalities of Achacachi (La Paz) and Padcaya (Tarija), coordinated work with schools, municipal and departmental governments, and partner institutions has strengthened knowledge and practices relating to risk management, protection and continuity of education. Drills and training thus become opportunities to learn by doing and to make preparedness part of everyday practice.

This work is complemented by advocacy alongside the Ministry of Education and the Mesa de Educación en Emergencias (an education in emergencies coordination group), supporting efforts to establish school preparedness and continuity of education as a public policy priority.

Education in Emergencies encourages us to look beyond the immediate response. Preparing schools means strengthening school communities so that they can anticipate risks, protect themselves and keep learning. The challenge is to sustain and replicate these capacities, helping to build progressively safer, more inclusive and more resilient education in Bolivia.