Gender and Child Cell of National Disaster Management Authority organized a consultative meeting on Pakistan School Safety Framework (PSSF) in Islamabad. The meeting aimed at sensitizing stakeholders regarding their subsequent roles and responsibilities in the scale-up of PSSF across the country, fostering safe learning environments, promoting preparedness for potential hazards at schools, establishing response mechanisms, raising stakeholder awareness of disaster risk reduction practices, and ensuring children's participation in building resilience. PSSF was developed and approved after a series of National level consultative meetings with Government and humanitarian stakeholders in 2018.

Chairman NDMA Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik while presiding the consultative meeting highlighted that efficient disaster response necessitates development of a widespread network of trained individuals in households, schools, places of worship even in the remotest village, who would serve as first responder, providing crucial assistance during various emergencies. Global experiences also demonstrate that empowering children through disaster risk education during early learning stages equips them to play a vital role in saving lives and protecting their communities, hence, school safety must be foremost priority. To cultivate a truly informed community, NDMA intends to develop simulation exercises specifically tailored for the students and faculty, the Chairman further elaborated. 

The participants appreciated NDMA’s initiative for providing platform to discuss and further implement the school safety framework clauses for prepared and well informed pupil.