This study examined school readiness and safety and security management practices in public elementary schools in the Division of Rizal, particularly in the BCaMT and TaPJ districts. It assessed existing disaster preparedness and emergency response conditions and provided the basis for developing the AUSTRIA Comprehensive Resilience Model, which was tailored to the educational, geographical, and organizational contexts of the participating schools. The study employed a descriptive-correlational research design and used total enumeration among school heads and members of the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) teams. Data were gathered through structured questionnaires that measured disaster and emergency preparedness planning, the availability of safety and emergency resources, the knowledge and awareness of personnel and learners, and the continuity of learning during emergencies. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to identify prevailing conditions, determine differences across school profiles, and examine the relationship between school readiness and safety and security management practices. Ethical procedures and systematic data-management protocols were observed to ensure the credibility and integrity of the research process.
The findings revealed that the participating schools represented diverse educational, geographical, and resource contexts, although the experiences of elementary and medium-to-large schools were more prominently reflected. Overall, the schools demonstrated a high level of readiness in disaster preparedness and emergency management. However, safety, security, and emergency resources remained areas that required continued strengthening. Safety and security management practices were also highly implemented, with monitoring, evaluation, reporting, risk assessment, and continuous improvement emerging as notable strengths. Policy implementation and stakeholder participation, however, required sustained attention. School readiness did not significantly differ according to school level, school size, or resource availability, indicating that preparedness systems had generally been implemented consistently across school profiles. In contrast, school location significantly influenced the knowledge, skills, and awareness of school personnel and learners. A statistically significant but weak negative relationship was also found between school readiness and safety and security management practices, indicating that the variables were related only to a limited extent and that the result did not establish causality.
Based on these findings, the AUSTRIA Comprehensive Resilience Model was developed to strengthen school readiness, safety, security, learning continuity, and institutional resilience. The study recommended that future researchers examine other Schools Divisions, use mixed-method and longitudinal designs, and investigate factors such as leadership, funding, training exposure, disaster experience, infrastructure, stakeholder participation, and institutional support. Further research was also encouraged to clarify the weak relationship between the major variables and assess the effectiveness of preparedness and capacity-building interventions across different school contexts.
Keywords: school readiness, safety management, disaster preparedness, resilience model, public schools
DOI https://zenodo.org/records/23498066
