The evolution of a
community-based
approach
SECTION II: OVERVIEW
The need for community involvment in all stages of safer
school construction may lessen as societies develop
safer construction practices. When governments have
the capacity to build schools safely, their role in providing
education and safer schools to their constituents is
paramount. However, even when safety is ensured through
strong codes and robust construction oversightmanagement,
community involvement in school construction remains
valuable.
• When local school management committees and
broader stakeholders are part of school project planning
and design, the schools better reflect cultural norms
and community aspirations. Communities also better
understand how their schools perform during natural
hazards.
• When communities are invited to participate in safer
school construction, the process can prompt discussion
about disaster risk reduction and be a venue for alerting
communities to the changing state of knowledge about
hazard exposure. Local communities may find out about
newly discovered seismic faults, sea level rise, increased
severity or frequency of cyclones brought on by climate
change, or how land-use patterns have altered flood
plains. Safe school construction provides a local and
immediately tangible focus for these conversations.
• Safer school construction also supports a diffused
knowledge about the hazard-resistant infrastructure. While
few local households may apply safer school construction
techniques to their own homes in communities with mature
construction industries, community involvement helps
maintain the existing culture of safety.
• Broad awareness of and involvement in safer school
construction projects also helps maintain the political will
needed for funding school maintenance and retrofits, and
the safe construction of new school buildings – even if
these projects come with costs.
As a strong culture of safety emerges, community
involvement in safe school construction becomes part of the
wider process of a transparent, democratic and participatory
community development process. It becomes one aspect of
a resilient community.
A training session for local construction workers. Photo: Save the Children.
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