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Spain trains eight million pupils to face floods, fires and earthquakes
For the first time in history, all Spanish schools and secondary schools are incorporating compulsory emergency training this academic year.
Eight million pupils in early years, primary, secondary and upper secondary education will learn how to respond to floods, fires, earthquakes and even technological accidents.
The plan, agreed in June by the Government and the autonomous communities, makes Spain the first European country to introduce a culture of civil protection into compulsory education. The youngest pupils will receive at least two hours of training, while at higher levels the time will be doubled.
The content ranges from identifying everyday risks to responding in extreme situations: flash floods, volcanic eruptions or large gatherings of people. All of it is adapted to each educational level and available in Spanish, Catalan, Basque, Galician and Valencian.
Pedro Sánchez presented the programme at a secondary school in Cuenca, recalling the tragedy of the DANA in Valencia and the fires of the past summer as examples of the urgency of this measure. According to the prime minister, “it should have been done decades ago”, but a step is now being taken towards a genuine state policy on emergencies.