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Here is a new aspect to the topic of recovery, the role of teachers and education re hazards, threats, and disasters. From the UN News Center, Oct. 5. More than 10 million new teachers needed to fill education goals, UN warns
The United Nations marked World Teachers’ Day today with top officials calling on governments to make up a projected deficit of over 10 million teachers by 2015 and stressing the crucial role teachers play in recovery from natural disasters and conflict.
This year’s theme is ‘Recovery begins with teachers,’ and in a discussion teachers from Haiti, Israel, Lesotho, Mali, Laos and France shared their experiences in dealing with crisis. A presentation of the latest statistics on the global teacher shortage and the opening of a photo exhibition on teachers who work in particularly daunting conditions also marked the Day.
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Recovery Diva 
Sorry, what I mean to say was…
I would also conclude that this reinforces the obvious idea that schools need a disaster response plan and continuity of operations plan. The concept should be all-encompassing of K-12, colleges and universities.
Toney
Full disclosure of the findings, research methodology, and the investigator qualification to accomplish the task could have made this a nonissue but, this is not about the findings or the government’s response to the event. It does however call into question the lack of credibility of the organization whether perceived or actual.
Toney
Interesting. Many emergency management practioners across the nation (US) advocate that the first public facility to reopen after a disaster should be the school. It is a place of comfort, structure, and a venue to provide follow-on social services such as counseling and nutritional meals. This also allows time for the parent(s) to work through recovery related issue.
I recommend reading : National Commission on Children and Disaster, Progress Report on Children and Disaster, May 11, 2010.
Click to access nccdreport.pdf
Toney
I agree. It provides structure and stability for the children. In one community I visited, the kids felt reassured when they saw their classmates, knowing they were alive and well.
Claire
School re-opening also provides the parents a break, which I’m not sure the report mentioned. For a lot of working families school is the only day care available. Once the kids are able to go back, parents can return to work. If kids are home it creates stress on the family even in normal times. Why do you think so many parents celebrate the end of summer every year!