national

Survey shows 2,860 public schools at risk from tsunami damage

7 Comments

A nationwide survey conducted by the Education Ministry in May has revealed that 2,860 public schools are at risk from tsunami damage.

Following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster, the ministry ordered the survey as part of a tsunami response plan aimed at improving the safety of public schools and kindergartens across the country. The survey was carried out in May.

According to the results, approximately 7% of all public schools were in danger of being reached by a tsunami wave should it occur, TBS reported Wednesday. Of the schools considered to be in danger, 1,066 are currently studying countermeasures, while others are looking into expanding the school building into a multistory complex and or relocating the school to higher grounds.

The ministry has urged all schools within potential tsunami danger zones to ensure all teachers and students are aware of evacuation routes.

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7 Comments
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Actually, countermeasures should have been considered before the schools were built. Japan has a long history of tsunamis. Why did they wait until three years after this one to do something about it?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Love the Government, The spend a ton of money on a survey, then tell the school to improve... But then the Government doesn't give the boards of education any money to do anything about it. Why isn't there any money? Because they spent it all on the survey.

I really do hope that these school can receive some extra funding to improve... That being say... Many of these school are most likely in places there are no kids to begin with...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The article doesn't show the criteria by which the schools were selected. I hope that they erred on the side of caution, rather than making too-optimistic assumptions about likely tsunami height and how far inland they might travel.

While it's true that Japan is an archipelago and there are many communities--and thus schools--near the coast, there are also a lot of towns (and schools) up in the mountains as well, and thus presumably safe from most tsunami. They have earthquakes, and maybe volcano eruptions, to worry about, unfortunately.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The survey was conducted only in May? And of the schools in danger, 1066 are currently considering countermeasures? Countermeasures should have been conducted immediately after the disaster. Not having a recurrence and working out preventive measures is one way we can honor those that have perished. I don't sense urgency. After the pain is gone, people tend to become complacent again...geez...

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Near the coast: prone to tsunami. Near mountains: prone to volcanic eruption. Japan is apparantly doomed in the first place. Considering all risk factors and distributing limited funds in accordance with priority which is given based on the probability of each natural disaster to come seems painstaking to me. Certainly bunch of survey appear to be stupid but I guess the first thing we should do is to prioritise which disaster preventive measures should be taken.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I teach in Okinawa. Every school here is at risk. Where are we going to move them?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

As the entire country is made up do many islands I find this number to be extremely conservative!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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