Children spend roughly a third of their waking hours at school, and in many countries schools are in places at risk from floods, earthquakes or storms. Knowing how hazards work is a start, but students also need chances to act on that knowledge.
The researchers reviewed 38 studies published between 2015 and 2024 about disaster education in primary and secondary schools in developing countries, including Indonesia, Ghana, Iran, Pakistan, the Philippines, China and Vietnam. They sorted what each study described into five parts of disaster learning:
- knowledge: how hazards work;
- response: staying safe during and after an emergency;
- action: taking steps to reduce risk;
- participation: working with the community on local risks;
- integration: making the whole school a safe, prepared place.
What the researchers found:
- Most schools weave disaster topics into existing subjects. Twenty-two studies described this approach. Some countries used special units or modules, or included disaster topics in civics or citizenship lessons. The Philippines was the only country that taught disaster risk reduction as a separate subject, in senior high school.
- Geography is the main home for disaster learning. Geography carried disaster topics in eight countries, followed by social studies and science. Some countries went further. Ghana included disaster topics in 12 subjects, and several countries used subjects such as religion, language, history and creative arts.
- Drills are the most common activity outside lessons. Drills appeared in 14 studies. Other activities included first aid and emotional support training, mapping risks around the school, and special disaster awareness days. Some schools also ran clubs, competitions, assemblies, training for student "champions" and mangrove planting.
- Lessons cover knowing and responding, but not acting or taking part. All 16 subjects found in the review covered knowledge, and 13 covered response. Only 7 asked students to take action to reduce risk. Only geography touched on making the school safer as a whole. No subject involved students in working with their community.
- Activities outside lessons fill that gap. All nine activities found outside lessons involved students taking part. Drills and risk mapping were the only activities that covered all five parts of disaster learning.
- Schools face common barriers. The most widespread was lack of funding, reported in eight countries. Other barriers included not covering the full range of hazards an area faces, limited teacher training, no clear policy, crowded timetables and materials focused on facts rather than skills.
What this means for your practice:
- Link lessons to doing. Lessons stopped at knowing and responding, while activities outside class were where students took part. Pair a lesson on how floods work with mapping flood risks around the school or neighborhood. The researchers recommend activities in which students learn with, from and in their communities.
- Treat drills as learning, not just routine. Drills were the only common activity that covered all five parts of disaster learning. Use them as a chance to discuss why each step matters, what could go better and how the site could be made safer.
- Try risk mapping. Risk mapping also covered all five parts. Students identify hazards around their school or site and think about what could reduce them, which links knowledge directly to action.
- Include first aid and coping skills. First aid and emotional support training was the second most common activity outside lessons. The researchers note that disasters can leave children anxious, and that coping skills help them manage stress and recover.
- Join up the pieces across subjects. The researchers warn that spreading disaster topics across many subjects can leave students to make the connections on their own. If you teach one piece, link it to what students learn elsewhere, or plan a shared unit with colleagues.
- Plan for all the hazards your area faces. Covering only one or two hazards was a common gap. Check whether your lessons cover the full range of risks local learners could meet.
- Partner with disaster agencies and local groups. The researchers recommend partnerships with disaster agencies, local communities and humanitarian organizations to strengthen students' involvement and the school's overall safety.
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The Bottom Line
The researchers reviewed 38 studies of disaster education in schools across developing countries. Most schools weave disaster topics into existing subjects, especially geography, rather than teaching a separate subject. Lessons mostly cover how hazards work and how to respond in an emergency, such as evacuating or giving first aid. They rarely ask students to take steps to reduce risk or to get involved in their community. That kind of hands-on involvement happens mainly outside lessons, through safety drills and mapping local risks. Common barriers include too little funding, limited teacher training, unclear policies and crowded timetables. For educators, the takeaway is to connect classroom learning to practical, community-based activities, so students can put what they learn into practice.