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Disaster Education in Australian Schools

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2015

Helen J. Boon  and
Paul J. Pagliano
Helen J. Boon*
Affiliation:
College of Arts, Society and Education, Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Paul J. Pagliano
Affiliation:
College of Arts, Society and Education, Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Helen J. Boon, College of Arts, Society and Education, Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia. Email: helen.boon@jcu.edu.au
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Abstract

Australia regularly suffers floods, droughts, bushfires and cyclones, which are predicted to increase and/or intensify in the future due to climate change. While school-aged children are among the most vulnerable to natural disasters, they can be empowered through education to prepare for and respond to disasters. School disaster education is essential to raise awareness among students and their communities and to encourage preparedness action. However, evaluation of Australian school-based disaster education programs has been limited. This article presents the results of a critical literature review of peer-reviewed publications on disaster education programs in Australian schools conducted through Scopus, A Plus, PsycINFO and the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) databases. Results highlight a significant dearth of studies examining disaster education programs in Australian schools. Recommendations for future research are proposed to bridge knowledge gaps and establish disaster preparedness resources that support children's knowledge and preparedness for disasters.

Keywords

disaster educationschool childrenAustralianatural hazardssustainability
Type
Feature Articles
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , December 2014 , pp. 187 - 197
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015 

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