Status Of Emergency And Disaster Preparedness In Boarding Secondary Schools In Singida Region, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the status of emergency preparedness in boarding secondary

schools in Singida Region, Tanzania. The study was motivated by the continual

media reports on insecurity and school violence, a fact that informs that schools are

not as haven as people might have thought them to be. The study was guided by the

Need Hierarchy Theory which insists for human protections from physical dangers

as far as the human rights declare. The descriptive research design was employed in

the study whereby both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used.

A sample of 61 respondents was used. Data were collected through questionnaires,

interviews, observations and documentary reviews. Qualitative data were subjected

to content and thematic analysis and findings are presented through descriptions,

quotations and photographs, and quantitative data were analysed through SPSS and

the findings are presented through frequencies and percentages supported by

descriptions. The results reveal that fire, diseases, conflicts, poor services, and

accidents were the recipes for disasters in the schools. However, there were no or

very little efforts to prevent or overcome them. Besides, school members have little

knowledge on disasters and the curriculum does not consider it as a subject of study.

It is concluded that, for the effectiveness of disaster preparedness in schools, the

school community members should be given better training and there should be

special funds for disaster management in schools.