地震防災と理科教育・学校 : 1995年兵庫県南部地震が学校と教育に突き付けた課題  [in Japanese] The role of science education and schools for the prevention of earthquake disasters  [in Japanese]

兵庫県南部地震によって, 従来から軽視されてきた大地(地形・地質)の科学教育の重要性が見直され, その根本的な再構成が迫られることになった。災害の可能性を含めて, 大地を科学的に認識する市民的権利を保証する立場で, 地域の自然を対象とした地学教育の再構成を研究者と教師の共同作業として強めていくべきである。今後の地域防災を考える上で, 学校は子どもの安全と安心の拠点が本来の任務であるという基本をふまえるべきであり, 防災拠点としての役割を担うべきではない。教職員も子どものための仕事に専念できる保証が必要である。防災教育を進めるうえで重要なことは, 子どもも教職員も状況に応じた適切な行動がとれるような判断力と行動力を育てておくことである。そのためにはふだんから民主的で自律的な気風の中で, 自主性が尊重され豊かな人間関係が作られていることが大切である。

Some problems have arisen on education of earth sciences, schools and school teachers after the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu Earth-quake. In this paper, I introduce those problems briefly and propose some resolutions through the experiences of school teachers in Kobe City. Earth sciences are not thoroughly taught in present Japanese schools, because such knowledgeas earthquakes and regional geology may not be regarded as indispensable at both high and junior high schools. The severe and numerous damages caused by the earthquake had forced us to change and reconstruct the education of earth sciences. We should teach earth sciences in those schools by teaching the regional peculiarities of geology and geomorphology. Those peculiarities could be clarified through the cooperative studies by both school teachers and researchers of academic institutes. Recently, some parts of the national and regional governments regard schools as the regional centers for disaster prevention. Most schools in Kobe City and adjacent areas had become shelters for large number of citizens after the earthquake. At that time, the schools had abandoned their original role of education. Because schools are primarily organized for educationl purpose and because most schools never possess enough spaces and facilities for so many refugees, they could not be such regional centers after a huge disaster. The role of disaster education had increased in those schools. Voluntary actions and independent wills of both teachers and students should be essential for disaster prevention.