Accra, Nov. 7, GNA- Parents have been advised to ensure that schools to which they sent their wards were built to resist disaster such as earth quake and lightening.

Mr Yaw Amoako, a former Executive Director, Geological Survey Department who made the call in Accra on Wednesday said since Ghana was an earthquake prone nation it was important that schools were built to resist earth quakes and other natural disaster. Schools, he noted were places that had a relatively larger population and in case of any earthquake there could be larger number of people who would be involved in the fatalities if facilities are not in place.

Mr Amoako was addressing about 50 participants, mainly Directors of Education from the Greater Accra Region who participated in a day's national education experts seminar, where he presented a paper on

"Building Disaster Resistant School: with Reference to Earthquake," as part of activities marking World Disaster Day Celebrations. The seminar was organized by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) on the theme; "Disaster Risk Reduction Begins at School".

Mr Amoako said the National Building Regulation LI1630 of 1996 requires that buildings within earthquake prone areas be built with earthquake resistant materials, but "unfortunately, almost all schools in Ghana, both public and private, that were in the earthquake prone areas had not been built to earthquake resistant specifications". Parents, he noted could help rectify some of these anomalies by ensuring that schools to which they sent their wards were built to specification.

He said with pressure from parents, school owners and authorities would ensure that all non-earthquake resistant schools were strengthened or retrofitted so that they would be able to stand an earthquake should it occur.

Mr Amoako said the emphasis on disaster management was now being shifted from the more expensive emergency response and relief stage to the more cost effective mitigation phase where hazard resistant buildings/ structures were to be constructed. He therefore advised school owners and school authorities to put in place short-term preparedness plans and long term mitigation plans, including procedures for actions before, during and after earthquake.

"These procedures should be revised at least once every year so that if any earthquake should occur the schools would not be found wanting,' he said.

Mr J. K Anaglate, Chairman, Hydrological, Meteological Technical Committee urged teachers not to send children home if was about to rain because in case of flood some of the children could be washed away.

"Most schools have been sited on high lands so it was safer for children to remain in school under the watchful eyes of teachers than being sent home on their own.

"I believe in case of heavy flood parents would always go to the school to check for their wards no matter how late," he said. Mr Anaglate advocated that all schools made provision for thunder arresters so that lightning does not strike the children when are on the school premises.

Mr Ernest P. Nyame-Annan, a First Aid Instructor urged all school authorities to form Red Clubs in their school to teach the children how to give first aid in the event of a casualty.

He said it was unfortunate that it was mainly private school that had such clubs to the detriment of the government ones.