Disaster Prevention Education Class Held at Takatsuki Municipal Takeuchi Elementary School Ahead of 8th Anniversary of Northern Osaka Earthquake

The Takatsuki City Board of Education has been strengthening school safety initiatives, including pursuing certification for the Safety Promotion School (SPS) program, following the Northern Osaka Earthquake.

Ahead of the 8th anniversary of the disaster (which occurred on June 18, 2018), Takatsuki Municipal Takeuchi Elementary School held a disaster prevention education class. Following an evacuation drill on Monday, June 15, 2026, a classroom session was held on Tuesday, June 16, aiming to help students properly understand disaster risks and develop the ability to independently think, judge, and act appropriately to avoid danger through post-drill reflection.

Since the Northern Osaka Earthquake, Takatsuki City has implemented various school-based initiatives that apply the lessons learned from the disaster, including obtaining SPS certification and producing "Takatsuki Safety NOTE," a supplementary safety education textbook designed to help students develop safety-related knowledge and skills.

For this initiative, the school’s principal and lead teacher—both of whom previously gained experience at an SPS-certified school, learning about systematic approaches to school safety and practical disaster response training—planned the disaster prevention lesson. Prior to the June 16 class, safety instruction sessions were held on June 4 and 10 using "Takatsuki Safety NOTE," focusing on topics such as "earthquakes that could occur in Takatsuki City" and "appropriate evacuation actions during an earthquake." On June 15, all grade levels participated in practical earthquake evacuation drills simulating scenarios such as "an earthquake during break time," "a teacher not being present in the classroom during an earthquake," and "public address systems being unavailable," all of which are standard practices at SPS-certified schools.

On the day of the lesson, in a 6th-grade class (Class 2), students reflected on their own actions during the previous day’s evacuation drill, using questionnaires they had submitted. The activity was based on the SPS principle that "to develop students’ ability to independently predict and avoid danger, it is essential to learn through reflecting on evacuation actions and situations during drills and improving on identified challenges."

Students first divided into groups to share difficulties they experienced during the drill, such as "I was confused when the staircase I usually use was blocked" and "I didn’t know what to do because there was no evacuation instruction from the teacher." Each group then presented their summarized feedback to the entire class. One student said, "We’ve learned in previous classes that disasters can happen in various situations, so there were times I was able to act well, but I want to apply what I actually felt during the evacuation drill going forward." The students plan to continue their disaster education with the theme "What I will consciously think about and practice from now on to protect my life."

【Reference Information】

■ Safety Promotion School (SPS)

Since the Northern Osaka Earthquake, Takatsuki City has set as one of its goals for school safety that "all students should develop the qualities and abilities to make appropriate judgments and act independently regarding safety." To achieve this, the city has been promoting certification for the Safety Promotion School (SPS) program, which covers the three safety domains proposed by the Center for Promotion of School Safety at Osaka Kyoiku University: "Life Safety," "Traffic Safety," and "Disaster Safety." The program includes annual planning, practical activities, evaluation, and continuous improvement. Toshiyo Elementary School received SPS certification in March 2021 (Reiwa 3), and Third Junior High School, Shibuki Elementary School, and Maruhashi Elementary School received certification in February 2023 (Reiwa 5), making all elementary and junior high schools in the Third Junior High School district SPS-certified. Currently, the city is working to disseminate the successful practices developed in this district to other schools, aiming to improve and further promote school safety quality across the entire city.

■ Children's Safety Promotion Month

Following the 2001 intruder incident at Osaka Kyoiku University附属 Ikeda Elementary School on June 8, Osaka Prefecture designated June as "Children's Safety Promotion Month." In response, Takatsuki City has designated June as "Children's Safety Promotion Month" every year since the 2002 fiscal year. Since then, the city has promoted various safety initiatives to raise awareness among students and staff.

■ Supplementary Safety Education Textbook "Takatsuki Safety NOTE"

To ensure all students develop safety-related qualities and abilities, Takatsuki City has created its own educational materials covering three domains: "Life Safety (crime prevention)," "Disaster Safety (disaster preparedness)," and "Traffic Safety." Since the 2022 fiscal year (Reiwa 4), schools have been using "Takatsuki Safety NOTE" in classes and other educational activities. The content was developed with advice from expert scholars in each field and incorporates local characteristics of Takatsuki, including past disasters, geographical features, and municipal safety initiatives. The textbook is available in three versions tailored to developmental stages: Grades 1–3, Grades 4–6, and Grades 7–9.